Chapter 14 - WHAT ELEANOR HAD DONE
The footage continued without sound.
Eleanor held the gun steady.
Adrian raised both hands.
Conrad appeared at the far end of the corridor.
He approached slowly.
Eleanor turned toward him.
Adrian struck her wrist.
The gun fell.
Conrad picked it up.
The three of them disappeared into the private elevator.
Charlotte stared at the screen.
“What happened after they entered the elevator?”
Mason searched the files.
The next six minutes were missing.
Roland sat on the curb with his wounded shoulder bandaged.
He looked older beneath the emergency lights.
“Eleanor came to my house that night.”
Charlotte turned toward him.
“You saw her?”
“She demanded that I cancel the false loans.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
Roland lowered his eyes.
“She threatened to expose every account.”
“What did you do?”
“I called Conrad.”
Charlotte almost struck him.
Nora stepped between them.
“Let him finish.”
Roland swallowed.
“Eleanor said she had evidence that Adrian was stealing from both families.”
“Why was she carrying a gun?”
“Because someone had entered her suite the night before.”
Charlotte thought of the recording behind the painting.
Her mother had known she was in danger.
A firefighter approached Mason.
“The underground fire is contained.”
“What about the vault?”
“We found a man trapped inside.”
Charlotte looked toward the hotel.
Conrad was led out in handcuffs fifteen minutes later.
His suit was covered in soot.
The moment he saw Charlotte, he began shouting.
“She tried to kill me.”
Mason moved between them.
Conrad pointed toward the surveillance screen.
“Show her the rest.”
Charlotte’s heart tightened.
“What rest?”
Conrad laughed bitterly.
“Your mother was not the helpless saint you remember.”
The missing footage suddenly appeared.
Daniel had recovered it from a hidden partition on the drive.
Eleanor and Conrad stood in the underground garage.
Adrian was near Eleanor’s car.
Eleanor aimed the gun at Conrad.
This time, the camera had sound.
“You forged Charlotte’s signature,” Eleanor said.
Conrad stepped closer.
“I protected the company.”
“You tried to erase my daughter.”
Eleanor’s hand trembled.
Then she lowered the weapon.
Adrian moved behind the car.
He reached beneath the hood.
Eleanor did not see him.
Conrad did.
He watched Adrian cut the brake line.
He said nothing.
Charlotte faced her uncle.
“You may not have ordered the murder.”
Her voice was quiet.
“But you watched it happen.”
Conrad’s confidence vanished.
Mason took the drive.
“This is enough for conspiracy and accessory charges.”
Conrad smiled again.
“No.”
He nodded toward the burning hotel.
“The footage proves Adrian touched the car.”
“It proves you were there.”
“It proves nothing about the body.”
Charlotte stared at him.
“What do you mean?”
May you like
Conrad’s eyes held one final secret.
“Did you never wonder why Eleanor’s coffin remained closed?”
