Chapter 5 - THE SIGNATURE
Emily backed away from him.
“No.”
“Emily—”
“You knew.”
“I didn’t.”
“You signed it.”
“Yes.”
“Then you knew.”
“I signed hundreds of corporate authorizations.”
“And my father died in prison because one of them mattered.”
Julian absorbed the words without defending himself.
That somehow made Emily angrier.
She grabbed her coat.
Daniel stepped away from the door immediately.
Good.
If he had tried stopping her, she might have hit him with Sam’s stapler.
Julian followed her into the dining room.
“Give me until morning.”
“For what?”
“To find the original transaction records.”
“So the Mercer family can investigate the Mercer family?”
“No.”
Emily laughed bitterly.
“That system worked beautifully last time.”
Julian stopped.
“You’re right.”
She had expected resistance.
His agreement made her pause.
He reached into his coat and placed Patrick’s pocket watch on the nearest table.
“This belongs to you.”
Emily looked down.
For eighteen years, almost everything associated with Patrick had carried humiliation.
Newspapers.
Court transcripts.
Whispers.
People lowering their voices when they recognized Emily’s last name.
But the watch was different.
It belonged to before.
Sunday pancakes.
Baseball games on the radio.
Her father letting her stay awake past bedtime to watch old movies.
She took it.
Julian said, “I cannot change what I signed.”
“No.”
“But I can find out why I signed it.”
Before Emily could answer, Daniel’s phone vibrated.
He looked at the screen.
Then at Julian.
“Victor is awake.”
Emily gave a humorless laugh.
“Apparently evil keeps terrible sleeping hours.”
Daniel’s expression remained neutral.
“He knows we accessed archived Mercer accounts.”
Julian frowned.
“How?”
“Victor still receives security alerts.”
Emily looked between them.
Julian made a decision.
“Tell him to come to the house.”
“Julian,” Daniel warned.
“I’m finished asking my family questions one decade late.”
They returned to East Seventy-Fourth Street shortly before one in the morning.
Lily was asleep on the sofa with her head in Rosa’s lap.
Rosa looked up when they entered.
Her eyes moved immediately to the photograph in Julian’s hand.
Then she looked away.
“You knew about Red Seven,” Julian said.
Rosa’s fingers tightened against Lily’s hair.
“Not everything.”
“Enough.”
“Julian—”
The front door opened.
Daniel had already gone to meet the arriving car.
Victor Mercer entered without removing his gloves.
He was nearly seventy.
Silver-haired.
Straight-backed.
He did not look like the monster Emily had imagined.
He looked like a retired surgeon.
His gaze landed on her.
“Patrick’s daughter.”
Emily stood.
“You remember him.”
“I remember everyone the family failed.”
That was not the answer she expected.
Julian threw the photograph onto the table.
“Explain Red Seven.”
Victor looked down.
His face barely changed.
But Emily saw his shoulders drop half an inch.
“No.”
Julian stared.
“No?”
“No explanation I give tonight will make any of you feel better.”
“I’m not interested in feeling better.”
“Then you have finally developed good judgment.”
Julian moved toward him.
Rosa stood quickly.
“Not in front of Lily.”
Julian stopped.
That tiny choice told Emily more about him than his reputation ever had.
Victor noticed too.
“Put the child to bed.”
Rosa lifted Lily carefully.
Half awake, Lily murmured, “Emily?”
“I’m here.”
The child relaxed.
That simple trust almost broke something inside Emily.
When Rosa returned, Victor removed his gloves.
“Patrick Hart did not steal $2.4 million.”
Emily gripped the watch in her pocket.
“Say it again.”
Victor looked at her.
“Your father was innocent of embezzlement.”
Eighteen years.
Emily had imagined hearing those words thousands of times.
She thought they would feel like victory.
They felt like losing him again.
“Who framed him?”
Victor’s eyes shifted toward Julian.
Julian saw it.
“Don’t.”
Victor sighed.
“Dominic.”
Julian’s father.
Rosa closed her eyes.
Victor continued.
“Dominic ordered the audit rewritten.”
“Why?”
“Because Patrick discovered Red Seven.”
Emily said, “What was it?”
Victor looked toward the Christmas tree.
“A payment.”
“To whom?”
“Men who wanted blood.”
Julian’s voice became low.
“Whose blood?”
Victor met his eyes.
“Yours.”
The room went silent.
Eighteen years earlier, Julian had been climbing rapidly through his father’s organization.
Too rapidly.
Dominic Mercer had broken an agreement with another New York family.
Victor explained that retaliation had been approved.
Julian was the target.
“The money purchased peace,” Victor said.
“Two-point-four million dollars?”
“And several promises.”
Julian looked disgusted.
“Why use my account?”
“Dominic wanted the payment tied to you if negotiations failed. Insurance.”
Rosa whispered, “Enough.”
“No,” Julian said. “Not anymore.”
Victor looked at Emily.
“Patrick discovered the transfer. He told Dominic he would report it.”
“So Dominic framed him.”
“Yes.”
“And you helped.”
Victor’s silence was his confession.
Emily’s hands shook.
“Why?”
“Because if Patrick talked, Julian died.”
Julian stepped closer.
“So you destroyed another man’s life to protect mine.”
“Yes.”
“You sent him to prison.”
“Yes.”
“Did you threaten his family?”
Victor’s face hardened.
“I did what I believed was necessary.”
Emily suddenly remembered her mother checking the locks three times each night after Patrick’s arrest.
The car that sometimes sat across the street.
The anonymous envelope telling them to leave Queens.
“You threatened us.”
Victor did not answer.
Emily took one step toward him.
“I was nineteen.”
“I know.”
“My mother was terrified.”
“I know.”
“And you slept at night?”
“No.”
It was quiet.
Unpolished.
For the first time Emily believed him.
That did not make forgiveness possible.
It made the truth uglier.
Julian said, “Sofia discovered this.”
Victor looked at Rosa.
“Yes.”
“Did you meet her before she died?”
“Yes.”
Rosa suddenly said, “Victor.”
He looked at her.
A warning passed between them.
Julian saw it.
“So there’s more.”
Victor remained silent.
Julian walked closer.
“Did Sofia know Dominic ordered Patrick’s frame-up?”
“Yes.”
“Was she going public?”
Victor’s jaw tightened.
“She intended to.”
Emily’s stomach turned.
“And the next day she died.”
Julian’s voice changed.
Daniel stepped subtly closer from the doorway.
“Did you have anything to do with Sofia’s crash?”
Victor stared at his nephew.
“No.”
“Should I believe you?”
“No.”
The answer stunned everyone.
Victor looked toward Rosa.
“But before you decide which monster you want tonight, ask your mother one question.”
Rosa went pale.
Julian turned.
May you like
Victor’s voice was almost tired.
“Ask her why Sofia never made it to the prosecutor.”
