Chapter 14 - A Brother’s Old Alibi
Federal prison visiting rooms were designed to remove dignity.
Plastic chairs.
Bolted tables.
Fluorescent lights.
No shadows.
Vincent Vale nevertheless walked into the room as though he still owned half of Boston.
His prison uniform could not hide the arrogance in his posture.
When he saw Adrian sitting behind the glass, he laughed.
“Well, look who finally came.”
Adrian picked up the phone.
Vincent did the same.
“I heard congratulations are in order,” Vincent said. “Little Clara pregnant? How touching.”
Adrian’s grip tightened.
“You mention my wife or child again, I end this conversation.”
“There he is.”
“Where were you April fourteenth twelve years ago?”
Vincent stopped smiling.
Adrian watched closely.
“London.”
“No.”
“Excuse me?”
“Your portfolio was photographed inside Thomas Reed’s truck at Pier Seventeen.”
Vincent leaned back.
For the first time, uncertainty flashed across his face.
“Ancient history.”
“Where is Thomas?”
“How would I know?”
“You knew he found the pension accounts.”
“So did half the finance department.”
“You lied about London.”
Vincent shrugged.
“I lied about many things.”
Adrian leaned closer to the glass.
“Did you kill him?”
Vincent’s smile disappeared.
“No.”
“Did Father?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Vincent looked toward the guard.
“Time.”
“We have twenty minutes.”
“I’m done.”
He reached to hang up.
Adrian spoke quickly.
“Daniel Reed is investigating.”
Vincent froze.
Slowly, he lifted the phone back to his ear.
“Daniel?”
“Thomas’s son.”
Vincent’s face lost color.
Adrian saw it.
“You’re afraid of him.”
“I’m afraid of stupidity.”
“What happened?”
Vincent lowered his voice.
“You should tell your wife to stop digging.”
Adrian’s eyes became hard.
“That sounded like a threat.”
“It was advice.”
“From a convicted thief?”
“From your brother.”
“You stopped being my brother when you framed Clara.”
Vincent’s jaw twitched.
Then he whispered something so softly Adrian barely heard.
“North Beacon wasn’t Father’s company.”
Adrian stared.
“What?”
“Father used it. He didn’t own it.”
“Who did?”
Vincent looked toward the ceiling camera.
“I want a transfer.”
Adrian laughed without humor.
“You think you’re negotiating?”
“I want out of federal general population and into protective custody.”
“Why?”
“Because if the people behind North Beacon know Daniel Reed is asking questions, someone is going to die.”
Adrian’s blood went cold.
“Names.”
“Protection first.”
“Names, Vincent.”
“No.”
Adrian stood.
Vincent slammed his palm against the glass.
“Adrian!”
Adrian paused.
Vincent’s arrogance had vanished.
For the first time in his life, he looked genuinely terrified.
“North Beacon was connected to Calder.”
Adrian slowly turned.
“Senator Robert Calder?”
Vincent nodded once.
Adrian sat again.
Calder was one of Massachusetts’ most powerful political figures. His family controlled construction unions, shipping contracts, and municipal development deals stretching back decades.
“What did Calder have to do with Father?”
“Everything.”
“Explain.”
Vincent swallowed.
“Father didn’t invent the pension scheme. Calder did. The missing money was collateral for something bigger.”
“What?”
“The harbor.”
Adrian felt pieces moving inside his mind.
Waterfront land.
Rezoning.
Public housing.
Harbor House.
Vincent continued.
“When you exposed Father, Calder lost millions. Thomas Reed had proof. I was sent to get it.”
“Sent by whom?”
Vincent closed his eyes.
“Father.”
“Did you find Thomas?”
“Yes.”
“Did you kill him?”
Vincent stared through the glass.
“No.”
“Then what happened?”
“I arrived too late.”
“To what?”
Vincent leaned close.
“There was another car at Pier Seventeen.”
“What car?”
“A black Cadillac.”
“Who was inside?”
Vincent opened his mouth.
Then the prison alarm suddenly screamed.
Guards rushed into the corridor.
The lights flashed red.
Vincent’s head snapped toward the doorway.
A correctional officer grabbed his shoulder.
Vincent shouted into the receiver.
“Find the photograph!”
“What photograph?”
“The Christmas photograph at Mother’s house! Nineteen ninety-eight!”
The line went dead.
Adrian watched Vincent disappear behind armored doors.
He immediately called Clara.
She answered on the second ring.
“Adrian?”
“Are you at Harbor House?”
“Yes.”
“Stay with Marcus.”
“What happened?”
“Calder.”
Silence.
“Senator Calder?”
“I’ll explain when I get there.”
He hurried toward the exit.
Then Clara said:
“Adrian.”
“Yes?”
“I already found the Christmas photograph.”
Adrian stopped walking.
May you like
Her next words made his blood turn cold.
“Thomas Reed is standing in it.”
