Chapter 20 - THE NIGHT JONATHAN DIED
Elise raised Helena’s dropped gun.
“Tell me.”
Thomas didn’t move.
“Tell me what happened.”
June stood behind Rebecca, crying silently.
Thomas looked at Helena.
Blood spread beneath her.
Then he looked back at Elise.
“I found Jonathan beside the wreck.”
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
Elise’s voice broke.
“You told me he died instantly.”
“That’s what Monica ordered me to say.”
“What did you do to him?”
“I tried to save him.”
“WHERE IS HE?”
The scream tore out of Elise.
Thomas went still.
“He died later.”
“When?”
“Two hours after the crash.”
Elise staggered.
Two hours.
Two hours when Jonathan had been alive.
Two hours stolen from her.
Thomas continued.
“He was badly injured. Monica’s people were coming. Jonathan knew he wouldn’t survive.”
“You could have called an ambulance.”
“And they would have finished him inside the ambulance.”
“So you let him die?”
Thomas flinched.
“I took him to an abandoned veterinary clinic. Samuel helped.”
Elise looked around.
“Samuel?”
“He was there?”
Thomas nodded.
“Jonathan recorded a final statement.”
Elise’s entire body went cold.
“Where?”
Thomas touched his coat.
A memory card.
Before he could remove it, sirens sounded.
Monica Shaw’s voice boomed through loudspeakers.
“ELISE! STEP AWAY FROM THOMAS!”
Agents surrounded the grounds.
Thomas whispered, “She traced us.”
Elise looked at Helena.
Still alive.
Barely.
“You can testify.”
Helena smiled weakly.
“You think she’ll let me reach a courtroom?”
Monica entered the garden wearing a bulletproof vest.
“Elise.”
Her expression was almost maternal.
“Come here.”
“You killed Jonathan.”
“No.”
“Helena said you ordered it.”
“Helena is a criminal and a liar.”
Helena laughed painfully.
“So are you.”
Monica raised her weapon toward Helena.
Elise stepped between them.
“Don’t.”
“Elise, she tried to murder your daughter.”
“And you murdered my husband.”
Monica’s face hardened.
“I protected you.”
“By killing him?”
“Jonathan would have destroyed everything.”
“What everything?”
“The network.”
“No.”
Monica looked toward June.
“The country.”
Elise stared.
Monica explained that the laundering system had evolved decades earlier into a secret fund used to bribe officials, finance intelligence operations, and influence major redevelopment contracts.
Some money funded criminals.
Some funded legitimate government operations no agency wanted exposed.
“You think that justifies murder?”
“I think your father was naive.”
Elise’s eyes burned.
“And my mother?”
For the first time, Monica looked hurt.
“Sarah died because Michael refused to cooperate.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“It’s the only one you get.”
Thomas suddenly tossed Elise the memory card.
Monica shouted.
An agent fired.
Thomas fell.
Elise screamed.
Rebecca pulled June down.
Helena reached for a weapon.
Another gunshot.
Monica fired first.
Helena collapsed permanently.
Thomas lay bleeding beside the memorial bench.
He looked at Elise.
“Jonathan’s recording.”
Elise knelt beside him.
“Stay with me.”
“Sixth letter…”
“Where?”
Thomas looked toward the house.
“The room… they sealed after the fire.”
His eyes closed.
Elise pressed her hands against his wound.
But somewhere behind them, Monica shouted:
May you like
“Take the memory card.”
And Elise realized the most important evidence Jonathan had ever created was now in her hand.
