Chapter 9 - The School Basement Became a Trap When Victor Revealed the Person Who Had Been Helping HimThe basement smelled like dust and rain.
My mother was tied to a chair.
Victor stood behind her.
He was older than I imagined.
Not frightening.
Just tired.
That somehow made him worse.
“Hello, Leora.”
I stood beside Vincent.
“You're the man from the car.”
Victor smiled.
“Yes.”
“Why did you follow me?”
“To see whether Jonathan had hidden the ledger in your memory.”
“He didn't.”
“I know now.”
Victor looked at Vincent.
“You always were smarter than your father.”
Vincent didn't answer.
Victor continued.
“But you have one weakness.”
He pointed at me.
“Her.”
Vincent's expression didn't change.
“You're wrong.”
“Am I?”
Victor pulled out a photograph.
It showed me entering the restaurant.
Then walking home.
Then sleeping beside my mother.
He had been watching everything.
I felt sick.
My mother cried.
“Don't listen to him.”
Victor smiled.
Then someone entered the room.
Daniel Price.
The police officer.
I recognized him immediately.
He was the one who told me I imagined the car.
He was the one who smiled when I asked for help.
I stared at him.
“You.”
He looked ashamed.
“I didn't know what Victor planned.”
Vincent laughed.
“You sold her information.”
Daniel lowered his head.
“I needed money.”
My mother shouted:
“She was seven!”
Daniel looked at me.
“I didn't know.”
“You knew enough.”
He couldn't answer.
Victor turned toward him.
“You're useless.”
Then he shot Daniel in the leg.
The gunshot echoed.
I screamed.
Victor looked at me.
“That's what happens when people fail me.”
Vincent stepped forward.
“You've made your mistake.”
Victor smiled.
“What mistake?”
“You showed us everything.”
Vincent had secretly recorded the conversation.
Every confession.
Every name.
Every admission.
Victor's smile disappeared.
Then the police arrived.
Real police.
Federal agents.
Not Daniel.
Victor tried to escape.
Vincent stopped him.
They struggled.
Victor raised his weapon.
I screamed:
“Vincent!”
Vincent turned.
Victor fired.
The bullet missed him.
And struck the wall beside my head.
Vincent disarmed him.
Then the agents arrested Victor.
My mother was safe.
But the danger wasn't over.
Because Vincent found something inside Victor's pocket.
A photograph.
It showed another man.
My grandfather.
May you like
The back contained one sentence:
THE REAL ENEMY IS STILL FREE.
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