Chapter 11 - THE LAST BARGAIN
Lily's face was wet with tears, but she stood straight.
Charles held a knife near her shoulder.
“Everyone lowers their weapons,” he said.
Victoria stared at him.
“You brought a child here?”
“You brought police.”
For the first time, I saw the truth of their marriage.
They were not loyal to each other.
They were two frightened criminals sharing the same sinking boat.
Rachel ordered the officers to lower their guns.
Charles pulled Lily farther into the room.
“Give me the box, Victoria.”
“No.”
“It belongs to me.”
“Everything belonged to you,” she said bitterly. “The houses. The money. The women. Even me.”
Charles smiled.
“You were never one of the women.”
Victoria flinched as if he had struck her.
I kept my eyes on Lily.
She looked toward the kitchen counter.
A bowl of lemons sat near her hand.
I nodded once.
She understood.
Victoria opened the metal box.
Inside were three cassette tapes and a sealed letter.
Charles stepped forward.
Lily grabbed a lemon and threw it into his face.
He jerked back.
Rachel lunged.
I pulled Lily away as an officer tackled Charles.
The knife slid across the floor.
Victoria ran for the balcony.
She climbed over the railing onto the next unit's narrow ledge.
“Victoria!” I shouted.
She looked down at the street twenty floors below.
Then she looked at the tapes in her hand.
“You have no idea what is on these.”
“Then let the truth decide what happens next.”
For one second, she seemed almost tired.
Then she threw the metal box toward the bay.
I caught the edge with both hands as it passed the railing.
The box slammed against the balcony, nearly pulling me over.
Rachel grabbed my belt.
An officer reached for Victoria.
She kicked at him and lost her footing.
Her hand caught the railing.
She hung above the street, screaming.
I could have watched her fall.
Part of me wanted to.
Instead, I dropped the box onto the balcony and grabbed her wrist.
“Why?” she gasped.
“Because I am not a Caldwell.”
Rachel and the officer pulled her up.
Victoria collapsed on the floor in handcuffs.
Charles was restrained beside the kitchen.
Lily ran into Maya's arms when her mother arrived.
The metal box had survived.
The first cassette held Eleanor's original recording.
The second contained Charles discussing payments to judges, doctors, and police officers.
The third was labeled ADRIAN — AGE 17.
We played it that night.
May you like
A teenage Adrian's voice filled the room.
“I know where Brooke is going to be buried.”
