Chapter 8 - Margaret’s Secret

Margaret asked everyone except Daniel and me to leave.

She closed the hospital door.

Then she told me the truth she had hidden for seven years.

Samuel had come to her the night before he died.

He showed her evidence of the stolen charity money.

Margaret refused to believe him.

“He accused Victor and Richard.”

She looked down.

“I thought Samuel was trying to blackmail the family.”

My hands curled into fists.

“What did you do?”

“I called Victor.”

The room seemed to move beneath me.

“You told him Samuel knew?”

Margaret started crying.

“Yes.”

Daniel whispered.

“Mom.”

“I didn’t know Victor was involved.”

“You gave my husband’s name to the people stealing the money.”

“I know.”

I wanted to scream.

Instead, I remembered Samuel at our kitchen table that final morning.

He had kissed my forehead.

He told me he loved me.

He promised he would be home before dinner.

He never came back.

Margaret reached for my hand.

I pulled away.

“There’s more.”

“Of course there is.”

“After Samuel died, I became suspicious.”

She secretly hired investigators.

Two disappeared.

One returned her payment and warned her never to call again.

Margaret eventually discovered that Victor answered to someone outside the family.

Someone with political influence.

Someone capable of controlling investigations.

“Why didn’t you go to the FBI?”

“I was afraid for Daniel and Ethan.”

“That fear protected the people who killed Samuel.”

“I know.”

She handed me a small flash drive.

“Samuel gave me this before he died.”

I stared at her.

“You had evidence all these years?”

“It’s encrypted.”

“We could have found someone.”

“I tried.”

She swallowed.

“Every person who touched it became afraid.”

Daniel took the drive.

Back at the mansion, Noah examined it.

After six hours, he opened one folder.

Inside were dozens of photographs.

Judges.

Senators.

Executives.

Police officials.

All attending private meetings at a secluded estate.

Then one photograph appeared.

Samuel had secretly taken it through a window.

Richard Sloan stood beside a woman.

Her back faced the camera.

She wore a red coat.

On her hand was an emerald ring shaped like a serpent.

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