Chapter 17 - THE MAN WHO POISONED MY FATHER
The car smelled of leather and cold metal.
I was sitting in the back seat with my hands restrained, while Dr. Mercer occupied the passenger seat. The driver kept his eyes on the road.
I had no idea how far we had traveled.
My cheek throbbed where Mercer had struck me, and my shoulder ached from being forced into the vehicle.
But I was alive.
That meant I still had a chance to get out.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked.
Mercer didn't turn around.
“Somewhere quiet.”
“Where is Victoria?”
“You'll see her soon enough.”
“Is she alive?”
He smiled faintly.
“You sound exactly like your father.”
I felt my anger rise.
“Don't talk about him.”
“Why? Because you think I killed him?”
I said nothing.
Mercer turned in his seat.
“Your father was a stubborn man. He believed that every problem could be solved with enough money, enough lawyers, and enough persistence.”
“And you killed him because he discovered your scheme.”
Mercer laughed.
“Your father died because he refused to understand the world he lived in.”
“That isn't an answer.”
“No. It's the truth.”
He leaned closer.
“Your father discovered that the clinic was being used to falsify medical records. He found payments connected to private security firms, and he traced those payments to people who had spent years building a profitable network.”
“Vanessa.”
“Victoria. Vanessa. Your father never understood the distinction.”
I stared at him.
“What does that mean?”
Mercer settled back.
“The sisters were useful because they could become one another when necessary. One could sign a document, and the other could appear somewhere else. One could disappear, while the other continued the work.”
I felt sick.
“You used them.”
“Everyone uses everyone, Mr. Hayes. The only difference is whether you admit it.”
“What happened to my sister?”
“Your sister discovered too much. She became emotional. She wanted to expose the entire network because she believed the law would protect her.”
He shook his head.
“The law protects people who can afford to survive the process.”
“And Vanessa?”
“Vanessa understood that.”
I clenched my fists.
“Did she poison my father?”
Mercer looked out the window.
“She arranged the meeting. She made sure the medication was available. She ensured the records would support the natural-cause explanation.”
My heart pounded.
“So she killed him.”
“I didn't say that.”
“You just described it.”
“I described the arrangement. What happened in that room was more complicated.”
“Then explain it.”
Mercer was silent for several seconds.
Finally, he said, “Your father had a heart condition. His medication was carefully regulated. Someone altered the dosage, and his condition deteriorated. The doctors treated the symptoms they saw.”
“Who altered the dosage?”
He looked at me.
“Your fiancée.”
The words struck me harder than his fist had.
I had loved Vanessa.
I had planned to marry her.
I had imagined growing old with her while Lily built a life of her own.
And now the man responsible for my sister's disappearance was telling me that Vanessa had played a role in my father's death.
I wanted to believe he was lying.
But the evidence was already pointing in that direction.
“Why did you help her?” I asked.
“Because she was useful.”
“Useful for what?”
“Your father's company was worth a fortune. His medical records were valuable. His death created an opportunity to reorganize the assets without attracting immediate suspicion.”
“You stole from the company.”
“We redirected investments.”
“You stole money from employees.”
“Your employees continued receiving their salaries.”
“You forged my signature.”
“Your signature was convenient.”
I stared at him.
“Did you frame Martin Cole?”
Mercer smiled.
“Martin framed himself.”
“What does that mean?”
“He knew about the transfers. He accepted payments. He believed he could take the money and remain untouched.”
“Then why is he helping us now?”
“Because he discovered that Vanessa intended to sacrifice him.”
I felt a cold realization settle over me.
Martin had not been innocent.
But he might not have been the mastermind either.
He had been another participant who thought he could control a scheme that was already beyond his reach.
“Where are you taking me?” I repeated.
Mercer glanced toward the driver.
The car turned onto a narrow road lined with trees.
“An old property outside the city. Vanessa has been using it for several years.”
“Is Victoria there?”
“Yes.”
I leaned forward.
“Then let me see her.”
“Not yet.”
“Why?”
“Because I want you to understand something first.”
He turned toward me.
“Your father could have saved himself. He could have signed the transfer documents, retired, and allowed the company to continue operating. He refused because he believed exposing the truth was more important than protecting his family.”
“And you killed him for that.”
Mercer's expression hardened.
“Your father made his choice.”
I stared at him.
“And now you're threatening me because I made mine.”
He smiled again.
“Exactly.”
The sedan slowed before a large iron gate.
Beyond it stood a secluded house surrounded by tall trees and a high stone wall.
The gate opened automatically.
The driver pulled into a courtyard.
Two men waited beside the entrance.
Mercer climbed out and ordered them to remove my restraints.
I stumbled as I stood.
“Where is my sister?”
He pointed toward the house.
“Inside.”
I followed him through the front door.
The interior was cold and sparsely furnished. Heavy curtains covered the windows, and the hallway smelled of disinfectant.
A door stood at the end of the corridor.
Mercer unlocked it.
Inside was a small room with a bed, a table, and a single chair.
A woman stood beside the window.
She turned slowly.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Her hair was silver, her face thin, and her eyes filled with confusion.
But when she looked at me, something changed.
“Daniel?” she whispered.
My heart broke.
“Victoria?”
She took one uncertain step forward.
Then another.
“I knew you would come.”
I reached for her.
She collapsed into my arms.
For the first time in my life, I held my sister.
And for the first time in seven years, Victoria Hayes began to cry.
But as she clung to me, she whispered something that made me pull back.
“Daniel, we have to leave.”
“Why?”
She looked toward the door.
“Because Vanessa isn't the one giving the orders anymore.”
Mercer smiled from the doorway.
“No,” he said. “She's not.”
May you like
He raised a small remote control.
And somewhere beneath the house, an alarm began to sound.
