Chapter 12 - THE FATHER
Daniel drove to Walter's house at midnight.
Walter sat in the dark living room with one lamp on.
He looked smaller than I had ever seen him.
The letter lay on the coffee table.
Daniel did not touch it.
"Read it," Walter said.
"I don't want to."
"Neither did I."
Finally Daniel picked it up.
Evelyn had written to Leonard three months before Daniel's birth.
I wish I could tell Walter the truth, but I can't lose the life he gives me. Our son will have everything.
Daniel stopped reading.
His hands shook.
"Our son."
Walter looked away.
Daniel stood. "Did you know?"
"No."
"Did you ever suspect?"
Walter's silence lasted too long.
Daniel laughed bitterly. "Of course."
"You looked like her side of the family. I chose not to wonder."
"You chose not to wonder about a lot of things."
I sat beside Daniel.
He did not take my hand.
At 1:13 a.m., Officer Hayes called.
Leonard Price had been located at a motel near the interstate.
He had not resisted arrest.
He had asked for one person.
Me.
"Why Rebecca?" Daniel asked.
Hayes answered, "Because he says the recording she made captured only half the conversation."
My stomach tightened.
I remembered yesterday in the sunroom.
I had started recording after hearing my own name.
Before that, Evelyn and Victor had already been talking for several minutes.
Hayes continued.
"Price says Victor Sloane wasn't helping Evelyn steal the company."
Walter frowned. "Then what was he doing?"
"According to Price, Sloane was blackmailing her."
"With what?"
May you like
Hayes hesitated.
"Evidence that somebody died twenty-two years ago because of Evelyn."
