CHAPTER 5 — THE PRICE OF SILENCE
Victor Rourke arrived at Arthur’s house on a Thursday afternoon.
He didn’t come alone.
A black SUV stopped behind his expensive sedan.
A younger man remained beside it.
Victor walked toward the porch carrying an envelope.
Arthur watched him approach.
Twelve years had changed the construction magnate.
His hair was white now.
His shoulders were narrower.
But his expression remained the same.
The expression of a man accustomed to having conversations end when he decided they were over.
“Arthur.”
“Victor.”
Victor looked toward Titan.
The old Doberman stood beside the screen door.
“Still have the dog, I see.”
Arthur didn’t answer.
Victor climbed the porch steps.
“I heard about the unpleasantness at the diner.”
“Your son poured water on him.”
Victor sighed.
“Mason can be foolish.”
“He threatened the waitress afterward.”
Victor’s expression tightened.
“I’ll speak to him.”
Arthur waited.
Victor held out the envelope.
“I’d like to make things right.”
Arthur didn’t take it.
“What’s inside?”
“Compensation.”
“For what?”
“The trouble.”
Arthur looked at him.
“You came all this way because your son poured water on my dog?”
Victor lowered the envelope.
“Let’s not pretend that’s all this is about.”
Arthur said nothing.
Victor glanced toward the house.
“You’ve been contacting people about the Center again.”
“Yes.”
“Arthur, we went through this twelve years ago.”
“You did.”
Victor frowned.
“What?”
“You went through it. I buried an empty coffin.”
For a moment, Victor had no answer.
Then he placed the envelope on the porch railing.
“There’s enough here to make your life easier.”
Arthur looked at it.
“Does it come with a condition?”
Victor’s silence answered him.
Arthur continued.
“No more questions?”
“I’m asking you to stop reopening old wounds.”
“No more requests for records?”
“Arthur—”
“No more talking to witnesses?”
Victor’s voice hardened.
“Some things are better left alone.”
Arthur picked up the envelope.
Victor relaxed slightly.
Then Arthur handed it back.
“My son isn’t for sale.”
Victor stared at him.
“You’re making a mistake.”
Arthur looked through the screen door.
Titan was watching them.
“Your son made a mistake at the diner.”
Victor said nothing.
“He thought I was just an old man.”
Arthur stepped closer.
“You think the same thing.”
Victor’s expression changed.
Arthur continued.
“That’s why you came here with money instead of answers.”
Victor put the envelope away.
“You have no idea how many people could be hurt by what you’re doing.”
Arthur looked at him.
“Then tell me what happened.”
Victor turned toward his car.
Arthur spoke again.
“Did David send Titan out with a message?”
Victor stopped.
For the first time, the older man’s composure visibly faltered.
Arthur noticed.
“Marcus kept his original rescue log.”
Victor slowly turned around.
Arthur continued.
“It says David was alive after the second collapse.”
Victor said nothing.
“It says he sent Titan through the drainage access.”
Victor looked toward the dog.
Arthur watched him carefully.
“You knew.”
Victor’s voice was low.
“Be careful, Arthur.”
“About what?”
Victor looked at him for a long moment.
Then he said:
“Your son was about to destroy everything I’d built.”
Arthur felt his chest tighten.
“What had he found?”
Victor didn’t answer.
He walked toward his car.
Arthur called after him.
“What did David know?”
Victor opened the door.
Then he looked back.
“Enough to get himself killed.”
The sedan drove away.
Arthur stood on the porch.
For twelve years, he had wondered whether David died because a building collapsed.
Now he had to consider something worse.
David might have discovered why the building was going to collapse before it happened.
And the man responsible had just admitted that David knew something dangerous.
Arthur went inside.
He called Bennett.
“I need to report a visit.”
“What happened?”
“Victor Rourke came to my house.”
Arthur looked at Titan.
“He offered me money to stop asking questions.”
Bennett asked him to describe the conversation.
Arthur told her everything.
Including Victor’s final words.
There was a pause.
Then Bennett said:
“Mr. Kane, I think it’s time we speak to the man who handled your son’s rescue equipment.”
END OF CHAPTER 5
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