PART 6: THE WOMAN HOLDING THE GUN
The office went completely dark.
For a few seconds, nobody moved.
Then the emergency lights flickered on.
Emily stood near the door.
Her face was pale.
Her hair was disheveled.
And in her trembling hand was a gun.
Lily immediately screamed.
“Mom!”
I pulled her behind me.
Detective Carter raised his hands slowly.
“Emily, put the weapon down.”
She shook her head.
“Don't come closer.”
Her eyes were filled with tears.
“I don't want to hurt anyone.”
“Then put the gun down.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because they're already here.”
I looked around the office.
“Who?”
Emily swallowed.
“The people who killed Marcus.”
Detective Carter glanced at the door.
“Are you saying someone else is inside the building?”
“Yes.”
“How many?”
“I don't know.”
She looked toward the windows.
“But they're watching us.”
Carter stepped closer.
“Emily, listen to me. You're surrounded by police.”
She gave a bitter laugh.
“No.”
She pointed toward the hallway.
“They're not police.”
A loud crash came from outside.
Everyone froze.
Carter immediately turned toward the door.
Another crash.
Then footsteps.
Heavy footsteps.
Coming closer.
Emily whispered:
“They found me.”
Carter moved toward the door.
I grabbed his arm.
“Wait.”
He looked at me.
“Marcus told me something.”
“What?”
“He said the person who ordered the accident was someone I was protecting.”
Carter stared at me.
“Your mother.”
I nodded.
“But Emily said it wasn't Richard.”
Emily suddenly spoke.
“Your mother didn't order it.”
I turned toward her.
“What?”
“She helped them.”
My heart stopped.
“But she didn't give the order.”
“Then who did?”
Emily lowered the gun slightly.
“You're not going to believe me.”
“Try me.”
She looked directly at me.
“The person who ordered Marcus's death…”
She took a shaky breath.
“…was Marcus himself.”
The room went silent.
I stared at her.
“No.”
Emily nodded.
“Yes.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It does if you know what he discovered.”
Detective Carter looked confused.
“Explain.”
Emily glanced at the memory card on the desk.
“That's why they came.”
I looked at the card.
“What is on it?”
“The truth.”
Before she could say more, the office door exploded inward.
Everyone ducked.
Carter drew his weapon.
“DOWN!”
Lily screamed.
I pulled her to the floor.
Three masked men rushed into the office.
Carter fired a warning shot into the ceiling.
“POLICE! DROP YOUR WEAPONS!”
The men immediately retreated.
Emily ran toward the memory card.
One of the attackers fired.
The bullet struck the wall beside her.
I screamed.
“Emily!”
She grabbed the card.
Then she looked at me.
“Claire!”
She threw it toward me.
I caught it.
“Run!”
Carter fired again.
The attackers disappeared into the hallway.
He chased them.
I grabbed Lily and ran toward the opposite exit.
Emily followed.
We rushed down the emergency staircase.
My heart pounded.
Lily was crying.
“Mom, what's happening?”
I held her hand tighter.
“I don't know.”
Emily ran behind us.
“You have to trust me.”
I turned.
“Why should I?”
“Because Marcus trusted me.”
“You said he ordered his own death!”
“I said that's what they want you to believe!”
I stopped.
Emily nearly collided with me.
“What?”
She looked terrified.
“Marcus discovered something so dangerous that he knew someone would try to kill him.”
“So?”
“He created a plan.”
“What plan?”
“He staged his own disappearance.”
My mouth fell open.
“No.”
“Yes.”
Emily whispered:
“Marcus wasn't supposed to die that day.”
I shook my head.
“I saw him.”
“You saw the car.”
My heart stopped.
“What are you saying?”
“The body was burned badly.”
I stared at her.
She continued.
“DNA identification was rushed.”
I felt dizzy.
“Are you telling me…”
“I don't know if the man in that coffin was Marcus.”
Silence.
Lily looked between us.
“Mom?”
I couldn't answer.
Emily grabbed my arm.
“You need to listen.”
We continued down the stairs.
“Marcus believed the people inside his company were planning something much bigger than fraud.”
“What?”
“Money laundering.”
“That doesn't explain murder.”
“It wasn't just money.”
Emily stopped.
“It was political.”
I stared at her.
“What?”
She nodded.
“Marcus discovered that his company was being used to move money through several countries.”
“By whom?”
Emily looked at me.
“People powerful enough to make evidence disappear.”
A door slammed somewhere above us.
We started running again.
Emily continued:
“Richard was only the middleman.”
“And my mother?”
“An accomplice.”
“And you?”
She looked away.
“I was an informant.”
I stopped.
“For whom?”
“Marcus.”
The answer hit me like a punch.
“You worked for him?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you say he was afraid of you?”
“Because he was.”
She looked at Lily.
“Not because I wanted to hurt you.”
“Then why?”
Emily's eyes filled with tears.
“Because Marcus knew I was the only person who could expose them.”
A gunshot echoed above us.
Emily flinched.
“We need to move.”
We reached the parking garage.
Carter appeared behind us.
“Claire!”
I turned.
“Detective!”
He ran toward us.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes.”
“Where are the attackers?”
“Gone.”
He looked at Emily.
“You.”
Emily raised her hands.
“I'm not the enemy.”
Carter stared at her.
“You have a lot to explain.”
“I know.”
She looked at me.
“But first, we need to leave.”
A black SUV suddenly screeched into the garage.
Carter immediately raised his weapon.
The vehicle stopped.
The driver's door opened.
A man stepped out.
I knew him.
My breath caught.
It was Marcus's doctor.
Dr. Jonathan Reed.
He had been the doctor who treated Marcus after the accident.
He had signed the death certificate.
He had hugged me at the hospital.
He had told me there was nothing anyone could have done.
He looked at me.
Then at Emily.
And smiled.
“Claire.”
Detective Carter raised his weapon.
“Hands where I can see them!”
Jonathan slowly raised his hands.
“You have no idea what you've uncovered.”
Emily whispered:
“He's one of them.”
Jonathan smiled.
“No.”
He looked directly at me.
“I'm the one who tried to save your husband.”
My heart pounded.
“Then why did you sign his death certificate?”
He didn't answer.
Instead, he looked toward Lily.
And said something that made my blood run cold.
“Because Marcus asked me to.”
Silence.
Jonathan reached inside his jacket.
Carter immediately shouted:
“Don't!”
Jonathan stopped.
Then slowly pulled out a photograph.
He held it toward me.
“Your husband is alive.”
I stared at the photograph.
It showed Marcus.
Standing.
Alive.
But behind him was a hospital room.
And beside him…
was a woman I had never seen before.
Jonathan looked at me.
“Marcus has been hiding for six days.”
My entire world tilted.
“Why?”
Jonathan's expression became serious.
“Because if he comes back now…”
He looked at Emily.
“…they will kill your daughter.”
Lily began to cry.
I pulled her close.
“Where is my husband?”
Jonathan hesitated.
Then he said:
“He's waiting for you.”
My heart stopped.
“Where?”
Jonathan looked toward the dark entrance of the parking garage.
“Across the city.”
Then he added quietly:
“But there is one problem.”
“What?”
“Marcus doesn't trust you anymore.”
I felt as if someone had stabbed me.
“Why?”
Jonathan looked at Emily.
“Because he believes you were the one who betrayed him.”
