Chapter 5 - The Son Who Came Home
Damian survived.
Barely.
Doctors treated two cracked ribs, dehydration, a deep cut along his shoulder, and bruising that looked convincing enough to make Vincent’s kidnapping story possible again.
That was the problem.
Everything now had two explanations.
Damian had been kidnapped.
Or Damian wanted them to believe he had been kidnapped.
Damian had locked Claire in the pantry.
Or someone wearing his jacket and ring had done it.
Vincent was terrified.
Or Vincent was acting.
Nicholas hated uncertainty.
Claire discovered that uncertainty made him clean guns.
At two in the morning.
At the kitchen table.
“That seems unsanitary.”
Nicholas looked up.
Claire stood in the doorway wearing rabbit pajamas.
He glanced at the rabbits.
“You wore them again.”
“They remain pajamas.”
“Apparently.”
She opened the refrigerator.
“Why are you awake?”
“Why are you?”
“Your house sounds haunted.”
“It’s the heating system.”
“Then your heating system is haunted.”
Claire took out milk.
Nicholas watched her make hot chocolate.
“You want one?”
“No.”
She made two.
He accepted the second without comment.
They sat across from each other.
For a while, neither spoke.
Claire finally said, “You believe Damian?”
“I don’t know.”
“Useful.”
“He has injuries.”
“So did every stuntman in the last action movie I watched.”
“He knew things only a captive should know.”
“He also knew where my room was.”
Nicholas stared into his mug.
Claire softened.
“You want him to be innocent.”
“Vincent practically raised me after my father died.”
“There it is.”
Nicholas looked up.
“You think that makes me weak?”
“No.”
“I have killed men for less than what Vincent did.”
Claire believed him.
Oddly, she wasn’t scared.
“Would killing him make your mother eat?”
His face hardened.
“That’s not the point.”
“Would it bring back four months she spent terrified?”
“No.”
“Would it tell you who’s doing this?”
Silence.
Claire sipped her chocolate.
“Then maybe don’t do something irreversible while you’re angry.”
Nicholas stared.
“People normally tell me to kill someone.”
“You need better people.”
The corner of his mouth moved.
The next morning, Evelyn asked to see Damian.
Nicholas refused.
Evelyn demanded.
Nicholas continued refusing.
Evelyn threatened to walk downstairs alone.
Nicholas surrendered.
Claire was present because Evelyn insisted.
Damian lay in a guest room converted into a guarded medical suite.
When Evelyn entered, he began crying.
“Aunt Evie.”
Evelyn stopped.
Claire noticed immediately.
Not warmth.
Fear.
Damian reached toward her.
“I’m sorry.”
Evelyn stepped backward.
Nicholas saw it.
“Mom?”
She stared at Damian.
“You were there.”
Damian’s face went blank.
“Where?”
“The dinner.”
“I was in Denver.”
“You were there.”
“No.”
“You stood behind the curtain.”
Damian shook his head.
“Aunt Evie, you were delirious.”
Claire watched his eyes.
Not confused.
Calculating.
Evelyn pointed.
“You were wearing your grandfather’s ring.”
Damian slowly lowered his hand beneath the blanket.
Nicholas noticed.
“Show me your right hand.”
Damian hesitated.
“Why?”
“Now.”
Damian lifted it.
No ring.
Nicholas’s voice became quiet.
“Where is it?”
“They took it.”
“Who?”
“My kidnappers.”
Claire asked, “Did they take your family jacket too?”
Damian looked at her.
One beat too long.
“Yes.”
Nicholas noticed.
“When?”
“Months ago.”
Claire leaned against the wall.
“Interesting.”
Damian’s eyes narrowed.
“What?”
“The person wearing both knew how to get through a service tunnel.”
“Anyone could learn that.”
“Really?”
Claire smiled.
“Because I’ve been here three days and I didn’t know there was a service tunnel.”
Damian looked toward Nicholas.
“She’s accusing me?”
“No,” Claire said. “I’m feeding your aunt. Investigation is apparently a hobby I picked up this week.”
Nicholas nearly smiled.
Damian didn’t.
Evelyn suddenly gripped Claire’s hand.
“I want to leave.”
Nicholas immediately moved toward her.
Damian called after them.
“Aunt Evie.”
She stopped.
“I would never hurt you.”
Evelyn looked over her shoulder.
“Then why were you smiling?”
Damian froze.
Claire felt chills.
Evelyn continued.
“The night I fell from my chair.”
Her voice trembled.
“Everyone was screaming.”
She pointed at him.
“But you were smiling.”
They left.
Three hours later, Damian confessed.
Not to poisoning.
To being inside the house.
“I escaped yesterday morning,” he said.
Nicholas stood across from him.
“From where?”
“A warehouse outside Gary.”
“Address?”
“I don’t know.”
“How did you reach Chicago?”
“Stole a vehicle.”
“Which one?”
Damian hesitated.
“Pickup.”
“What color?”
“Red.”
Marco silently wrote notes.
Nicholas asked, “Why come through the tunnel?”
“I was scared.”
“Why lock Claire in the pantry?”
“I didn’t.”
“Camera says otherwise.”
“Camera shows clothing.”
“And your ring.”
“They took everything.”
Nicholas leaned closer.
“Then why did my mother see you four months ago?”
“She was poisoned!”
The outburst echoed.
Damian caught himself.
Claire stood beside Evelyn’s lunch tray near the doorway.
Nobody had told Damian the original substance caused hallucination-like confusion.
The medical summary had been restricted.
Claire looked at Nicholas.
He had noticed too.
“How do you know she was confused?” Nicholas asked.
Damian stared.
“Everyone knew.”
“No.”
Nicholas stepped closer.
“Everyone knew she collapsed.”
Damian swallowed.
“You’re twisting words.”
Nicholas’s voice became almost gentle.
“You were there.”
“No.”
“You helped them.”
“No.”
“You watched my mother convulse on the floor.”
Damian’s face cracked.
“No.”
Evelyn’s voice came from the doorway.
“Yes.”
Everyone turned.
She entered with Claire.
Damian began crying again.
“Aunt Evie.”
Evelyn approached the bed.
“Tell me why.”
“I didn’t—”
“Tell me.”
His breathing changed.
Then something inside Damian collapsed.
“I didn’t know she’d suffer like that.”
Vincent made a broken sound from the hall.
Nicholas remained perfectly still.
“Who gave you the substance?”
Damian shook his head.
“I can’t.”
Nicholas grabbed him by the throat.
Claire stepped forward.
“Nicholas.”
He ignored her.
“Name.”
Damian’s face reddened.
“Nicholas.”
Claire grabbed his wrist.
“Your mother is watching.”
That reached him.
Nicholas released Damian.
Damian coughed violently.
Evelyn looked away.
Claire understood then why Nicholas frightened everyone.
Not because he enjoyed violence.
Because anger made him forget what it cost him afterward.
Damian finally whispered, “It wasn’t supposed to kill her.”
“We know.”
His head snapped up.
Nicholas said, “Helena told us.”
Damian went white.
“She’s alive?”
“For now.”
Damian began shaking.
“You don’t understand.”
“Then explain.”
“It was about the trust.”
Nicholas nodded.
“Alessandra.”
Damian closed his eyes.
That was answer enough.
Vincent entered despite the guard trying to stop him.
“My God.”
Damian looked at his father.
“I’m sorry.”
Vincent slapped him.
Hard.
Then immediately broke down sobbing.
“I thought they were killing you.”
“I know.”
“You sent those videos?”
Damian nodded.
Vincent looked physically sick.
“I helped poison Evelyn for you.”
“I know.”
“You monster.”
Damian cried.
“They promised me control of the western properties.”
Nicholas laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
“You sold my mother for buildings?”
“It was supposed to be temporary.”
“She nearly died.”
“I didn’t know!”
Evelyn whispered, “Who is helping Alessandra?”
Damian looked at her.
Fear returned.
“She said if I ever spoke that name, none of us would make it through the week.”
Nicholas moved closer.
“Name.”
Damian shook his head.
“Damian.”
“No.”
Nicholas slammed both hands on the bed.
“NAME.”
Damian closed his eyes.
“It’s not who you think.”
“Who?”
Damian began to answer.
The monitor beside him suddenly screamed.
His body arched.
Claire shouted.
The nurse rushed forward.
Damian convulsed.
Nicholas grabbed the nurse.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know!”
Claire looked at the IV line.
The bag had been changed ten minutes earlier.
She stared toward the doorway.
A medical orderly was running down the corridor.
Marco shouted.
Guards chased him.
Damian’s monitor flatlined.
Vincent screamed.
Claire backed away.
May you like
Someone had just silenced Damian inside a locked house filled with armed guards.
And whoever had done it had known exactly when he was about to say the name.
