Chapter 6: Victor Makes His Move
The police arrived at ten forty-five.
Madison was taken out in a quiet, undramatic way — no handcuffs in the foyer, just two officers and a brief, formal exchange at the front door.
She walked out without looking back.
The crimson pantsuit disappeared into the dark beyond the porch light.
Ethan watched from the doorway.
Richard stood beside him.
"She'll cooperate.
She has no reason to protect him now."
"She already gave me the name."
"Then it moves faster." Richard picked up his briefcase.
"I'll file the civil motion first thing in the morning.
I'll also contact the fraud unit tonight — I know the senior investigator.
This is exactly the kind of case they move on quickly." He paused at the top of the porch steps.
"Ethan.
Don't contact Victor yourself."
"I know."
"I mean it.
Let the process work."
"I know, Richard."
Richard studied him for a moment, then nodded and walked to his car.
Ethan closed the front door.
The house was quiet.
The water on the marble floor had been cleaned up — Clara had done it while Richard was reading the documents, without being asked.
The overturned bucket was gone.
Ethan found her in the kitchen, making tea.
"You don't have to stay up," he said.
"I know." She set a second cup on the counter without asking.
"Noah woke up briefly.
He wanted to know if you were still here."
"What did you tell him?"
"That you were." She poured.
"He went back to sleep."
Ethan sat at the kitchen table.
It was the first time he had sat somewhere without a document in his hand in four hours.
"How long have you worked here?" he said.
"Six years.
I started when Noah was one."
"And before that?"
"I worked for your father.
Three years, at the other house." She brought both cups to the table and sat across from him.
"He was the one who recommended me to you.
When you moved here, he called and said you would need someone reliable."
Ethan looked at his cup.
"He never told me that."
"No.
He said you were proud and wouldn't want to feel like he was arranging your life." A small pause.
"He was right."
Ethan almost smiled.
"He usually was."
His phone buzzed on the table.
He looked at the screen.
Victor Hale.
They both saw it.
Ethan picked up the phone.
"Richard said not to."
"Richard isn't here," Clara said.
Ethan looked at the screen for another moment.
Then he answered and put it on speaker.
"Victor."
"Ethan." The voice was warm.
Practiced.
"I heard there was some trouble at the house tonight.
One of the foundation staff — I wanted to call and make sure you were all right."
"I'm fine."
"Good.
Good.
These things happen with new staff, unfortunately.
I'll speak to the foundation director in the morning and make sure—"
"She told me who sent her."
Silence.
Not long.
Victor recovered quickly.
He always had.
"I don't know what she told you, but I can assure you—"
"She was looking for the codicil, Victor.
The one Father signed four days before he died." Ethan's voice stayed level.
"I found it."
Another silence.
Longer this time.
"Ethan, listen to me.
That document — whatever it says — your father wasn't himself at the end.
You know that.
He was on medication, he was frightened, people around him were taking advantage—"
"People like Clara?"
"I didn't say—"
"Father trusted her with the document specifically because he didn't trust you." Ethan picked up his cup.
"He built a file, Victor.
Four years of records.
Transfers, emails, confirmations.
All of it."
The warmth left Victor's voice.
"Whatever you think you've found—"
"Richard is filing in the morning.
The fraud unit has been contacted tonight." Ethan set the cup down.
"I wanted you to hear it from me.
That's the only reason I answered."
"You're making a mistake." The voice was different now.
Flat.
"You don't know everything that's in those files.
There are things about your father — about this family — that you won't want made public.
If you file, I will make sure they come out."
Clara's hands went still around her cup.
Ethan looked at the phone.
"Then they'll come out," he said.
"Goodnight, Victor."
He ended the call.
The kitchen was quiet.
"He's going to try something," Clara said.
"Yes." Ethan looked at the phone on the table.
"He just told us he has something.
I need to know what it is before he uses it."
May you like
He picked up the phone again.
This time he called Richard.
