Julian’s Offer
Chapter 12 - Julian’s Offer
From jail, Julian requested a private meeting with Evelyn.
Detective Ellis advised against it. Arthur begged her not to go. Evelyn went anyway, with Mara seated nearby and the conversation recorded.
Julian entered the interview room wearing a gray uniform. Without the tuxedo and family name surrounding him, he looked younger and more exhausted.
“I can tell you what happened to Thomas,” he said.
“You already admitted following him.”
“I can prove who ordered it.”
Evelyn said nothing.
Julian leaned forward. “Celeste told me Thomas had stolen from the foundation. She said he was going to destroy us unless I recovered the files. I believed her.”
“You planted evidence in my locker.”
“That was later.”
“You watched your mother hit me.”
His eyes dropped for the first time. “I needed everyone focused on you long enough to get the necklace out.”
“And Lily?”
“I didn’t know she would be there.”
“You saw her crying.”
Julian pushed a folded paper across the table. It listed an offshore account and a password.
“Celeste kept an emergency archive. It contains payments to the investigator who tracked Thomas.”
“What do you want?”
“Tell the prosecutor I cooperated. Tell my father I was manipulated.”
Evelyn looked through the glass at Detective Ellis. Then she looked back at Julian.
“You were manipulated when you followed Thomas. You were not manipulated when you stole the necklace three years later. You were not manipulated when you planted the clasp. You were not manipulated when you called me a thief in front of my child.”
Julian’s face tightened.
“I will give the account information to the police,” Evelyn said. “I will also tell them exactly how you gave it to me. Nothing more.”
As she stood, Julian whispered, “My father will forgive me.”
May you like
Evelyn paused at the door.
“Your father’s forgiveness cannot erase another man’s grave.”
