Chapter 7
Down the hall in the dimly lit library, away from the violent confrontation in the study, Arthur sat behind a heavy oak writing desk. His hands trembled as he unlocked a small leather-bound ledger with a small brass key he wore around his neck. The old lawyer had served three generations of the Vance family, and he knew that loyalty had an expiration date.
The door creaked open, and Mary slipped into the room, shielding little Lily behind her skirt. Arthur looked up, his weary eyes reflecting the dim glow of the green banker’s lamp.
“You shouldn’t be down here, Mary. And certainly not the child,” Arthur said, his voice raspy and dry.
“The police are outside, Mr. Arthur,” Mary said urgently. “The house is falling apart. Julian and Clara are tearing each other to pieces upstairs. Lily heard everything about her mother. You’ve got to tell us the truth. Was Sarah murdered, or did she really run away?”
Arthur looked at Lily, his expression softening into a deep, profound sorrow. He motioned for them to approach the desk. He reached into the bottom drawer and pulled out a heavy manila envelope stamped with red confidential seals.
“Sarah didn’t run away,” Arthur began, his voice barely a whisper. “She found out that Julian was planning to siphon the trust funds meant for Lily’s medical future into his failing corporate ventures. She threatened to go to the authorities with proof of corporate fraud and falsified safety reports on their construction sites. The night she disappeared, there was an argument in this very room.”
Lily stepped closer, her small fingers gripping the edge of the wooden desk. “Did Clara do it?”
“No, child,” Arthur sighed, closing his eyes as if trying to shut out the memory. “Clara wasn’t even in the picture then. Clara is... someone else entirely. She is Sarah’s younger sister. She came here under an assumed name three years ago, marrying the man who destroyed her family, all to gather enough evidence to put Julian behind bars for the rest of his natural life.”
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Mary gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. “Clara is Sarah’s sister? But why would she treat Lily so cruelly?”
“Because to fool a monster like Julian, you have to become a monster yourself,” Arthur explained bitterly. “She had to push Julian to the edge, force him to reveal his true colors, and make him paranoid enough to expose himself. But she went too far tonight with the water. She crossed a line that even revenge shouldn't touch.”
