Chapter 13 - Adrian
Caleb punched Victor.
The older man collapsed against the wall.
“You said Adrian was alive.”
Victor wiped blood from his mouth.
“I said your brother.”
Caleb froze.
June stared.
Victor slowly stood.
“You assume there were only two Whitcomb sons.”
Caleb said nothing.
Victor continued.
“Evelyn had another child.”
“That’s impossible.”
“Before Warren.”
Caleb’s mind raced.
“My mother was twenty when she married him.”
“She was seventeen when she gave birth.”
“To who?”
Victor looked at June.
“Ask Margaret.”
June shook her head.
“No more riddles.”
Victor sighed.
“His name is Gabriel.”
Caleb had never heard it.
“Who raised him?”
“A family paid by Margaret.”
“Why hide him?”
“Because Evelyn’s pregnancy would have destroyed the marriage arrangement between the Whitcombs and the Hartwells.”
Caleb understood.
His mother came from another wealthy family.
The marriage had been business.
“Who was Gabriel’s father?”
Victor looked away.
“My brother.”
June stared.
“So Gabriel is your nephew.”
“Yes.”
“And Caleb’s half-brother.”
“Yes.”
“Where is he?”
Victor’s expression darkened.
“I don’t know.”
Caleb laughed bitterly.
“Convenient.”
Victor stepped forward.
“I spent twenty years looking.”
“Why?”
“Because Margaret took him after Evelyn died.”
June frowned.
“Why would she?”
“Control.”
Caleb remembered Margaret’s warning.
His grandmother had seemed afraid.
Or perhaps she had been acting.
His phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
This time the voice was not distorted.
“Hello, Caleb.”
A male voice.
Around fifty.
Calm.
“You know who I am now.”
“Gabriel.”
A soft laugh.
“Finally.”
“Where is Elara?”
“With me.”
“You hurt her—”
“I protected her from Meredith.”
Caleb looked at Victor.
“You ordered the kidnapping.”
Victor shook his head.
Gabriel continued through the phone.
“Victor thought he could use your daughter to force the family into confession.”
Caleb’s face hardened.
“He kidnapped a baby.”
“Yes.”
“And you took her from him?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Victor still thinks this is about revenge.”
“What is it about?”
“Correction.”
Caleb felt a chill.
“What does that mean?”
“You have inherited a company built on stolen money and buried bodies.”
“I didn’t build it.”
“But you own it.”
“What do you want?”
“A public confession.”
“Of what?”
“Everything.”
Caleb looked at Victor.
“Then bring my daughter back.”
Gabriel paused.
“I will.”
“When?”
“When you find out why Evelyn chose to leave you behind.”
The call ended.
Caleb stared at the phone.
June whispered, “He knows what was on that cassette.”
Victor’s expression confirmed it.
Caleb turned.
“You know too.”
Victor looked ashamed.
“Yes.”
“Why did she leave me?”
May you like
Victor answered quietly:
“Because she believed you weren’t her son.”
