Peter walked toward the house without hurrying.
He wore a dark coat and carried no visible weapon.
That made Mara more cautious, not less.
Elena moved Eva behind her.
Claire locked the back door.
Lena closed the curtains.
Sophie stood beside the staircase, pale and silent.
Mara watched Peter through the glass.
“He knows we're here.”
Arthur's voice remained on the phone.
“He always knows.”
“Tell me everything.”
“I will.”
“You have thirty seconds.”
Arthur hesitated.
“Peter was assigned to my office after the original investigation.”
“And?”
“He had access to every archived document.”
“Why didn't you suspect him?”
“Because he helped me expose Cole.”
Mara looked at the evidence bag.
“Did he?”
“No.”
The front doorbell rang.
Nobody moved.
Peter rang again.
Then he called Mara.
Her phone vibrated.
She answered.
“Peter.”
“Mara.”
His voice was calm.
“I need the report.”
“You'll have to explain why.”
“Because it belongs to the investigation.”
“No.”
He laughed softly.
“You're still difficult.”
“You're still lying.”
A pause.
“Open the door.”
“No.”
Peter sighed.
“You don't understand what you're holding.”
“I understand enough.”
“You have no idea how many people died because that report disappeared.”
Mara looked at Elena.
“Did you kill anyone?”
“No.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Then why should I trust you?”
“Because I'm trying to stop the person who did.”
Mara felt the familiar temptation to believe a simple explanation.
She rejected it.
“Tell me who.”
Peter was silent.
Then he said, “Arthur Bell.”
Mara's eyes narrowed.
“That's impossible.”
“You think Arthur was protecting you?”
“Yes.”
“He was protecting himself.”
The call ended.
Arthur remained on the line.
“You heard him.”
“Yes.”
“Don't believe him.”
“Why?”
“Because Arthur was involved.”
Mara turned.
Elena was staring at her.
“You knew?”
Arthur's silence answered.
Mara closed her eyes.
“Explain.”
Arthur finally spoke.
“I altered the first report.”
“We know.”
“I didn't do it for Cole.”
“Then who?”
“I did it for Daniel.”
Mara looked at the photograph again.
“The real Daniel.”
“Yes.”
Arthur's voice cracked.
“Daniel had evidence that would have destroyed several companies. But he also had evidence against people inside his own family.”
“Samuel.”
“Yes.”
“Why protect him?”
“I didn't.”
Arthur paused.
“I protected Daniel's daughters.”
Mara understood.
The sisters had been children.
Their father was dead.
Their uncle was involved in financial crimes.
Cole was manipulating the investigation.
Arthur had chosen secrecy.
That decision had protected them.
It had also allowed the conspiracy to survive.
Mara hated how complicated the truth had become.
“Where is Peter going?”
Arthur answered immediately.
“To the archive.”
“Why?”
“He thinks the original records are there.”
“They aren't.”
“I know.”
Mara looked at the memory module.
“The real records are with us.”
“Yes.”
“Then why come here?”
Arthur said nothing.
Mara understood.
Peter was not looking for paper.
He was looking for the person who knew where the remaining evidence was.
“Elena.”
Elena looked at her.
“What?”
“Where did you hide the original financial records?”
Elena's face changed.
“I never told anyone.”
“Not even Daniel?”
“No.”
“Then Peter may not know.”
A loud crash came from the garage.
Mara moved quickly.
“Everyone upstairs.”
The sisters obeyed.
Eva stayed with Elena.
Mara took the old key from her pocket.
The one marked 417.
She looked at it.
Then at the wall.
She remembered the hidden panel.
The suitcase.
The box.
The photographs.
Everything had been hidden in the house for a reason.
She pressed her fingers against the wood beside the fireplace.
A panel moved.
Behind it was a narrow compartment.
Inside sat a metal case.
Elena stared.
“I've never seen that.”
Mara opened it.
There were documents.
Photographs.
A small ledger.
And a handwritten letter.
The letter was addressed to Elena.
She opened it.
It was Daniel's handwriting.
Not Samuel's.
Mara knew immediately.
The letter explained that Daniel had discovered the financial network months before Flight 417.
He had also discovered that Samuel had created it.
But Samuel had not acted alone.
A third person had financed the operation.
The name was partially damaged.
Only the initials remained.
P.S.
Mara looked up.
“Peter Sloan.”
Elena shook her head.
“He was a child.”
“No.”
Mara examined the date.
Peter had been an adult by then.
He had simply been using a different surname.
The front door opened.
Peter entered.
Mara stepped into the hallway.
“You were there.”
Peter stopped.
“What?”
“You were part of the operation before you joined Arthur.”
His expression changed.
“Where did you find that?”
“The wall.”
Peter smiled.
“You always were good at finding hidden things.”
“Why did you help Cole?”
“I didn't.”
“You financed him.”
“No.”
“You used another identity.”
He stared at her.
“Daniel's letter is incomplete.”
“Because someone destroyed the rest.”
Peter slowly raised his hands.
“You don't understand.”
Mara stepped forward.
“Then explain.”
Peter's face hardened.
“I didn't want Flight 417 to happen.”
“But you knew it would.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you stop it?”
“Because I thought I could control Cole.”
Mara felt anger rise.
“You all said that.”
Peter looked toward Elena.
“She had the evidence.”
“She was protecting her daughter.”
“She was destroying everything.”
“You mean exposing you.”
Peter shook his head.
“I wanted the records buried because they would have triggered a financial collapse.”
Mara stared at him.
“So you chose lives over money.”
“No.”
Peter's voice broke.
“I chose thousands of lives over one operation.”
Mara looked at him in disbelief.
“You caused the operation.”
“I thought the aircraft would divert safely.”
“And when it didn't?”
Peter lowered his eyes.
“I panicked.”
He admitted it without excuse.
That made the confession more disturbing.
Mara stepped closer.
“You forged my signature.”
“Yes.”
“You used me.”
“Yes.”
“You separated Eva from her mother.”
“Yes.”
Elena made a broken sound behind her.
Peter looked at her.
“I was wrong.”
“No,” Elena said.
“You were afraid.”
“Yes.”
“You decided other people could pay the price for your fear.”
Peter nodded.
Mara looked toward the evidence case.
“Where is the final record?”
Peter's eyes moved to it.
“You have it.”
She opened the ledger.
A name appeared on the final page.
Richard Cole.
Below it was another.
Peter Sloan.
And beneath both names was a third entry.
Unknown Principal.
Mara stared.
“Who was funding you?”
Peter said nothing.
Then the police sirens approached.
Mara had not called them.
Arthur had.
Peter heard them.
He looked toward the door.
For one moment Mara thought he might run.
He didn't.
Instead, he whispered,
“You still don't know the worst part.”
Mara looked at him.
“What?”
Peter pointed toward the lake.
“The person who financed all of us is still alive.”
Click Here to continue read next: PART15: The Final Name Was Hidden in a Record Nobody Had Read, and Mara Realized the Conspiracy Had Reached Much Closer to Her Than Expected
The Argument in the Lakeside House Began With One Question Nobody Expected the Flight Attendant to Answer
Part 14 of 16
