part 6
PART 6 — Victor’s Last Smile
Victor came for me in the one place my father promised monsters could not follow.
He stepped into the open doorway of the storage unit wearing a stolen paramedic jacket, blood dried along his temple, one hand hidden behind his back.
“Hello, sweetheart,” he said.
Detective Voss aimed at him. “Show me your hands.”
Victor smiled.
There it was again.
That old smile.
The one he wore before pain.
“Detective,” he said, “you are standing in a crime scene you don’t understand.”
“Hands.”
He lifted them slowly.
Empty.
But then another voice came from behind us.
“Gun down.”
My heart stopped.
Dr. Cole stood near the back entrance of the storage building, pale and shaking, with a pistol pointed at Detective Voss.
“No,” I whispered.
His eyes flicked to mine.
“Lena, I’m sorry.”
Detective Voss did not lower her weapon. “Adrian, what are you doing?”
Victor laughed softly.
“Did you really think the good doctor found you out of kindness?”
Everything inside me tilted.
Dr. Cole had saved me.
Dr. Cole had called 911.
Dr. Cole had told me about my father.
Had it all been another trap?
Victor took one step closer.
“Adrian’s family owed Evelyn Ward money. His career existed because she allowed it. He has been cleaning up her messes since before you were old enough to spell betrayal.”
Dr. Cole flinched.
“That’s not true.”
“Not all of it,” Victor said cheerfully. “Just enough.”
I looked at Dr. Cole.
“You knew my father was murdered.”
His face twisted. “I suspected. I was a resident. I had no power.”
“But now you do.”
“I tried to protect you.”
Victor’s voice hardened. “You tried to protect yourself.”
He moved faster than I expected.
Victor grabbed the fireproof case and shoved Detective Voss hard into a shelf. Boxes crashed down. Her gun fired once, exploding dust from the ceiling.
Dr. Cole shouted.
I ran.
Not away.
Toward Victor.
For six years, my body had learned fear. But fear is not always a chain. Sometimes it is fuel.
I slammed my shoulder into his ribs.
Pain burst through me, white and blinding, but Victor stumbled. The case hit the floor. Hard drives scattered across concrete.
He turned on me with pure rage.
For the first time, Victor Hale struck me because he was angry.
Not amused.
Not entertained.
Angry.
And because he was angry, he made a mistake.
He forgot Detective Voss.
She rose behind him, bleeding from the forehead, and hit him with the butt of her gun.
Victor collapsed to one knee.
Dr. Cole moved, still holding the pistol, but he did not aim at us.
He aimed at Victor.
“Tell her,” Dr. Cole said.
Victor looked up, breathing hard. “Tell her what?”
“Tell her who ordered Thomas Ward killed.”
Victor’s smile returned.
Small.
Cruel.
Victorious.
“You still don’t know?” he said.
He looked directly at me.
“Lena, your father wasn’t killed because he found Evelyn’s crimes.”
He laughed.
“He was killed because he found out you weren’t his daughter.”
The world fell silent.
My ears rang.
Detective Voss whispered, “What?”
Victor’s eyes shone.
“Thomas discovered Elaine’s affair. He ordered a private paternity test. He was going to expose everything, leave Elaine, and change the trust.”
My chest tightened until I thought my ribs would split.
“No.”
Victor leaned closer.
“The night he died, he wasn’t protecting his daughter.”
His smile widened.
“He was protecting another man’s child.”
Dr. Cole’s pistol lowered.
Victor looked at him.
Then I understood.
No.
No, no, no.
Dr. Cole stared at me as if seeing a ghost.
Victor whispered, “Adrian, did you never wonder why Evelyn paid your debts?”
May you like
Dr. Cole went white.
And that was when the police stormed the building.
