A Question of Will by Alex Albrinck Page A

glanced at the photo of Hope in her wedding dress, her blue eyes radiant. Hope’s joyful expression did not carry over to the Leader. The man looked sad, as if he might shed a tear. But then he slammed the photo down on the desk.
    He’d verify later the news the photo seemed to convey, but the evidence seemed clear.
    “You lied to me, Will Stark. No one gets away with lying to me.”
     

 
     
     
     
    VIII
    Cleanup
     
     
    It had been a long day, and Gena Adams was exhausted.
    Despite that, she was happy to have a job in this economy. It gave her the opportunity to earn her own way, no matter how meager those earnings might be. Still, working twelve hour shifts at The Diner had a negative impact on her feet and legs; she felt like an old woman instead of a twenty year old engaged to be married.
    Gena limped into her apartment building on the outskirts of Pleasanton, outside the Dome, having walked the final mile here after the bus dropped her off. She was grateful that the bus ran as late as it did, and more so that the owner of The Diner always ensured that she caught the final bus, even if they were still in the midst of their final closing rounds. It was another reason she was happy to have a job; her boss took a personal interest in her, though thankfully not too personal. Mark wouldn’t like that one bit. She smiled. Mark was possessive and protective of her in that way, and it was one of the many reasons she loved the man.
    The apartment wasn’t much, but they needed to save money for their wedding, and an eventual down payment on a house. They were willing to live more simply now so that they could reach those goals in the future. They had only one older car as well; Mark’s job as a security guard required it as the bus lines didn’t go near the private community where he worked. She supposed the rich people who lived there didn’t want to see the poor folk go by on public transportation.
    She walked to the second floor landing of the building and unlocked the door to their apartment. She was surprised to find that the lights were out, as Mark usually arrived home before she did. Only then did Gena realize that she hadn’t seen his car in the parking lot. Perhaps he’d gotten stuck at work; he occasionally got some overtime when his shift replacement was running late, and she figured that was the situation here as well.
    She flipped on the old television set, switched to the twenty-four hour news channel for background noise, and looked for something to eat. Most people found it odd that she worked at a restaurant and came home to eat, but after being around that particular cuisine for such a long period of time, Gena needed the variety.
    “Our top story tonight: America’s billionaire philanthropist, along with his wife and son, die in a massive fire at their home in southeastern Ohio. More details just ahead.”
    Gena froze. There was only one man who would be described that way, and that was Will Stark. Mark worked as a security guard in the neighborhood where the wealthy man lived with his family. Gena wasn’t partial to rich people in general, but the Starks had been exceptionally kind and generous towards Mark, and she found herself tearing up a bit at the news of their deaths. That must be why he’s late , she thought. They’re probably doing interviews of everyone in the area to try to figure out what happened . She checked her phone, but didn’t see any texts. That was odd; usually if Mark knew he was running late he’d let her know.
    “Authorities say that the home, located in an exclusive gated community outside the domed city of Pleasanton, Ohio, burned rapidly and trapped the occupants inside. Also killed in the fire was the suspected arsonist. Police aren’t sure if arson was the primary motivation in the attack, or if the arsonist used the fire as a means of enforcing other demands, including potentially demands for a portion of the Stark family’s massive wealth.
    “Regardless