Chapter 11: The Price of Betrayal
"Daniel!""
I rushed toward him.
He pressed a hand against his upper arm.
"I'm fine.""
"You're bleeding.""
"Just a graze.""
Trevor raised his weapon toward the staircase.
"Where's Thomas?""
I looked around.
The filing cabinet was open.
The black ledger was missing.
A small ventilation window near the ceiling had been broken.
"He escaped through the maintenance corridor," Daniel said.
I stared at him.
"How do you know?""
"Because I heard someone moving behind the shelves.""
Trevor looked at him suspiciously.
"You knew about the corridor?""
Daniel didn't answer.
I took a step closer.
"Daniel.""
He looked at me.
"What?""
"Thomas said you gave him the ledger.""
"I didn't.""
"Then why did he have your name beside a quarter-million-dollar payment?""
"I don't know.""
"Why did he tell you to tell me something?""
Daniel closed his eyes.
For a moment, he seemed exhausted.
Then he reached into his jacket and removed a small folded document.
"I found this in my father's belongings after his funeral.""
I unfolded it.
It was a bank transfer authorization.
The account belonged to a company registered in Ashborne.
The recipient was listed as D. Grant.
Daniel's signature appeared at the bottom.
I looked up.
"You said you never received the money.""
"I didn't.""
"Then why is your signature here?""
"Because someone forged it.""
Trevor took the document.
He examined the signature.
"Looks real.""
Daniel snatched it back.
"You don't know my handwriting.""
"I know your father's.""
Trevor pointed toward the bottom of the page.
"That's his signature.""
I looked again.
The transfer authorization had been approved by Thomas Grant.
Daniel's signature appeared beneath it.
But something else caught my attention.
The date.
It was eight years earlier.
The same week Thomas supposedly died.
"Daniel," I said, "where were you when your father died?""
"At home.""
"Alone?""
He hesitated.
"My mother was there.""
"Was she?""
His expression changed.
Before he could answer, a loud crash came from the staircase.
A voice shouted.
"Federal agents! Hands visible!""
Daniel raised his weapon.
"That's Mercer!""
Special Agent Daniel Mercer appeared at the bottom of the stairs with three armed agents.
He took one look at Daniel's injured arm.
"What happened?""
"Thomas escaped," I said.
"He took the ledger.""
Mercer swore.
"Did you identify him?""
"Yes.""
"Did you get the evidence?""
I shook my head.
He looked toward the empty cabinet.
"Then we're in trouble.""
Trevor stepped forward.
"You're late.""
Mercer looked at him.
"Officer Rock, you're not supposed to be here.""
"Neither is your missing federal suspect.""
Mercer ignored him.
He turned toward me.
"Kendra, we need to talk privately.""
I noticed his eyes moving toward Daniel.
"About what?""
"Your partner.""
Daniel stiffened.
Mercer continued.
"We received a report that his credentials were used to authorize the transfer of two missing witnesses.""
I looked at Daniel.
"Which witnesses?""
"Rebecca Shaw and Jonah Price.""
Daniel shook his head.
"I didn't authorize anything.""
Mercer sighed.
"Your access code was used.""
"Then someone stole it.""
"Someone also used your personal bank account to receive the money.""
I watched Daniel's expression.
He looked frightened.
Not angry.
Not defensive.
Frightened.
Mercer approached him.
"Daniel, I need you to come with us.""
Daniel raised his good hand.
"You're arresting me?""
"You're being detained pending an internal investigation.""
Trevor laughed.
"How convenient.""
Mercer turned sharply.
"Watch your mouth.""
Daniel looked at me.
"Kendra, don't let them separate us.""
I wanted to believe him.
But the evidence was becoming difficult to ignore.
I stepped closer.
"Did you know your father was alive?""
He hesitated.
Only briefly.
But I saw it.
"Daniel?""
He lowered his eyes.
"Yes.""
My stomach tightened.
"How long?""
"Three months.""
I stepped back.
"You knew?""
"I found out after I received a letter.""
"And you didn't tell me?""
"I was trying to protect you.""
"From what?""
"From him!""
He pointed toward the empty staircase.
"Thomas told me that if I exposed him, he would release something that would destroy my mother.""
I shook my head.
"Your mother is already involved.""
"I know.""
"Then why keep lying?""
Daniel's voice broke.
"Because I thought I could fix it before you found out.""
I stared at him.
"You let me trust you while you were hiding the truth.""
He looked devastated.
"I never betrayed you.""
I wanted to believe that too.
But I couldn't ignore the bank transfer.
The stolen credentials.
The missing ledger.
And the fact that Thomas had escaped while Daniel was standing beside the filing cabinet.
Mercer placed handcuffs around Daniel's wrists.
Trevor stepped between them.
"Take your hands off him.""
"Move.""
"He's not going anywhere.""
I raised my hand.
"Trevor. Stop.""
He looked at me.
"He's your partner.""
"He's also a suspect.""
Daniel turned toward me.
"Kendra, please.""
I held his gaze.
"Tell me one thing. Did you know my father was Samuel Rock?""
He swallowed.
"Yes.""
My heart sank.
"How long?""
"Since the day I met you.""
The basement seemed to close around me.
I remembered our first assignment together.
His jokes.
His patience.
The way he had insisted on becoming my partner.
I had believed it was coincidence.
Now I wasn't sure.
Mercer pulled Daniel toward the stairs.
As they reached the doorway, Daniel stopped.
"There's something else you need to know.""
I didn't move.
He looked at me.
"Your father didn't die because of Robert.""
"Then who killed him?""
Daniel swallowed.
"Your mother.""
The words hung in the air.
I stared at him.
"No.""
Daniel looked toward Trevor.
"Tell her.""
Trevor's expression changed.
He slowly lowered his weapon.
Then he said something I would never forget.
"He's telling the truth.""
I returned to the hospital just before sunset.
My mother was awake.
She looked at my face and immediately understood that something had happened.
"Kendra?""
I sat beside her.
"Did you kill Samuel?""
Her fingers tightened around the blanket.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then she nodded.
I stood.
"Why?""
She began crying.
"Because he asked me to.""
I stared at her.
"That's not possible.""
"He had been shot. Robert's men had surrounded the house. Samuel knew they would torture him until he revealed where you were.""
"Mom...""
"He gave me his gun. He told me to make sure Robert couldn't use him against us.""
I shook my head.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I wanted you to remember your father as someone who loved you.""
She reached for my hand.
"Samuel was a good man, Kendra. He was the only man in Ashborne who tried to stop them.""
I sat down again.
"Then why did Daniel say you killed him?""
"Because he found the original police report.""
She looked toward the door.
"Robert changed the report. He made it look like I murdered Samuel out of jealousy.""
I felt tears burning my eyes.
"Was there a witness?""
My mother nodded.
"Yes.""
"Who?""
She looked at me.
"Rebecca Shaw.""
Before I could ask another question, a nurse entered.
"Agent Hayes, there's someone waiting downstairs.""
"Who?""
The nurse handed me a small envelope.
Inside was a photograph of Daniel being escorted into a federal vehicle.
On the back, someone had written:
He is innocent.
Below it was an address.
And a name.
*REBECCA SHAW.*
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A man's voice spoke.
"Kendra, this is Thomas Grant.""
I tightened my grip.
"What do you want?""
"To offer you a trade.""
"What trade?""
"Your partner for the original ledger.""
I froze.
"Where is Daniel?""
Thomas chuckled.
"Exactly where I need him.""
Then he said:
"Bring your mother to the old water tower at midnight. Come alone, or Daniel dies.""
The call ended.
I looked at my mother.
She was already shaking her head.
"No, Kendra.""
I stood.
"I'm getting Daniel back.""
My mother grabbed my wrist.
"Then you need to know something first.""
"What?""
She looked directly into my eyes.
"Thomas Grant isn't the man who ordered your father's death.""
She swallowed.
"Robert didn't order it either.""
I felt my blood turn cold.
"Then who did?""
May you like
My mother whispered:
"The person who raised me.""
