Chapter 15 - The Lover’s Bargain
Marcus chose a parking garage.
Level six.
Century City.
Public enough to discourage violence.
Private enough for secrets.
Evelyn arrived wearing a dark coat and no jewelry.
The recording device was concealed beneath the fabric at her collar.
A court order and law-enforcement supervision made the interception legal.
Detective Ruiz monitored from two levels below.
Claire remained in a separate vehicle with Damien.
“You shouldn’t be here,” she told him.
“You’ve mentioned that.”
“I meant it every time.”
On the monitor, Evelyn walked toward Marcus.
He stepped from behind a concrete pillar.
Even through grainy surveillance video, Damien recognized his confidence.
Marcus smiled.
“You look terrible.”
Evelyn stopped ten feet away.
“You tried to frame me.”
Marcus shrugged.
“You framed yourself.”
“The foundation transfers.”
“You approved them.”
“You copied my signature.”
“Sometimes.”
Her face tightened.
Damien watched without breathing.
Marcus stepped closer.
“We can still fix this.”
Evelyn laughed.
“You’re fleeing.”
“I’m repositioning.”
“To Canada?”
For the first time Marcus’s expression shifted.
Ruiz whispered over comms, “Good.”
Marcus looked around.
“You told them.”
“I figured it out.”
“You never figured out anything until I showed you.”
Evelyn flinched.
There it was.
The contempt he had hidden beneath affection.
“You chose me before we met.”
Marcus said nothing.
“I saw the photographs.”
His eyes changed.
“You weren’t supposed to.”
“I was an entry point.”
“You were useful.”
Damien closed his eyes briefly.
Even after everything Evelyn had done, hearing Marcus say it felt brutal.
Evelyn whispered, “Did you ever love me?”
Marcus laughed.
“No.”
Ruiz leaned toward the audio console.
Evelyn’s shoulders sagged.
Marcus continued.
“But you were easy to understand.”
“How?”
“You wanted Damien punished for making you feel small.”
“He didn’t make me try to kill him.”
“No. You did that.”
“You planned the pool.”
Marcus stepped closer.
“Careful.”
“You bought the snakes.”
“Did I?”
“You arranged the courier.”
“Prove it.”
“You said they were better than poison.”
Marcus stared.
“Evelyn.”
“You said there’d be no toxicology trail.”
“Stop talking.”
“You said once he was dead, I’d control the trust and you’d control the board.”
Marcus grabbed her arm.
Claire immediately reached for the door handle.
Ruiz’s voice snapped through the radio.
“Hold.”
Evelyn looked down at Marcus’s hand.
“Let go.”
He released her.
“You think cooperating saves you?”
“No.”
That answer seemed to surprise him.
Evelyn continued.
“I know I’m going to prison.”
Damien looked at Claire.
Neither had expected that.
Marcus’s face hardened.
“Then why do this?”
Evelyn looked directly at him.
“Because you thought everyone would carry your guilt for you.”
Marcus took a step back.
Police vehicles moved.
Ruiz’s voice came over loudspeakers.
“Marcus Vale, do not move.”
Marcus ran.
He reached the stairwell.
Claire exited her vehicle.
Damien stayed where ordered, though every nerve in his body wanted to follow.
Officers converged.
Footsteps thundered through concrete levels.
Then silence.
A minute later Ruiz’s voice came through.
“We have him.”
Damien exhaled for what felt like the first time in days.
On the monitor, Evelyn remained alone in the garage.
Her head bowed.
Ruiz returned and approached her.
Evelyn did not resist when officers placed handcuffs on her again.
She had come from custody under controlled release for the operation.
As she was escorted away, she looked toward the camera she knew Damien was watching.
She did not mouth I’m sorry.
She did not ask forgiveness.
She simply looked at him.
Then left.
Damien appreciated that more than any apology.
Claire sat beside him.
“It’s over.”
“No.”
She looked at him.
“Marcus is in custody.”
“That part is over.”
He stared at the empty screen.
“My company nearly got stolen. My wife tried to kill me. My sister lost four years with me. My security system was turned against me.”
Claire waited.
Damien continued.
“If I call that over because somebody got handcuffed, I haven’t learned anything.”
She nodded.
Outside, police transported Marcus Vale away.
Inside the evidence van, technicians recovered his phone.
On it they found a draft email scheduled to send the next morning.
The recipient was a journalist.
Attached were forged financial records implying Damien Crowe had secretly diverted charitable money for personal use.
Marcus had prepared one final weapon.
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If he could not inherit Damien’s empire, he intended to destroy Damien’s reputation before leaving the country.
And the records looked real enough to start a scandal.
