Chapter 2 - THE MAN OUTSIDE THE GATE
Victoria checked herself out against medical advice.
Richard Cole arrived before noon.
He had been Charles’s attorney for twenty-seven years and had the emotional warmth of a locked filing cabinet.
“You should still be in the hospital.”
Victoria looked at him.
“Serena is filing to declare me incompetent.”
Richard’s face did not change.
“She threatened it?”
“She said it was happening tomorrow.”
He opened his folder.
“Then we have hours.”
“You knew about Elias.”
Richard paused.
“Yes.”
Victoria stared.
“How long?”
“Twenty-three years.”
“Who is he?”
Richard closed the folder.
“Not here.”
They drove to Mercer House.
The gates were locked.
Serena’s security staff refused entry.
Richard showed identification.
Still no.
Serena appeared on the front steps.
White dress.
Perfect posture.
“You’re not coming in.”
Richard looked at her.
“This property is still subject to estate administration.”
“It belongs to the Mercer family.”
Victoria almost laughed.
“So do I, apparently.”
Serena ignored her.
Then Victoria saw someone across the road.
A man in a dirty dark coat.
Unshaven.
Watching.
The same face from Charles’s photograph.
Elias.
He did not approach.
He only looked at Victoria.
Then at Serena.
Serena noticed him.
“Who the hell is that?”
Victoria said:
“I don’t know.”
It was the first lie she told Serena.
And it felt useful.
Richard leaned closer.
“Do not speak to him here.”
Too late.
Serena turned toward the guard.
“Get that man away from the property.”
Elias started walking.
Not away.
Toward them.
Serena stepped down.
“You deaf?”
Elias stopped several feet away.
“No.”
“Then leave.”
He looked at her.
“Which one are you?”
Serena stared.
“Excuse me?”
Elias glanced toward the house.
“Charles’s daughter?”
Her expression sharpened.
“Who are you?”
He smiled without humor.
“Someone who heard he died.”
Serena looked at Richard.
“Do you know him?”
Richard did not answer.
That was answer enough.
Serena’s face changed.
Elias noticed.
Then he looked at Victoria.
“You’re the wife.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t look like the pictures.”
“Hospital.”
He glanced at her bandaged shoulder.
“What happened?”
Serena cut in.
“None of your business.”
Elias looked at her again.
“I wasn’t asking you.”
Serena’s jaw tightened.
Victoria almost admired him.
Then Richard said:
“Elias, we need to talk privately.”
Serena went still.
The name.
Now she had it.
“Elias?”
He looked at her.
Serena whispered:
“Elias what?”
He did not answer.
Richard said:
“Not here.”
Elias laughed softly.
“Still managing the room, Richard?”
That told Victoria something.
They had met before.
Serena heard it too.
Then she stepped closer to Elias.
“What did my father promise you?”
He stared at her.
“Nothing.”
“Money?”
“No.”
“A house?”
“No.”
“Then why are you here?”
Elias looked toward Mercer House.
“Because he asked me to come when he died.”
Serena’s face went pale.
Victoria saw fear.
Real fear.
Then Serena recovered.
“You’re lying.”
Elias shrugged.
“Probably easier if you believe that.”
He turned to leave.
Victoria whispered:
“Wait.”
Serena looked at her.
Victoria took the folded photograph from her coat and slid it toward Elias.
Serena lunged.
“What did you give that bum?!”
Elias caught the paper.
Victoria stared at Serena.
“Something your father hid from you.”
Serena’s smile disappeared.
Then the front doors opened.
Richard’s assistant came out carrying another legal folder.
Richard took it.
Serena snapped:
“Tell her who owns this house!”
Richard opened the folder.
His voice was cold.
“Your father’s will left everything to your brother.”
Serena’s face collapsed.
“What?”
She slowly turned toward Elias.
Elias did not smile.
May you like
He looked almost sick.
And that terrified Victoria more than victory would have.
