Angela Pierce arrived in Dominic\u2019s study shortly after midnight wrapped in a blanket.<\/p>\n
She looked exhausted.<\/p>\n
Dr. Mercer checked her first.<\/p>\n
No serious injuries.<\/p>\n
No need for emergency hospitalization.<\/p>\n
Only then did Dominic allow questions.<\/p>\n
Angela sat across from him.<\/p>\n
Vincent remained near the door.<\/p>\n
Clare had taken Ellie upstairs again.<\/p>\n
Arthur had been escorted to a separate sitting room under guard.<\/p>\n
Dominic folded his hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angela stared at the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cThree weeks ago, someone asked me about your recovery schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
She hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cAngela.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked up.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeter Sloan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent stiffened.<\/p>\n
Dominic felt something far worse.<\/p>\n
Peter Sloan had managed Dominic\u2019s household for twelve years.<\/p>\n
He knew every employee.<\/p>\n
Every alarm.<\/p>\n
Every guest schedule.<\/p>\n
Every service entrance.<\/p>\n
He had been there when Dominic buried his father.<\/p>\n
He had arranged Dominic\u2019s mother\u2019s funeral.<\/p>\n
He had visited the hospital after the crash.<\/p>\n
\u201cContinue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angela swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe asked whether adjusting the brace could make your recovery slower.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer stepped forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you answered?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought it was a medical question. I said an incorrect fit could increase pain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened next?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe offered me money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic\u2019s expression remained unchanged.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFifty thousand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you take it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angela began crying quietly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told him he was insane.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why didn\u2019t you tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe threatened my brother.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour brother?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has gambling debt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic understood.<\/p>\n
Peter hadn\u2019t needed Angela\u2019s cooperation.<\/p>\n
Only her silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did Peter do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe started changing the brace after sessions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSmall adjustments. Nothing obvious.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer\u2019s face hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough to aggravate the nerve.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angela nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe told me nobody would notice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic remembered Ellie\u2019s words.<\/p>\n
Just enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cYesterday?\u201d<\/p>\n
Angela wiped her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cArthur came.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wanted the brace tightened more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur.<\/p>\n
There it was.<\/p>\n
Not suspicion.<\/p>\n
Not implication.<\/p>\n
A witness.<\/p>\n
Dominic\u2019s voice became quieter.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you objected.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did Arthur say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat the council vote was that night and they needed Dominic to look weak.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent looked toward Dominic.<\/p>\n
Angela continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told him I was done staying quiet. I said I was going to tell Dr. Mercer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPeter came behind me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her hands began trembling.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe took my phone. They put me in the maintenance room.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy leave you alive?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic did.<\/p>\n
Because murder created questions.<\/p>\n
A frightened employee could be discredited.<\/p>\n
Or paid.<\/p>\n
Or threatened again.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about the cameras?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPeter said he handled them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent immediately left the room.<\/p>\n
Dominic stared at Angela.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Arthur personally touch the brace?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The answer was immediate.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe reversed the retaining plate himself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercer cursed.<\/p>\n
Dominic felt something inside him become perfectly still.<\/p>\n
For eleven weeks he had fought his own body.<\/p>\n
For three weeks he had believed he was losing.<\/p>\n
But the weakness wasn\u2019t proof of failure.<\/p>\n
It was evidence of betrayal.<\/p>\n
He stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cRest.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angela stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happens to me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou tell the truth to the proper authorities.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd my brother?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll make sure he\u2019s safe while this is investigated.\u201d<\/p>\n
She started crying again.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic left.<\/p>\n
Vincent met him in the hallway.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeter\u2019s gone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTwenty minutes ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLockdown?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Angela Pierce arrived in Dominic\u2019s study shortly after midnight wrapped in a blanket. She looked exhausted. Dr. Mercer checked her first. No serious injuries. No need for emergency hospitalization. Only then did Dominic allow questions. Angela sat across from him. Vincent remained near the door. Clare had taken Ellie upstairs again. Arthur had been escorted […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","class_list":["post-409","sr_chapter","type-sr_chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/fantatv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/sr_chapter\/409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/fantatv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/sr_chapter"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/fantatv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/sr_chapter"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/fantatv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=409"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/fantatv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/sr_chapter\/409\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/fantatv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}