Chapter 5 - Glass and GunfireThe gunshot shattered the morning.
Crystal rained from the ceiling.
Mom threw herself over me.
Evelyn grabbed a silver candlestick and slammed it into Marcus's wrist.
The gun fell.
Security stormed into the room.
Marcus was restrained.
But before they dragged him away, he looked at Evelyn.
"You think this is over?"
His voice was almost amused.
"I own judges."
He looked at Arthur.
"I own police officers."
Then at Sarah.
"And I know where everyone you love lives."
The door slammed.
Evelyn stood motionless.
Then she whispered:
"Wall Street."
Arthur understood.
"The safe deposit box."
Evelyn nodded.
"My husband left something there."
Twenty minutes later, armored vehicles carried us through Manhattan.
The city was waking.
People bought coffee.
Taxis screamed through intersections.
Nobody knew that a family fortune was about to be torn open beneath their feet.
The bank manager led us into the vault.
Box 777.
Sarah inserted the ancient key.
Click.
Inside were three things.
A leather journal.
A sealed envelope.
And hundreds of financial documents.
Sarah opened the envelope.
A letter from her father.
She read it silently.
Then she cried.
Evelyn read it afterward.
Henry had known Marcus was dangerous.
He had known the will might be stolen.
And he had known he might die.
But the final message was worse.
Arthur inserted an old video cassette into the player upstairs.
Henry appeared on screen.
His face was tired.
"If you're watching this," he said, "Marcus has finally made his move."
Then he revealed the truth.
Marcus had committed crimes for decades.
Bribes.
Blackmail.
Murders.
And Henry had one final instruction.
"Give the ledger to the FBI."
The screen went black.
Arthur's phone rang.
He answered.
His face turned white.
Marcus's voice filled the room.
"I'm in the penthouse."
Evelyn closed her eyes.
"I have your staff."
May you like
A pause.
"And I have gasoline."
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