Claire’s face tightened.
“She crashed the car.”
Margaret’s eyes filled.
“Yes.”
“On purpose?”
“Not the way your father’s recording suggested.
Claire swallowed.
“Then why?”
“Because Thomas was following us.”
Every face turned toward Hayes.
He didn’t deny it.
Margaret continued.
“His car forced us toward the bridge. Eleanor realized he intended to stop us before we reached this house.”
Hayes shouted, “I wasn’t going to kill anyone!”
Margaret turned on him.
“You fired at the car.”
Daniel’s face drained of color.
Claire’s gun rose.
“You shot at my mother?”
“It was a warning.”
“Eleanor panicked,” Margaret said. “She turned sharply. We went through the barrier.”
Claire stared at Hayes.
“You killed her.”
“No.”
“You killed her!”
“I didn’t know she’d turn!”
“YOU KILLED HER!”
Claire fired.
The gunshot exploded.
Hayes cried out as the bullet struck his shoulder.
He fell.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Claire dropped the gun.
Her face crumpled.
“Oh God.”
Margaret approached slowly.
“Claire.”
“I killed him.”
“No.”
Hayes groaned.
“Unfortunately, I’m still here.”
Claire
sank against the wall.
Daniel crouched beside her.
Russell began laughing weakly.
I looked at him.
“What’s funny?”
He winced.
“After thirty years… that’s the first honest family conversation we’ve ever had.”
Despite everything, a broken laugh escaped me.
Then the sound of sirens appeared in the distance.
Margaret turned toward the hidden corridor.
“We have minutes.”
“For what?” I asked.
She looked at me.
“To find out who poisoned Russell.”
Everyone became still.
Russell stared at her.
“You know?”
“I know where the proof is.”
She pointed toward the corridor.
“And if I’m right, **the person who poisoned him isn’t in this room.**”
—
# PART 4 — **THE SECRET BEHIND RUSSELL’S FORTUNE**
We followed Margaret through the hidden corridor while Daniel and Claire helped Russell walk.
