A series of stones and other projectiles smashed the windows of the clinic. Out of nowhere, flames sprang up, and black smoke started to billow out of the windows as the fire hissed and burned. Waves of heat poured out of the building.
Soon, panicked voices cried out.
"It's on fire! Help!"
"ts's going to burn. Run!"
"It's illegal to set fires in public!"
The scene was chaotic. Kendall worked to put out the fire as onlookers yelled around her, shouting at people to flee.
Louisa and her supporters slipped back and disappeared into the crowd of onlookers.
No one knew who called the police, but suddenly they arrived, calling for order and arresting people. No one was allowed to leave until they had been questioned.
The police felt the need to interfere because, while peaceful protests and demonstrations were acceptable, fighting and arson were different matters entirely. Those were serious crimes.
**
Almost at the same time, a luxury car slowly drove up to the gate of the Murdoch mansion.
The house had an air of mourning about it. Black wreaths and ribbons were hung on the doors and windows, and the grounds were quiet, except for faint cries coming from within the home itself.
As the car pulled up to the gate, a security guard stepped out, arm wrapped in a black cloth, and waved at the car to stop. He said, "No visitors are allowed today. The family is in mourning."
The window of the car rolled down, revealing Lindsey Marvel's delicate face. "Inform Mr. Murdoch that I am Charlie Marvel's daughter, Lindsey. I've come to make a deal with him."
Michael's death had aroused a strong backlash in the Murdoch family. After all, the death of an heir always encouraged others to vie for new positions of power.
But Michael's father, Jeremiah, had not publicized the matter, and he had not personally presided over Michael's daily affairs.
It was strange that Steven had taken charge and insisted the family members keep up appearances.
Some people said it was because Michael had an incurable disease. The Murdoch family had known Michael wouldn't live much longer, so his loss had not exactly been unexpected. Some people had said Michael's reputation in Baltimore was so bad that Jeremiah avoided even visiting his son.
**
Ten minutes later, Lindsey walked into the Murdoch mansion.
The house was subdued, and the atmosphere was oppressive. She left her bodyguard in the entry hall, and then walked into the parlor, where a feeling of grief and anxiety was in the very air.
She walked up to Jeremiah, whose face was wrinkled and pale. He had a glint of sadness in his eye, and his expression was one of stoic pain.
She had met him before and remembered he had had a kind-looking smile. But now, that smile was gone, and his face was grim.
What Lindsey didn't know was that, in addition to grieving for his son, Jeremiah had just received a phone call from one of his subordinates.
The people he had sent to make trouble at the clinic had escalated the situation and had grown violent, even starting a fire. As a result, they had all been arrested by the police.
In his mind, he scolded the group of idiots for not being able to get a simple job done. He had hoped to garner support and sympathy for his family, not hostility or undesirable public opinion. After all, this kind of thing was too sensitive to bungle.
When he saw his unexpected guest approach, he cleared his thoughts and turned to Lindsey.
Originally, although Lindsey was a young lady from a prominent local family, he had not thought to involve her in his family's matters. But Lindsey was an important person, and Jeremiah had prompted Steven to invite her to meet him secretly.
Lindsey greeted him and offered her condolences. "Mr. Murdoch, I'm sorry for your loss. Michael was a well-known and influential person. I hope you keep him in your memories."
"Thank you for your concern. What can I do for you?" Jeremiah had obviously investigated Lindsey, but he gave no indication of having done so.
"I want to clear Alex's name," she said, both calmly and respectfully. "I hope Alex and the Murdochs can become friends."
Jeremiah laughed and said, "Miss Marvel, that's ridiculous. You know how Michael died. Now, how Mr. Ambrose dies is beyond my control. You only need to obey the law. You're not powerful enough to make any sort of deal with me. How can you be so naive?"
"Yes, sir," Lindsey said, staring boldly at him. "I know I may seem very abrupt and naive, but I'm afraid there is a serious choice you must make. As long as you don't secretly put pressure on the police station, Alex could be found innocent and freed, correct?"
"You're a fool," he said. "Do you even know what you're talking about? Alex killed my son, and yet you want me to not press charges? Are you crazy, or are you playing with me?"
Jeremiah scoffed and shook his head. "What's more, I haven't blamed you for that dinner party fiasco. Do you think I'm weak and can just be deceived so easily?"
"I have not called you weak, and I'm not trying to deceive you," Lindsey said, her expression remaining calm. She ignored Jeremiah's anger as she went on. "I simply have proof that you are powerful; too powerful, in fact."
While she talked, she pulled out a stack of materials from her purse and threw them onto the desk beside him. His eyes were drawn to the papers as they spread out before him, and his eyelid twitched as he pursed his lips. The materials included written documents and photographs. He knew what they were and what they could mean.
The materials contained evidence of the Murdoch family's dark business dealings and history. If they were handed over to the law, the whole family would suffer dire consequences.
Jeremiah breathed heavily, and then he finally turned to look at Lindsey with both anger and grudging respect.
However, he maintained his air of angry dominance as he asked, "What do you mean by showing me these papers? Do you think you can frighten me with old documents and photographs?"
Lindsey remanined silent.
He squirmed. "What do you want? Money?"
She shook her head. He was impressed by her ability to find out so much about his family. There was information there that had been so carefully covered up that even he didn't know where she could have gotten it from. "Where did you get all this?" he asked.
"I have friends in high places." Lindsey smiled. In fact, when she had woken up that day, she had found the papers waiting for her. They had arrived via express delivery. She didn't know who had sent them, or who was trying to help Alex, but she didn't care. She knew she had the power and support from others to help him. She was not alone in this fight.