Chapter 4
The police moved immediately.
Two officers ran toward the underground garage.
The detective ordered the ballroom secured.
Arthur remained seated only because Dr. Harris threatened to have security hold him down.
Victoria paced beside the stage.
Daniel stared at the floor.
Clara stood alone.
Less than one hour earlier, she had been carrying trays.
Now half the city's wealthiest families knew her name.
Arthur noticed the guests filming.
Arthur: Everyone put your phones down.
Nobody obeyed.
He looked at Mason.
Arthur: Cut the ballroom Wi-Fi.
Mason: People have cellular service.
Arthur: Then ask them.
Mason raised his voice.
Mason: Ladies and gentlemen, the police are treating this as an active investigation. Please stop recording.
Several phones lowered.
Not all.
Victoria laughed bitterly.
Victoria: Too late, Arthur. By tonight we'll be everywhere.
Arthur: I'm more interested in being alive tonight.
Victoria stopped laughing.
An emergency medical team arrived.
Dr. Harris quickly explained Arthur's symptoms.
One paramedic began checking him.
Arthur resisted.
Paramedic: Sir, with respect, your argument can continue in the ambulance.
Arthur: I'm not leaving.
Clara looked at him.
Clara: Go.
Arthur turned.
Clara: If something was in your coffee, standing here won't prove you're strong.
Arthur studied her.
It sounded exactly like something Jonathan would have said.
Arthur: You're very comfortable ordering me around.
Clara: Your son apparently passed that down.
For one second, Arthur almost smiled.
Then the detective returned.
Detective: Mr. Vance, before you go, I need permission for my team to search any company-controlled spaces in this venue.
Arthur: You have it.
Victoria: Arthur, call a lawyer first.
Arthur: Why?
Victoria: Because that's what intelligent people do.
Arthur: Intelligent people also don't tamper with wine.
Victoria's face tightened.
Detective: Mrs. Vance, we'll need to speak privately.
Victoria: Am I required to?
Detective: At the moment, I'm asking.
Victoria: Then my answer is no.
Daniel looked at her.
Daniel: Mom, just tell them the truth.
Victoria spun toward him.
Victoria: You think you're safe?
Daniel: What does that mean?
Victoria: You think because you ran in here with that envelope, everyone will forget what you've done?
Daniel: I told Dad.
Victoria: You told him because you got caught.
Arthur's voice became dangerously calm.
Arthur: Enough.
Daniel looked at him.
Arthur: Did you take company money?
Daniel: Dad—
Arthur: Yes or no.
Daniel's eyes watered.
Daniel: Yes.
Arthur closed his eyes.
Daniel: I was going to put it back.
Arthur: Every thief says that.
Daniel flinched.
Victoria almost looked pleased.
Clara noticed.
Clara: Why are you smiling?
Victoria: I'm not.
Clara: You wanted him exposed.
Victoria: Stay out of this.
Clara: You brought up his debt before anyone asked.
Victoria: Because my husband deserves the truth.
Clara: After twenty-three years of lying about me?
Victoria stepped toward her.
Arthur stood.
Arthur: Don't go near her.
Victoria stopped.
That hurt her more than anything else had.
Victoria: Arthur.
Arthur: You heard me.
The detective's phone rang.
He answered.
His expression became serious.
Detective: Where?
Everyone watched him.
Detective: Is he conscious?
A pause.
Detective: I'm coming.
He hung up.
Arthur: Beckett?
Detective: They found him in a maintenance room.
Daniel: Alive?
Detective: Barely.
Victoria's hand tightened around her clutch.
Clara saw it.
Detective: He has a head injury.
Arthur: Can he speak?
Detective: We don't know.
Victoria: Then perhaps we shouldn't stand here inventing conspiracy theories.
Clara: You sound disappointed.
Victoria: You sound obsessed.
Clara: Someone sent me here.
Victoria: And you conveniently don't know who.
Clara: Correct.
Victoria: Maybe you sent the message to yourself.
Clara: Why would I do that?
Victoria: To create a story.
Clara: A story where I almost let Arthur drink poison?
Victoria: A story where you become a Vance.
Arthur stared at his wife.
Victoria realized what she had said.
Clara's voice dropped.
Clara: I was a Vance before I walked into this ballroom.
Arthur looked at her.
Clara: Whether anybody here liked it or not.
The paramedic interrupted.
Paramedic: Mr. Vance, we need to transport you.
Arthur finally agreed.
But before leaving, he walked toward Clara.
He stopped directly in front of her.
Arthur: Come with me.
Clara: Why?
Arthur: Because if what you're saying is true, I have twenty-three years of questions.
Clara: Police may need me here.
Detective: We have her statement and contact information. She can go.
Victoria: She is not getting into our car.
Arthur turned.
Arthur: Neither are you.
Victoria stared at him.
Arthur: Mason, Mrs. Vance stays here until the detective is finished.
Victoria: You cannot order security to hold me.
Detective: Actually, Mrs. Vance, I'm going to ask you to remain on site.
Victoria: Am I detained?
Detective hesitated.
Victoria smiled coldly.
Victoria: Then I'm leaving.
She turned.
The detective stepped in front of her.
Detective: We just found an injured man inside this building, and we have video that appears to show you placing an unidentified substance into your husband's drink.
Victoria: So?
Detective: So now you're detained.
Her smile disappeared.
Arthur looked at Daniel.
Arthur: You stay too.
Daniel: Dad—
Arthur: Tell them everything about the money.
Daniel's shoulders dropped.
Arthur left with Clara and the medical team.
As the elevator doors closed, Clara saw Victoria staring at her.
Not angry.
Terrified.
The hospital was only ten minutes away.
Arthur spent most of the ride answering medical questions.
Clara sat across from him.
He watched her when the paramedic wasn't looking.
Finally, he spoke.
Arthur: Your mother is alive?
Clara: Yes.
Arthur: Does she know you're here?
Clara hesitated.
Arthur: Clara.
Clara: She begged me not to come.
Arthur looked away.
Clara: She said the Vance family had already taken enough from us.
Arthur: She has every reason to hate me.
Clara: She doesn't.
Arthur looked surprised.
Clara: That's almost worse.
Arthur: What does she say about me?
Clara: Very little.
Arthur: And Jonathan?
Clara's expression softened.
Clara: Everything.
Arthur lowered his head.
Arthur: I threw him out.
Clara: I know.
Arthur: Did she tell you why?
Clara: Because he wanted to marry her.
Arthur winced.
Arthur: I told him he was throwing away his future.
Clara: He told her she was his future.
Arthur's eyes filled.
Clara looked toward the ambulance doors.
Arthur: I called him a fool.
Clara: Maybe he was.
Arthur looked at her.
Clara: People can be foolish and still love someone.
Arthur nodded slowly.
Arthur: The night he died, we argued.
Clara: About my mother?
Arthur: About everything.
He stared at his hands.
Arthur: He accused me of choosing the company over my family.
Clara: Was he wrong?
Arthur looked at her.
No employee had ever dared ask him that.
No board member.
No son.
Arthur: No.
Clara said nothing.
Arthur: After the funeral, Victoria handled everything. Letters. Calls. People asking questions. I couldn't function.
Clara: Which made it easy.
Arthur understood.
Arthur: Easy for her to keep Elena away.
Clara nodded.
Arthur looked sick for reasons medicine couldn't fix.
At the hospital, staff rushed him inside.
Blood was drawn.
Tests were ordered.
Clara waited in a private room outside the examination area.
Thirty minutes later, Arthur's attorney arrived.
Samuel Price was sixty, silver-haired, and furious.
Samuel: Who are you?
Clara: Clara Marquez.
Samuel stopped.
Samuel: Marquez?
Clara: You knew my mother?
Samuel stared.
Clara stood.
Samuel lowered his voice.
Samuel: Elena Marquez?
Clara: Yes.
Samuel slowly sat down.
Clara: You knew her.
Samuel: I knew of her.
Clara: Did she contact Arthur?
Samuel didn't answer.
Clara's pulse quickened.
Clara: Mr. Price.
Samuel rubbed his forehead.
Samuel: Twenty-three years ago, a young woman came to the Vance offices carrying a baby photograph.
Clara's breath caught.
Samuel: Reception called me because Arthur wasn't taking visitors.
Clara: What happened?
Samuel: Victoria intercepted me.
Clara stepped closer.
Samuel: She said Arthur had already dealt with the matter.
Clara: He hadn't.
Samuel closed his eyes.
Clara: You knew.
Samuel: I suspected.
Clara: And did nothing.
Samuel: I was an attorney protecting a grieving client.
Clara: You were protecting yourself.
Samuel didn't argue.
The examination room door opened.
Arthur walked out.
He had heard the last sentence.
Arthur: Protecting me from what?
Samuel stood.
Samuel: Arthur.
Arthur: Tell me.
Samuel looked at Clara.
Then back at his oldest friend.
Samuel: Elena came to the office.
Arthur's jaw tightened.
Samuel: Victoria told me you didn't want to see her.
Arthur: And you believed her?
Samuel: You had given Victoria authority to manage personal matters.
Arthur: A pregnant woman carrying my granddaughter was not a personal matter?
Samuel: I didn't know the child was yours.
Arthur: Did you ask?
Samuel stayed silent.
Arthur turned away.
Dr. Harris entered.
Dr. Harris: Arthur, we have preliminary blood results.
Everyone went quiet.
Arthur: Tell me.
Dr. Harris: There is a sedative in your system.
Clara stared.
Arthur: From my coffee?
Dr. Harris: Most likely.
Arthur's face changed.
Dr. Harris: The amount wasn't enough to kill you.
Arthur: Then why?
Clara understood first.
Clara: To make the wine look accidental.
Arthur looked at her.
Clara: If you became dizzy, confused, or collapsed after drinking...
Samuel finished quietly.
Samuel: People might assume natural causes.
Arthur's phone rang.
Daniel.
Arthur answered.
Daniel's voice came through panicked.
Daniel: Dad, Beckett woke up.
Arthur: What did he say?
Daniel: One sentence.
Arthur: What sentence?
Daniel paused.
Daniel: He said, “Victoria knows Jonathan didn't crash.”
Arthur stopped breathing.
Clara's face went white.
Arthur: What does that mean?
Daniel: I don't know.
Then a violent noise came through the phone.
Someone shouted.
May you like
Daniel screamed.
The call disconnected.
