Chapter 6 - The Woman Who Opened the Door
The first gunshot hit the steel door hard enough to shake dust from the ceiling.
Lorraine screamed.
Blake pulled me behind a cabinet.
Victor dropped to his knees.
"Down!"
Another shot.
I reached for my sidearm, then remembered I had left it secured with the White House detail.
"How many?"
Blake whispered.
"Two."
I heard footsteps outside.
Then a familiar voice.
"Victor."
My father went white.
"Redd."
Thomas Redd laughed.
"You should have destroyed the ledger."
Victor shouted back.
"You said nobody would find it."
"You believed me."
Another shot.
The lock clicked.
I looked at Blake.
"Back exit?"
"None."
I scanned the room.
Shelves.
Cabinet.
Vent.
Steel door.
Nothing.
Then Lorraine moved.
She walked toward the electrical panel.
"Mom, what are you doing?" Blake whispered.
She opened it.
Pulled a wire.
The hallway lights came on.
At the same moment, the steel door unlocked.
I didn't hesitate.
I kicked it open.
The first man stood there with a gun.
I struck his wrist.
The weapon fell.
Blake tackled the second.
Victor grabbed the fallen gun.
Redd ran.
I chased him into the library.
He knocked over a chair.
I caught the back of his jacket.
He turned.
"You don't know what your mother found!"
"What did she find?"
"A name!"
"Whose?"
He smiled.
Then slammed the butt of his pistol into my shoulder.
Pain exploded down my arm.
He escaped through the rear door.
Police sirens sounded outside.
I looked at my father.
"You called them?"
He shook his head.
"Who did?"
Lorraine raised her phone.
"I did."
She was trembling.
"But I also sent something else."
"What?"
She handed me her phone.
A message she'd sent to an unknown number.
THE LEDGER IS OPEN.
COME NOW.
I stared at her.
"You summoned someone."
"Yes."
"Who?"
She looked at Victor.
"Your mother."
I thought I had misheard.
"What?"
Lorraine started crying.
"Not her."
She pointed toward the street.
"My mother."
I didn't understand.
"Who is your mother?"
Victor closed his eyes.
"Estelle Voss."
Daniel Voss's mother.
I stared at him.
"She's alive?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"Virginia."
"Why would she have anything to do with this?"
Lorraine looked at me.
"Because Daniel told her what happened."
"Before he died?"
"Yes."
"What did he tell her?"
Lorraine whispered:
"That your mother hadn't stolen anything."
I waited.
"She had discovered that Daniel was stealing from the company himself."
The room went silent.
That changed everything.
"Why would she investigate him?"
"Because she knew he wasn't acting alone."
My phone vibrated.
General Hale.
I answered.
"Where are you?"
"At my father's house."
"I know."
I froze.
"How?"
"We tracked Redd."
"He's alive."
"Yes."
"Then why did you sound worried?"
"Because he wasn't supposed to be here."
"What does that mean?"
Hale's voice dropped.
"Redd is under federal protection."
My chest tightened.
"Since when?"
"Since yesterday."
"Why?"
"Because he turned witness."
I looked at Victor.
"Against whom?"
Hale didn't answer.
"General?"
"Against me."
I couldn't breathe.
The line went dead.
Blake had heard everything.
He stared at me.
"You said he was your mentor."
"I know."
Victor laughed quietly.
"For once, your general told the truth."
I turned on him.
"Start explaining."
But before he could, the front door opened.
An elderly woman entered.
Gray hair.
Straight posture.
A cane.
Her eyes found mine instantly.
Then she whispered:
"You have your mother's face."
I stepped toward her.
"Estelle?"
She nodded.
"My grandson was not murdered because he stole money."
She looked at the ledger in my hand.
"He was murdered because he discovered who was stealing it."
She reached into her coat.
Pulled out a second ledger.
And dropped it at my feet.
"Your mother gave me this before she died."
I stared down.
Two ledgers.
Two sets of names.
May you like
And one name appeared in both.
Marcus Hale.
