"I'm sorry."
Victor smiled.
"You see?"
He turned toward Marissa.
"Everyone around you has lied."
Ethan stepped forward.
"Let him go."
Victor laughed.
"You still think this is about Roger?"
He pointed at the ledger.
"This is about history."
Margaret looked at Ethan.
"Your family built this city."
Ethan replied:
"And yours poisoned it."
Margaret's smile disappeared.
Victor opened the ledger.
"Do you know what happens when the names in this book become public?"
"People go to prison."
"Governments collapse."
"Good."
"Markets crash."
"We rebuild."
Victor looked at Marissa.
"People die."
Marissa stepped forward.
"Then why are you still talking?"
Victor stared at her.
For the first time, he seemed uncertain.
Marissa continued.
"You keep saying you're protecting something."
She pointed at the ledger.
"But you're not protecting it."
She looked at Margaret.
"You're afraid of it."
Silence.
Thomas smiled.
"She understands."
Victor raised his gun.
"Enough."
A shot rang out.
But nobody fell.
Roger had moved.
He threw himself between Victor and Marissa.
The bullet struck his shoulder.
Ethan tackled Victor.
The ledger fell.
Margaret grabbed it.
Anna appeared from the shadows.
"Margaret!"
Margaret froze.
Anna stood before her.
"You ran for twenty-two years."
Margaret whispered:
"I was trying to protect you."
"You protected Northstar."
"No."
"You protected yourself."
Margaret began crying.
"I was afraid."
Anna shook her head.
"So was I."
Police sirens sounded outside.
Nolan had called them.
Margaret looked toward the door.
Victor struggled beneath Ethan.
It was over.
Or so they thought.
Because as the police entered, Victor smiled.
"You think this ends with me?"
Ethan looked at him.
Victor laughed.
"Look at page 117."
Ethan opened the ledger.
Page 117 contained one final name.
ELENA WARD.
Underneath:
ACTIVE.
Thomas's face changed.
"Impossible."
Ethan looked at him.
"Who is Elena Ward?"
Thomas answered:
"The woman who investigated Northstar before anyone else."
Marissa asked:
"Where is she?"
Thomas looked toward the dark warehouse entrance.
"She's the one who sent you the first photograph."
WHAT THE DEAD LEFT BEHIND
The arrest of Victor Hale made national news.
So did Margaret Vale.
For the first time in twenty-two years, the name Northstar appeared on television.
Politicians denied involvement.
Business leaders hired lawyers.
Former executives disappeared.
Old financial records were reopened.
And every morning, another name appeared in the newspapers.
The city began asking questions.
But Ethan wasn't interested in the headlines.
He was interested in Elena Ward.
She had disappeared in 2001.
Former investigator.
Financial crimes division.
Last known address:
A small apartment in Chicago.
They found her there.
She opened the door holding a gun.
"You took your time."
Ethan stared.
"You knew we were coming."
"Of course."
She lowered the weapon.
"Come in."
The apartment was filled with boxes.
Files.
Photographs.
Old newspapers.
Elena looked at Marissa.
"So you're Claire's daughter."
Marissa froze.
"You knew my mother?"
"Yes."
"Tell me about her."
Elena smiled.
"She was fearless."
"Then why did she die?"
"Because she trusted people."
"Who?"
Elena looked at Ethan.
"Your father."
Marissa said nothing.
Elena continued.
"Edward loved Claire."
Ethan froze.
"My father?"
"Yes."
Marissa looked at Ethan.
Elena nodded.
"Richard was Claire's brother. Elaine was her closest friend. Edward was the man Claire loved."
The room seemed to tilt.
Ethan sat down.
"My father loved her."
"Yes."
"And my mother?"
"She knew."
Marissa looked confused.
"Then why did everyone lie?"
"Because Claire's pregnancy was dangerous."
Elena opened a box.
Inside was a photograph.
Claire.
Edward.
Richard.
Elaine.
They looked young.
Happy.
Before Northstar.
Before the lies.
Elena explained.
"Claire wanted to expose Northstar. Edward wanted to dismantle it from within. Richard wanted to protect Claire."
"What happened?"
"Victor found out."
"And he killed Claire."
"Yes."
"Then what about me?"
Elena looked at Marissa.
"Victor wanted you."
"Why?"
"Because Claire had access to something no one else had."
"What?"
Elena opened another file.
Inside was a genetic map.
"Claire discovered that Northstar was using biological and family data to predict succession."
Marissa frowned.
"Meaning?"
"They wanted to know which children would inherit companies."
"Why?"
"Because they could manipulate them before they ever became powerful."
Ethan looked at the records.
"That's why there were files on children."
"Yes."
Marissa stared at her own name.
"I was one of them."
"You were the first."
"Why?"
"Because Claire discovered that you had genetic connections to three families Northstar already controlled."
Marissa looked at Ethan.
"Calloway."
"Hayes."
"And?"
Elena hesitated.
"Vance."
Marissa's face changed.
"Roger."
Elena nodded.
"Your mother's sister married into the Vance family."
"Then Roger..."
"Your cousin."
Marissa closed her eyes.
Everything suddenly made sense.
The way Roger had watched her.
The strange hostility.
The sudden apology.
The fear.
He had known.
He had been protecting her without being able to tell her why.
Roger survived.
The bullet passed through his shoulder.
He spent two weeks in the hospital.
Marissa visited him every day.
On the third visit, she sat beside his bed.
"You could have told me."
Roger looked away.
"I tried."
"You fired me."
"I needed you away from Bellweather."
"You humiliated me."
"I know."
"You made me cry."
"I know."
"Why?"
Roger looked at her.
"Because if you hated me, you wouldn't ask questions."