Chapter 7 - THE HARTMAN METHOD
Martin stopped pretending.
Not completely.
Men like him rarely confessed.
They simply changed tactics.
“You’re upset.”
His voice softened.
“Of course you are.”
I almost laughed.
He sounded exactly like Gregory.
“Your son tried to assault me.”
“Gregory made a stupid mistake.”
“With a weapon you gave him.”
Martin’s eyes sharpened.
“Elaine told you that?”
There it was.
Not concern about what Gregory had done.
Concern about who had spoken.
Ortiz ordered Martin confined to his suite while maritime authorities were contacted.
He protested.
He called executives.
He threatened lawsuits.
Ortiz remained unmoved.
Then Martin looked at me.
“You don’t know what you’re destroying.”
“I know exactly what I’m protecting.”
He smiled.
“Your little inheritance?”
“My life.”
The smile disappeared.
Before security escorted him away, he whispered something only I could hear.
“Ask Elaine what happened after Celia went overboard.”
I hated that the sentence worked.
I hated that I immediately wondered what Elaine had hidden.
Back in Cabin 8142, I confronted her.
“What happened after Celia went into the water?”
Elaine went pale.
“Ashlynn.”
“Tell me.”
She sat down.
For several seconds, she could not speak.
Then she said the words I had not expected.
“I was there.”
The room became silent.
“You were on the yacht?”
“Yes.”
“Did you see her fall?”
“No.”
“Then what did you see?”
Elaine began twisting her wedding ring.
“Martin woke me after midnight.”
“He said Celia was missing.”
“We searched.”
“Gregory stood near the stern.”
“He had scratches on his neck.”
My stomach tightened.
“Did you ask him what happened?”
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
“That she slipped.”
Elaine’s eyes filled.
“But there was blood on his cuff.”
Ortiz leaned forward.
“Why wasn’t that in your statement?”
“Because Martin burned the shirt.”
I stared at her.
“And you let him?”
The words came harder than I intended.
Elaine flinched.
“Yes.”
I stood.
She looked up at me.
“You have every right to hate me.”
“I don’t hate you.”
My voice shook.
“But Celia deserved someone to tell the truth.”
“I know.”
Elaine reached into the lining of her suitcase.
Then she pulled out a small plastic evidence bag.
Inside was a metal button covered with faded dark staining.
“I took this from Gregory’s shirt before Martin burned it.”
Ortiz stared at her.
“You kept this for six years?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Elaine looked at me.
“Because someday I knew Gregory would choose another woman.”
May you like
Her voice cracked.
“And I promised myself I would not fail her too.”
