Chapter 15 - CLAIRE SETS THE TRAP
Claire had spent weeks being treated like a target.
Now she wanted Mercer to believe she was moving.
Rebecca objected immediately.
“This is not a movie.”
“I know.”
“You have a twelve-year-old son.”
“I know.”
“Then let police handle Mercer.”
Claire looked toward Ortiz.
“They can’t find him.”
Ortiz did not disagree.
Mercer needed a reason to surface.
Claire gave him one.
Through Rebecca, she allowed information to leak that Claire was preparing to move the remaining Parker assets into a protected federal trust.
The transfer would begin Friday.
After that, Mercer’s stolen documentation would be nearly worthless.
The leak was controlled.
Only three people outside law enforcement heard it.
Within six hours, someone attempted to contact Vanessa Cole from a prepaid phone.
Mercer had taken the bait.
The phone call lasted fourteen seconds.
He asked one question.
“Where is the original ledger?”
Vanessa, cooperating with police, gave the prepared answer.
“Claire has it.”
Mercer hung up.
There was no original ledger.
Not anymore.
Rebecca had invented it.
But Mercer believed it existed because Richard had once mentioned Claire keeping handwritten estate records.
The next step was more dangerous.
Claire would be moved visibly from Megan’s house to a protected apartment.
Police would watch every route.
Ethan would not participate.
He argued.
“I helped save her.”
“And you already did enough,” Claire said.
“But Mercer is watching me too.”
“That’s why you’re staying with Megan.”
Ethan hated it.
He also knew she was right.
On Friday afternoon, Claire left the house in a black SUV.
Two unmarked police vehicles followed.
Another vehicle waited several blocks away.
Nothing happened for twenty minutes.
Then a motorcycle began following the convoy.
Police stopped it.
The rider was a delivery driver.
A false alarm.
Ten minutes later, Claire arrived at the secure apartment.
Still nothing.
Ortiz began to wonder whether Mercer had recognized the trap.
Then Claire’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
Ortiz nodded for her to answer.
“Hello?”
Mercer’s voice came through.
“Where’s Ethan?”
Claire froze.
Her eyes moved to Ortiz.
“He’s safe.”
Mercer laughed softly.
“No, Claire.”
A pause.
“He’s not.”
At Megan’s house, officers rushed upstairs.
Ethan’s bedroom was empty.
The window stood open.
But Ethan had not been taken through it.
Security footage showed him leaving the house voluntarily eleven minutes earlier.
Beside the back door, he had left a note.
Mom.
He has Aunt Megan’s neighbor, Mrs. Ellis.
He sent me a picture.
He said he’d hurt her if I told anyone.
I’m sorry.
Claire stopped breathing.
May you like
Mercer had found the one weakness Richard had always exploited.
Ethan would risk himself to protect someone else.
