Chapter 16 - The Plane Without William
Federal authorities intercepted William Cole’s plane after it landed.
William was not aboard.
Only the pilot.
Nathan received the call while driving back to Grace.
“They found blood in the cabin.”
Samuel’s voice came through the speaker.
“How much?”
“Enough to suggest injury.”
“Body?”
“None.”
Nathan frowned.
“Then someone staged the escape.”
Samuel agreed.
The pilot claimed William never boarded.
A man wearing William’s coat had entered through a private gate.
Security footage had been altered.
Nathan knew immediately.
“Charles.”
Samuel sighed.
“Likely.”
Nathan reached the secure residence.
Grace sat at the kitchen table helping Lily color.
The normality of the scene stopped him.
Lily looked up.
“Daddy.”
Nathan smiled despite everything.
“Hey.”
She held up a picture.
Three stick figures stood beneath a large yellow sun.
Grace.
Lily.
Nathan.
He swallowed.
“Is that us?”
Lily nodded.
“You’re too tall.”
Grace laughed.
Nathan sat beside her.
“I’ll work on that.”
For ten minutes, Nathan did nothing related to corruption.
He colored a poorly shaped dog purple.
He allowed Lily to correct him.
He listened when she explained that Rosie the rabbit did not like airplanes.
Then Samuel called again.
They had found William.
Alive.
He had walked into a federal building downtown.
Nathan put the phone on speaker.
William’s voice sounded broken.
“Charles took me.”
Nathan stared at the phone.
“Why?”
“He wanted something Richard gave me.”
“What?”
“A code.”
Nathan stood.
“What code?”
William began crying.
For all his arrogance, he suddenly sounded like an old man.
“Richard created a final account.”
“He called it restitution.”
Nathan looked at Grace.
“How much?”
“Two hundred and eighty million.”
Nathan froze.
William continued.
“Money recovered from the Harrington shell companies over three years.”
“Richard planned to distribute it to victims.”
“Employees.”
“Businesses.”
“Families damaged by the bribery network.”
Grace stared.
“And Charles wants it.”
“Yes.”
Nathan asked.
“Where is the money?”
“Nobody knows.”
“Then what does the code do?”
“Unlocks Richard’s instructions.”
“Do you have it?”
William became silent.
Nathan’s voice hardened.
“William.”
“I gave Charles half.”
Nathan closed his eyes.
“Half?”
“Richard split the code.”
“Between me and Margaret.”
Nathan looked toward the door.
His mother.
“Does Charles know she has the other half?”
“Yes.”
Nathan immediately called Margaret.
No answer.
He called estate security.
No answer.
His blood turned cold.
Grace stood.
“Nathan.”
He was already moving.
They reached Margaret’s estate twenty minutes later.
The door stood open.
Inside, furniture had been overturned.
A lamp was broken.
Nathan called her name.
No answer.
Then Lily, who had remained in the car with protection, began screaming outside.
Nathan ran.
A black SUV accelerated from behind the property.
Grace reached Lily first.
The child was safe.
But a white envelope had been pinned beneath the windshield wiper.
Nathan opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
Margaret sat in a chair beside Charles Harrington.
Charles held a gun.
On the back, one sentence had been written.
BRING ME MY MONEY.
Grace looked at Nathan.
“What are you going to do?”
Nathan stared at the photograph.
May you like
Then he looked toward his daughter.
“I’m going to end this.”
