Chapter 11 - The Price of Finding Claire
Vincent’s car was found near Gloucester Harbor.
Driver’s door open.
Phone inside.
No blood.
No body.
No Vincent.
Federal agents believed Marcus had taken him.
Claire flew back to Massachusetts despite everyone telling her not to.
Mara was furious.
Nora was worse.
“You have a baby.”
“He’s with Rebecca.”
“You are postpartum.”
“I’m medically cleared.”
“You’re emotionally stupid.”
Claire grabbed her coat.
“That may be true.”
Greyhaven looked smaller when she returned.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
She had once believed the mansion represented safety.
Now she saw stone.
Glass.
Rooms.
Nothing more.
Owen met her in the communications room.
The same room.
The same illuminated map.
Claire froze at the doorway.
Memory struck.
“Claire?”
“I’m fine.”
She wasn’t.
But she entered.
Owen showed her security footage.
Vincent left Greyhaven at 10:08 p.m.
Alone.
“He received a message,” Owen said.
“What message?”
“We recovered it from cloud backup.”
Claire read.
We have proof Claire was involved in Pierce’s death. Come alone or it goes to federal investigators.
Claire looked up.
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Vincent knew.”
“Then why go?”
Owen hesitated.
Claire understood.
“He thought they had something that could hurt me.”
“Yes.”
She closed her eyes.
Of course.
Vincent had finally learned to choose her.
And now he had chosen her in the most foolish way possible.
“What do they want?”
“Vale contacted us this morning.”
Owen played audio.
Adrian’s voice:
“Caruso Holdings transfers forty million into designated accounts. All files regarding Marcus Marlowe disappear. Vincent comes home.”
Claire listened.
Then another voice.
Vincent.
Distant.
“Don’t pay them.”
Claire stood straighter.
Vale laughed.
“You don’t get a vote.”
Vincent answered:
“Claire does.”
The recording ended.
Owen looked at her.
“They asked for you.”
“Why?”
“They said you authorize the transfer publicly.”
Claire understood.
Marcus needed legitimacy.
A ransom transfer by Caruso Holdings would draw scrutiny.
A settlement authorized by Claire could be disguised.
“I’ll do it.”
Owen shook his head.
“No.”
“Forty million is nothing compared to—”
“Vincent specifically ordered us not to.”
Claire’s anger snapped.
“Vincent doesn’t get to order anyone!”
Owen blinked.
Claire exhaled.
“Sorry.”
“No. Fair.”
She paced.
“What did Vale say about a meeting?”
“Nothing yet.”
Claire looked at the map.
Old harbor roads.
Warehouses.
Storm-damaged marinas.
Then she remembered Samuel Pierce.
Boating accident.
Marcus’s history.
“Where did Pierce die?”
Owen stared.
“Blackwater Marina.”
“Show me.”
He pulled it up.
Claire pointed.
Three miles from where Vincent’s car was found.
Owen was already calling federal agents.
By evening, they had surveillance on the marina.
But no Vincent.
Then Claire noticed something in an old photograph of Marcus and Vale.
A lighthouse.
Not Blackwater.
She had seen it before.
At Greyhaven.
Vincent owned a framed coastal survey showing abandoned maritime structures.
She ran to his study.
Found it.
Pointed.
“Saltmere Point.”
Owen searched.
An abandoned customs station sat nearby.
Federal agents moved.
Claire was told to remain at Greyhaven.
She did.
For twelve minutes.
Then drove after them.
No one was surprised.
At the customs station, officers found Vale attempting to escape.
Marcus was inside.
So was Vincent.
Alive.
Bruised.
Handcuffed to a radiator.
When Claire entered behind the agents, Vincent looked at her.
His expression went from relief to anger.
“What are you doing here?”
Claire almost laughed.
“You’re welcome.”
“I told Owen—”
“Yes, apparently kidnapping has not cured your control issues.”
Despite the situation, Owen turned away to hide a smile.
Vincent stared at her.
Then laughed.
It hurt his ribs.
He winced.
Claire knelt.
“Are you injured?”
“I’ve had better evenings.”
She checked his pupils automatically.
“Claire.”
“What?”
“You’re doing nurse things.”
“Yes.”
“I missed that.”
Her hands stopped.
Their eyes met.
Too close.
Too familiar.
Claire stood.
“Don’t turn this into something.”
“I wasn’t.”
“You were.”
“I was thinking it loudly.”
Federal agents led Marcus past them.
He looked at Claire.
“You should have died years ago with Pierce.”
Vincent lunged.
Agents restrained him.
Claire stepped forward instead.
“No.”
Marcus smiled.
“You think this ends because I’m arrested?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t know who you married.”
Claire glanced at Vincent.
Then back at Marcus.
“I know exactly who I married.”
Vincent’s face tightened.
Claire continued.
“That’s why I left.”
Marcus’s smile disappeared.
“And I know exactly who I am now.”
She watched him being taken away.
Later, outside, dawn approached.
Again.
Claire hated dawns.
Vincent stood beside her.
“You came for me.”
“Don’t make too much of it.”
“I’m making a medium amount.”
She laughed unwillingly.
Then became serious.
“Why did you go alone?”
“Because the message involved you.”
“And you didn’t tell me.”
“I didn’t want to frighten you.”
Claire stared.
Vincent closed his eyes.
“I hear it.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
“You still don’t trust me with decisions about my own life.”
“You’re right.”
Claire looked toward the ocean.
Vincent said, “I’m trying.”
“I know.”
“That doesn’t mean you owe me anything.”
“I know.”
He looked at her.
“I filed a statement with the custody court.”
“What statement?”
“I asked them to continue supervised visits until you decide otherwise.”
Claire turned fully.
“Why?”
“Because if I ever hold Ethan without a monitor in the room, I want it to be because his mother trusts me.”
Claire did not know what to say.
Vincent stepped away.
“Go back to Ethan.”
“Aren’t you coming?”
“To the hospital.”
She frowned.
“You hate hospitals.”
“I’m learning to tolerate things I don’t control.”
Claire watched him leave.
For the first time, she wondered whether the man walking away from her might genuinely be different from the one who had stood over the map during the storm.
But change was easy during crisis.
May you like
The real test would come when life became ordinary again.
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