Chapter 8 - what dr. vale knew
Malcolm Vale was being held for questioning at a state investigative office when Jonathan arrived.
The doctor looked ten years older than he had outside Hawthorne.
His attorney objected to Jonathan entering the room.
The investigators allowed it only after Vale agreed.
Jonathan placed Margaret’s letter on the table.
Vale stared at her handwriting.
His face collapsed.
“You knew.”
Vale looked away.
“You knew eleven years ago.”
“I suspected.”
“You signed her death certificate.”
Vale closed his eyes.
Jonathan leaned across the table.
“Look at me.”
Vale did.
“Did Samuel Creed murder my wife?”
Vale’s hands began shaking.
“I don’t know.”
Jonathan almost struck the table.
Vale spoke quickly.
“I mean it. I don’t know if he intended to kill her.”
“What does that mean?”
Vale swallowed.
“Margaret had been given medication.”
“What medication?”
“A potassium-altering compound combined with a sedative.”
One investigator interrupted.
“Are you saying she was poisoned?”
Vale nodded.
“Yes.”
Jonathan sat completely still.
“When she collapsed, Samuel called me before emergency services.”
“Why?”
“He told me Margaret had accidentally taken medication intended for someone else.”
“And you believed him?”
“At first.”
“What happened at the hospital?”
“She stabilized.”
Jonathan stared.
“What?”
Vale looked terrified.
“She stabilized.”
The room became silent.
Jonathan’s voice lowered.
“My wife died.”
“Yes.”
“You just said she stabilized.”
“She did.”
Jonathan’s chair scraped backward.
“What happened?”
Vale’s eyes filled.
“Samuel came to the hospital.”
Jonathan could barely hear him over the blood pounding in his ears.
“And?”
“He was alone with her for seven minutes.”
Jonathan’s face changed.
“When I came back, she was in cardiac arrest.”
The investigator leaned forward.
“Did you report this?”
“No.”
“Why?”
Vale looked at Jonathan.
“Samuel had records proving I had altered insurance billing for private patients. I would have lost my license. Maybe gone to prison.”
Jonathan stared at the man.
“So you signed the certificate.”
Vale nodded.
“I’m sorry.”
Jonathan stood.
Vale flinched.
Jonathan did not touch him.
That almost made the moment worse.
“You had eleven years.”
“I know.”
“My daughter came into your facility, and you helped him again.”
“I know.”
“You had a second chance.”
Vale lowered his head.
Jonathan left before anger made him do something he would regret.
Daniel met him outside.
“We found Nolan.”
“Where?”
“Airport.”
“Trying to leave?”
“Yes.”
Federal agents had detained Nolan Pierce before he boarded a flight to Zurich.
Inside his luggage was a laptop containing encrypted financial data and two passports.
But Nolan immediately requested a deal.
He claimed Samuel controlled everything.
Jonathan did not believe him.
When Nolan entered the interview room, he looked almost offended to see Jonathan.
“Jonathan.”
“Nolan.”
“I was going to call you.”
“At the airport?”
Nolan sighed.
“Samuel lost his mind.”
“How convenient.”
“It’s true.”
Jonathan placed Margaret’s letter on the table.
Nolan’s expression changed.
He recognized it.
“You knew she was investigating.”
Nolan looked at the attorney beside him.
The attorney nodded slightly.
Nolan answered.
“Yes.”
“And you helped Samuel.”
“I helped hide financial transfers.”
“Did you help kill my wife?”
“No.”
The answer came hard and immediate.
Jonathan believed that Nolan believed his own denial.
“Did you help kidnap Christina?”
Nolan hesitated.
“Yes.”
Jonathan’s jaw tightened.
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know now.”
“You saw her at the lake house.”
Nolan looked surprised.
“You found Evan.”
“Where did you move Christina?”
“I moved her to another property.”
“Where?”
Nolan looked at the investigators.
“I want protection.”
Jonathan leaned forward.
“My daughter has been missing for six weeks.”
“I know.”
“Then speak.”
Nolan wiped sweat from his forehead.
“Samuel planned to keep her sedated until after the wedding and trust signing. Florence was supposed to become part of the fiduciary committee. Then you were supposed to have an accident.”
Jonathan had expected it.
Hearing it still felt unreal.
“What accident?”
“Private plane.”
Daniel’s suspicion had been correct.
“The hydraulic failure?”
Nolan nodded.
“It happened too early. Mechanic made the modification wrong.”
“You tried to kill me.”
“Samuel ordered it.”
“You paid for it.”
Nolan looked down.
Jonathan felt disgust rather than surprise.
“Christina?”
Nolan breathed slowly.
“She discovered the trust structure. She found Margaret’s old records. Samuel panicked.”
“Where is she?”
“I moved her to St. Catherine’s Hospice outside Philadelphia.”
Jonathan stood.
Nolan raised both hands.
“But she isn’t there.”
“Why?”
“Because she escaped.”
Jonathan froze.
“When?”
“Five days ago.”
“Where did she go?”
“I don’t know.”
“Was she injured?”
“Yes.”
“How badly?”
“She had a concussion and weakness from the sedation.”
Jonathan closed his eyes.
Five days.
Christina had been free for five days.
Why had she not contacted him?
Nolan answered the question before Jonathan asked.
“She believed your phones were monitored.”
“By whom?”
“Samuel.”
Jonathan opened his eyes.
Nolan leaned forward.
“She told me something before she escaped.”
“What?”
“She said she finally understood why her mother died.”
Jonathan waited.
May you like
Nolan’s voice lowered.
“And then she said she knew where Samuel would go if everything failed.”
