Saltwater Grudge Chapter Ten: Cracks in the Family Chest

            The Vane estate sat on the cliff like a fortress, its windows dark and forbidding. Julian had circled back, knowing that the boat Marcus mentioned would be launching from the private jetty at the base of the cliffs. He had the ledger tucked into a waterproof bag, and Marcus’s rifle slung over his shoulder. He felt like a ghost haunting his own life, a man who had already died once and had nothing left to fear.

            He found the path to the jetty, a steep, winding stair carved directly into the chalk. The wind was so strong here that he had to press his body against the rock to keep from being blown away. Below, he could see the lights of a powerful motorboat, its engines idling with a deep, guttural throb.

            He reached the bottom and saw Arthur Vane standing on the jetty, barking orders at two men who were struggling to load diving equipment onto the boat. Leo was there too, huddled in the stern, his hands bound and his face pale with terror.

            “Move faster!” Arthur shouted. “The tide is turning. If we don't get to the coordinates now, the silt will cover the vault for another thirty years.”

            Julian stepped out of the shadows, the rifle levelled at Arthur’s chest. “The only place you’re going, Arthur, is to the bottom.”

            The men on the jetty froze. Arthur turned slowly, a look of genuine surprise crossing his face. “Mr. Julian. You really are like a bad penny. I thought the sea had taken care of you.”

            “The sea doesn't want me yet,” Julian said. “Let the boy go. Now.”

            Arthur looked at the rifle, then at Julian. He didn't look afraid. He looked amused. “You won't shoot, Julian. You’re a man of principle. A man of the law. Even a corrupt law. You want me to stand trial. You want to see me in a cage.”

            “I want to see you dead,” Julian corrected him. “But I’ll settle for seeing you ruined. I have the ledger, Arthur. I know about the vault. I know about everything.”

            Arthur’s expression hardened. “The ledger is just paper. Without me, this town dies. I am the economy of Cromer. I am the reason people have jobs, the reason the pier is still standing. You take me down, and you take everyone with me.”

            “Then let it fall,” Julian said. “A town built on blood and secrets doesn't deserve to stand.”

            One of Arthur’s men moved suddenly, reaching for a holster. Julian fired a warning shot into the wooden planks at the man’s feet. The sound was swallowed by the roar of the waves, but the message was clear.

            “Untie the boy,” Julian commanded.

            Arthur sighed, gesturing to one of his men. Leo was released, and he scrambled off the boat, running toward Julian. He collapsed at Julian’s feet, sobbing.

            “Go up the path, Leo,” Julian whispered. “Find Siobhan. Tell her to call the Coast Guard. Tell them everything.”

            As Leo vanished into the dark, Arthur stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the bag containing the ledger. “Give it to me, Julian. I’ll give you a million pounds. You can leave this gray, miserable coast and never have to look at the sea again.”

            “I like the sea, Arthur,” Julian said. “It’s the only thing in this town that’s honest.”

            A sudden surge of water swept over the jetty, knocking Julian off balance. In that split second, Arthur lunged forward. He wasn't reaching for a weapon; he was reaching for the bag. They tumbled into the freezing water together, the ledger between them. The boat’s engines roared as the crew tried to pull away from the rocks, leaving the two men to struggle in the churning surf. Julian felt Arthur’s hands around his throat, the man’s strength fueled by a desperate, dying greed. They were two men fighting over the past while the future crashed down around them in walls of freezing foam.