Chapter 7 - THE DEAD WOMAN WALKS IN
At 11:58 the next morning, Sterling Biopharmaceuticals held an emergency shareholder meeting.
Henry Vale stood at the front of the forty-second-floor boardroom.
He wore a navy suit.
Perfect tie.
Perfect hair.
Perfect smile.
Nothing about him suggested a man involved in multiple murders.
That was Henry’s greatest talent.
He never looked dangerous.
He looked respectable.
“Given the tragic death of Sarah Vance and her children…”
Reporters filled the rear of the room.
Cameras streamed the meeting nationally.
Henry continued:
“…our responsibility is to protect the stability of this company.”
Rebecca Shaw sat two chairs away.
Julian was absent.
Too dangerous to show publicly.
Henry had promised him money and escape.
Julian believed him.
Rebecca knew better.
Men like Henry did not leave witnesses.
At precisely noon, the elevator doors opened.
The room fell silent.
Sarah Vance walked out.
For three full seconds, nobody moved.
Then chaos.
Reporters screamed.
Board members stood.
A woman dropped her phone.
Henry stopped speaking.
Sarah walked toward him wearing black.
Behind her came Detective Mara Lewis.
Robert Sterling.
And six federal agents.
Henry’s face barely changed.
But Sarah saw it.
Fear.
“Good afternoon,” she said.
Henry recovered.
“This is some kind of stunt.”
Sarah smiled.
“I attended my funeral yesterday. I thought I should attend your meeting today.”
The cameras exploded with flashes.
Henry stepped backward.
“You’re supposed to be under medical care.”
“I was.”
Sarah looked at Rebecca.
“Then your friend Patrick Warren kidnapped me.”
Rebecca stood.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Sarah turned toward the reporters.
“Rebecca Shaw helped my husband attempt to murder me and my twelve-year-old sons.”
Rebecca fled toward the side door.
Federal agents blocked her.
Henry remained calm.
“You have no evidence.”
“Funny.”
Sarah pulled out the brass key.
“You seem very interested in something that doesn’t exist.”
Henry’s eyes flicked toward it.
Cameras caught the movement.
Sarah continued.
“My father left evidence before his murder.”
Murmurs spread.
Henry’s smile disappeared.
“Charles died of natural causes.”
“No.”
Sarah stepped closer.
“You had Patrick Warren poison him.”
“Defamation.”
“Rebecca moved payments.”
“Fantasy.”
“Julian agreed to kill me and Lucas and Ethan in exchange for control of my shares.”
“You’re traumatized.”
Sarah stared at him.
“You buried my children alive.”
For the first time, Henry’s composure cracked.
“I did nothing to your children.”
Sarah heard it.
Mara heard it.
Robert heard it.
Henry had separated himself from the act.
Not “nothing happened.”
Not “I don’t know what you mean.”
Nothing to your children.
Sarah smiled faintly.
“Interesting.”
Henry realized the mistake.
Too late.
Federal agents surrounded the boardroom.
But Henry had planned for this.
Fire alarms suddenly screamed.
Lights went out.
Smoke poured from ventilation vents.
People panicked.
“Everybody down!” Mara shouted.
Sarah felt someone grab her.
A cloth covered her mouth.
She fought.
A voice whispered:
“Don’t.”
Julian.
He dragged her through a side service door.
Sarah elbowed him.
He cursed.
“You ruined everything.”
“My mistake was marrying you.”
He pulled a gun.
Sarah stopped.
Julian’s face looked nothing like the man she had loved for fourteen years.
No warmth.
No charm.
Only desperation.
“Give me the key.”
“Henry’s going to kill you.”
“He promised me twenty million.”
“He also promised Warren safety.”
Julian hesitated.
Sarah saw it.
“You know Warren is talking to police.”
“He won’t.”
“He already did.”
A lie.
But Julian believed it.
His hand shook.
“You don’t understand.”
“I understand perfectly.”
Sarah’s voice trembled with rage.
“You stood beside our sons while they blew out birthday candles you knew were meant to kill them.”
“I never wanted the boys involved!”
“But you did it.”
“Henry said it had to be all three.”
Sarah stared at him.
“You chose money.”
“I chose freedom!”
“From what?”
“You.”
Sarah flinched.
Julian continued.
“Your family. Your company. Your name. Do you know what it’s like being Mr. Sarah Sterling?”
“So you murdered me?”
“I was invisible!”
“You were my husband!”
“I was your accessory!”
Sarah realized something terrible.
Julian truly believed he was the victim.
“You could have divorced me.”
“And walked away with what?”
Sarah almost laughed.
“Our sons.”
Julian’s face changed.
“You never understood.”
“No.”
She looked at the gun.
“I understand now.”
Sirens sounded nearby.
Julian grabbed her arm.
“We’re leaving.”
“Where?”
“Roof.”
Henry had arranged a helicopter.
They reached the stairwell.
But halfway up, Sarah slowed.
Julian shoved her.
“Move.”
“I’m still weak.”
“I don’t care.”
“You never did.”
“Move!”
Sarah fell against the railing.
Julian grabbed her.
That was when she whispered:
“Now.”
The stairwell door opened.
Ethan stood there.
Julian froze.
His son held his recording watch.
Lucas stood behind him with an FBI agent.
Julian’s face collapsed.
“No.”
Ethan stared at his father.
“Hi, Dad.”
“What are you doing here?”
Ethan lifted his wrist.
“Recording you.”
Julian looked at Sarah.
She smiled.
“You said you wanted the whole family together.”
Agents flooded the stairwell.
Julian raised his weapon.
Mara appeared behind them.
“Drop it!”
Julian spun.
Sarah knocked his arm upward.
The gun fired into the ceiling.
Agents tackled him.
Ethan covered Lucas’s ears.
Julian screamed from the floor.
“I did it for us!”
Sarah looked down.
“There is no us.”
Handcuffs locked around his wrists.
Sarah turned toward her sons.
For one second, all the horror disappeared.
She ran to them.
Lucas crashed into her arms.
Ethan followed.
They cried together.
Alive.
All three alive.
Mara approached.
“We got Rebecca too.”
“What about Henry?”
Mara’s expression darkened.
“Gone.”
Sarah looked toward the roof.
The helicopter pad was empty.
Henry had escaped.
Again.
Then Mara’s phone rang.
She listened.
Her face changed.
“What?”
Sarah stepped closer.
“What happened?”
Mara lowered the phone.
“Henry didn’t leave alone.”
Sarah felt cold.
“Who did he take?”
May you like
Mara looked at her.
“Victoria.”
