Chapter 10 - THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WAREHOUSE FIRE
The breakthrough came from an unexpected source.
A retired warehouse supervisor named Raymond Boudreaux contacted Camille's attorney.
He had worked at the building the night Étienne died.
For eight years, he'd remained silent.
Now he wanted to speak.
They met at a lawyer's office.
Raymond was seventy-three.
His hands trembled.
"I should have come forward sooner," he said.
Camille watched him.
"Why didn't you?"
He looked down.
"I was afraid."
She nodded.
"What happened that night?"
Raymond swallowed.
"Your father was working late. He said he'd found something important."
Camille's heart pounded.
"Then two men arrived."
"Who?"
Raymond hesitated.
"One was connected to Whitfield's office. I didn't know the other."
Camille leaned forward.
"What happened?"
"They argued. I heard shouting. Then the fire alarm went off."
Raymond's eyes filled.
"I ran outside. Your father was still inside."
Camille closed her eyes.
"Did you see who started the fire?"
"No."
The answer hurt.
But it mattered.
Raymond was not pretending to know more than he did.
He continued.
"I saw one of the men leave through the loading entrance before the smoke spread."
The attorney asked for a description.
Raymond provided one.
Investigators later identified a former security contractor who had worked for a company connected to Harrison Whitfield.
The evidence did not immediately prove murder.
But it challenged the original conclusion that the fire had been a simple accident.
The case was reopened.
Camille left the meeting exhausted.
Lucien waited outside.
She walked toward him.
"They're reopening the investigation."
He nodded.
"Good."
Her eyes filled.
"For eight years, everyone told me to accept what happened."
Lucien looked at her.
"You don't have to accept a story just because powerful people repeat it."
She began crying.
He opened his arms.
May you like
She stepped into them.
And for the first time since her father's death, Camille allowed herself to believe that the truth might finally be within reach.
