Celeste’s voice hardened.
“He wanted the ledger for himself.”
Then she revealed the final piece.
Victor Vale’s original ledger did not merely identify murderers.
It contained numbered account codes for an offshore fund created from decades of stolen public money.
At current value:
More than four hundred million dollars.
Preston did not want Rosehill for the highway.
He wanted what might be buried beneath it.
A fortune.
And Samuel had known.
That was why he told Preston the ledger was hidden at Rosehill.
There was only one problem.
“It isn’t here,” Celeste said.
“How do you know?”
“Because Victor told me where he hid it before the trial.”
I stared.
“Where?”
She looked toward the kitchen window.
“The old courthouse.”
I nearly laughed.
“The county courthouse?”
“Inside the cornerstone.”
“Then why has everyone been destroying my farm?”
“Because I lied to Preston.”
“Why?”
“To keep him away from the real ledger.”
Sophie whispered, “Then all of this…”
“The highway. The intimidation. Samuel’s investigation.”
Celeste nodded.
“It became real because Preston made it real.”
I looked at her.
“If you knew where the ledger was, why didn’t you take it years ago?”
“Because the courthouse cornerstone can only be opened during structural renovation without attracting attention.”
“And?”
She gave a bitter smile.
“Renovation begins next month.”
Then a sound came from the back hallway.
A slow clap.
We turned.
Preston stood inside the kitchen.
Holding a gun.
“Thank you, Mother.”
Sophie stopped breathing.
Celeste went white.
“How did you get in?”
“You people really should replace that basement lock.”
He looked different.
No tuxedo.
No polished charm.
Jeans.
Dark coat.
Eyes without disguise.
He smiled at Sophie.
“Merry Christmas.”
“Put the gun down.”
“No.”
He looked at me.
“Marian, you continue to make everything unnecessarily difficult.”
“You murdered Samuel.”
His eyes shifted.
“I respected Samuel.”
“You poisoned him.”
“I said I respected him. I didn’t say I liked him.”
Sophie began to cry.
“Why?”
Preston looked almost offended.
“Because he changed the location.”
Celeste frowned.
“What location?”
“The ledger.”
“You said the courthouse.”
“Yes, Mother. And Samuel discovered that.”
Celeste’s face changed.
Preston smiled.
“He moved it before he died.”
“To where?” I asked.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to learn for eleven months.”
His gun moved toward Sophie.
“And now I’m out of patience.”
I stepped between them.
“Don’t.”
Preston laughed.
“Still playing mother bear.”
“You hit me once. That was your free mistake.”
His eyes hardened.
“You think being old makes you brave?”
“No. Losing everything I was afraid to lose did.”
For the first time, he seemed uncertain.
Only slightly.
Then headlights appeared beyond the kitchen window.
Preston spun.
Sheriff vehicles flooded the driveway.
Sophie stared at me.
I reached beneath the table and lifted my phone.
The call to Elias had been connected for the last forty minutes.
Celeste began laughing.
Preston’s face twisted.
“You stupid old woman.”
He raised the gun.
Sophie screamed.
A shot exploded.
The kitchen window shattered.
Preston staggered.
His gun fell.
Celeste stood behind him holding Samuel’s shotgun.
Smoke curled from the barrel.
