Chapter 6 - THE THING JULIAN LEFT BEHIND
One year later, I traveled to Greece.
I had never traveled alone before.
Julian had always been the planner.
He booked the hotels.
He checked the flights.
He carried the passports.
I simply followed.
This time, I booked everything myself.
I stayed in Santorini.
The sea stretched endlessly beneath the balcony.
For the first time in years, I felt completely free.
But one morning, I received an email.
From an address I didn't recognize.
The subject line read:
You haven't found everything.
I almost deleted it.
Then I opened it.
The message contained a photograph.
Julian.
Standing beside Arthur.
Years before I met either of them.
And another man.
A man I didn't recognize.
The message said:
Arthur was not the only one involved.
Julian knew.
He was trying to protect you from something far larger.
Look beneath the blueprints.
I stared at the photograph.
Arthur had not acted alone.
The thought ruined my breakfast.
I called Harris.
He was still involved with the federal investigation.
“Send me the image.”
I did.
Silence.
Then:
“We've seen that man before.”
“Who?”
“Victor Hale.”
“What does he do?”
“Private investment.”
“How private?”
“Very.”
Harris told me Victor had controlled several shell companies Arthur had used.
But Victor had never been charged.
No evidence.
No direct connection.
He had disappeared immediately after Arthur's arrest.
I closed my eyes.
“Does he know about me?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Arthur mentioned you.”
That night, I returned to Austin.
The message still bothered me.
“Look beneath the blueprints.”
I went back to Julian's attic.
I searched every box.
Finally, I found another set of architectural plans.
A building Julian had designed fifteen years earlier.
The plans contained a strange notation.
B-17.
I remembered the number.
Julian's private office.
I went downstairs.
Behind the old bookshelf was a concealed panel.
Inside was a small safe.
I opened it.
There was another ledger.
This one thinner.
And a photograph of our son.
Garrick.
At age eighteen.
Beside him stood Victor Hale.
I sat down.
The date was twenty years ago.
Long before Garrick met Sabrina.
Before the theft.
Before the betrayal.
Victor had known my son for decades.
Had he been the one influencing him?
I opened the ledger.
The first page said:
Garrick is weak.
Arthur believes he can control him.
Victor believes he can control Arthur.
None of them understand the real objective.
I turned the page.
The final sentence made me stop.
If Elena ever finds this, she must leave Austin immediately.
My phone rang.
Unknown.
I answered.
A man spoke.
“You should have stayed in Greece.”
I froze.
“Who are you?”
“You know.”
“No.”
“You will.”
The line ended.
Then another message arrived.
A photograph.
My house.
May you like
Taken that morning.
Someone had been watching me again.
