“Because the fuel line had been altered. The helicopter caught fire four minutes after I landed.”
Daniel’s fingers moved rapidly across the laptop.
He found a local report.
A private helicopter had burned at an airfield outside Santa Maria. Authorities had not released the cause.
Richard was telling at least part of the truth.
“Where are you now?” I asked.
“I cannot tell you.”
“Why should I trust anything you say?”
“You should not.”
The honesty unsettled me.
“Then what do you want?”
“To keep you away from the estate.”
“Clara already took the case.”
“She took a duplicate.”
I looked toward Daniel.
“What?”
Richard continued.
“Your father never trusted a single hiding place. The real file is somewhere else.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know. But Clara believes you do.”
A sound came through the phone, like a door opening.
Richard lowered his voice.
“Amelia, someone inside your company helped alter the helicopter.”
“Who?”
“I have one name.”
The call went silent.
“Richard?”
A woman spoke instead.
“Mrs. Hayes.”
I recognized Clara immediately.
Her calm tone frightened me more than shouting would have.
“Where is my husband?”
“Safe for the moment.”
“What do you want?”
“The file your father left.”
“You already stole it.”
“I took what he intended us to find.”
