The Father Who Lied Twice
Chapter 07 - The Father Who Lied Twice
Adrian returned to Greenwich.
This time, Charles was waiting.
"You found the photograph," he said.
Adrian stopped.
"You knew I would."
"I hoped you wouldn't."
"Where is Rachel?"
"I don't know."
"You've lied to me for eleven years."
Charles lowered his head.
"Yes."
"And yesterday you lied again."
"Yes."
Adrian stared at the man he had once spent his entire life trying to impress.
"Why?"
"Because I was ashamed."
Charles sat heavily.
"Rachel contacted me six months ago."
"What did she want?"
"Help."
"With Victor?"
Charles nodded.
"She discovered the pension scheme."
"And you believed her?"
"Not at first."
Charles opened a drawer.
Inside was a second flash drive.
"I investigated."
"And?"
"She was right."
Adrian's anger returned.
"Then why didn't you go to the police?"
Charles laughed bitterly.
"Because Victor made sure my signature appeared on enough documents to bury me with him."
"So you protected yourself."
"At first."
Charles looked toward Adrian.
"Then Rachel reminded me what protecting myself had already cost."
Adrian said nothing.
"She told me about Eli."
Charles's eyes filled.
"I saw photographs."
"You knew he was your grandson."
"Yes."
"And you still stayed silent."
"I was trying to fix it."
Charles pushed the flash drive toward him.
"Everything I found is there."
Adrian didn't touch it.
"Where did Rachel go?"
"We were supposed to meet Tuesday night."
"Where?"
"Pier Seventeen."
Adrian's chest tightened.
"She never arrived."
Charles shook his head.
"Victor's people must have followed her."
"Why didn't you call me?"
"Because I knew what you would think."
"You mean I would discover what you did."
Charles looked broken.
"Yes."
Adrian turned toward the door.
"Adrian."
He stopped.
Charles's voice trembled.
"I took ten years from you."
Adrian looked back.
"Eleven."
Then he left.
Outside, Marcus was waiting beside the car.
"We traced one of Victor's company vehicles."
"Where?"
"Security footage shows it leaving Pier Seventeen Tuesday night."
"Where did it go?"
Marcus handed Adrian a map.
An abandoned coastal property owned through one of Victor's shell companies.
Adrian stared at the location.
May you like
For the first time since Eli appeared, they had a real lead.
And Adrian intended to follow it personally.
