Chapter 5
By eight that morning, Nathan had copied every file in Claire’s storage unit.
Detective Bennett arrived with two additional officers.
She watched Claire’s video without speaking.
Then she examined the financial documents.
“This changes the scope of the investigation.”
Nathan stared at her.
“How?”
“We are no longer looking only at what happened last night.”
“Claire’s accident?”
Bennett remained careful.
“We are reviewing everything.”
Nathan hated the answer.
But he understood why she gave it.
There was suspicion.
There was evidence.
There was not yet proof that Claire’s death had been anything except an accident.
Nathan looked at the laptop.
“She said Victor helped my mother.”
“I heard her.”
“And the trust?”
“We’ll verify it.”
Nathan paced.
“Victor handled my father’s estate.”
“Which is why we verify it independently.”
His phone vibrated.
An email.
Emergency meeting of the Harcourt Holdings board.
10:00 a.m.
Requested by Eleanor Harcourt.
Nathan laughed.
Bennett looked at him.
“What?”
“My mother is calling a board meeting.”
“Today?”
“In two hours.”
Nora frowned.
“Why?”
Nathan already knew.
“Because she thinks if she loses the house, she can still take the company.”
Bennett stood.
“I strongly suggest you do not confront her privately.”
“I won’t.”
Nathan looked at the board notice.
“I’ll confront her in front of twelve witnesses.”
The Harcourt Holdings boardroom occupied the top floor of a glass tower downtown.
Nathan entered at 9:58.
Rebecca was already there.
So was Eleanor.
Victor sat beside her.
Nathan stopped.
“You’re still representing her?”
Victor folded his hands.
“I represent the company.”
“No.”
Nathan took his seat.
“You represent whatever gives you power.”
Several board members exchanged uncomfortable looks.
Eleanor spoke calmly.
“We are not here for personal attacks.”
Nathan laughed.
“You called an emergency meeting twelve hours after police searched your bedroom.”
“That is precisely why we are here.”
Victor distributed folders.
Nathan didn’t touch his.
Eleanor looked around the table.
“My son has experienced repeated medical problems over the last year.”
Nathan stared at her.
She continued.
“Last night, under stress, he accused me of trying to harm him.”
“You put an insect inside my food.”
A board member frowned.
Victor raised a hand.
“That matter remains under investigation.”
Nathan looked around.
“There is video.”
Eleanor ignored him.
“For the sake of the company, I am requesting Nathan take temporary medical leave.”
There it was.
Exactly what the conservatorship papers had predicted.
Nathan leaned back.
“You really thought this would work?”
Eleanor looked wounded.
“I am trying to save what your father built.”
“By removing me?”
“Temporarily.”
“And placing yourself in charge?”
Victor intervened.
“Independent interim leadership would be appointed.”
Nathan looked at him.
“Selected by whom?”
Silence.
Nathan smiled without humor.
“Exactly.”
One board member, Thomas Avery, cleared his throat.
“Nathan, is there actually footage?”
“Yes.”
“May we see it?”
Victor said, “I object to introducing possible criminal evidence.”
Nathan stared at him.
“This isn’t court.”
He connected his phone to the screen.
The pantry footage played.
Nobody spoke.
Eleanor appeared.
Opened the pastry.
Placed the dark object inside.
Closed it.
Left.
When the video ended, the boardroom was silent.
Thomas looked at Eleanor.
“What did you put inside?”
She lifted her chin.
“An insect.”
Several people reacted.
Eleanor continued.
“It was intended to frighten him.”
Nathan stared.
“That’s your defense?”
“It was stupid.”
“You wrote FINAL DINNER beside today’s date.”
Rebecca closed her eyes.
Victor spoke quickly.
“We are not discussing the notebook.”
Nathan pulled copies from his briefcase.
“Oh, we are.”
He placed them on the table.
“Especially because that same notebook tracks every mysterious illness I have experienced.”
Eleanor’s face hardened.
Nathan continued.
“And because Victor drafted papers to have my mother control my affairs if those illnesses became serious enough.”
The board erupted.
Victor stood.
“That characterization is false.”
Nathan stood too.
“Sit down.”
“This meeting is becoming defamatory.”
“Then sue me.”
Victor went silent.
Nathan turned toward the board.
“My wife discovered this two years ago.”
Eleanor’s expression changed.
Nathan saw it.
“She left evidence.”
Victor’s eyes narrowed.
Nathan continued.
“She also discovered my father’s final trust may have been replaced.”
Now Victor lost color.
Rebecca looked at him.
“What?”
Nathan watched both of them.
“My father’s true trust allegedly gives control of the emergency family shares to Jamie.”
Thomas Avery stared.
“Your son?”
“Yes.”
“That contradicts the version currently on file.”
“I know.”
Eleanor leaned forward.
“Nathan, stop.”
He looked at her.
“Why?”
“Because Claire was wrong.”
“How do you know what Claire found?”
Silence.
Nathan stepped closer.
“I didn’t tell you what documents were in the storage unit.”
Eleanor realized her mistake.
Rebecca whispered, “Mom.”
Nathan stared.
“You knew.”
Eleanor looked toward Victor.
Again.
Always Victor.
Nathan suddenly understood something.
“You knew where Claire kept evidence.”
Nobody answered.
“You searched for it after she died.”
Victor stood.
“This meeting is over.”
“No.”
Nathan pointed at him.
“You don’t decide that anymore.”
The board chair, Margaret Cole, spoke.
“He’s right.”
Victor froze.
Margaret looked at Nathan.
“Submit the evidence to independent counsel.”
Nathan nodded.
“We will.”
She looked at Eleanor.
“And until we understand the situation, I am suspending any motion regarding Nathan’s leadership.”
Eleanor’s face hardened.
“You cannot.”
“I just did.”
Nathan almost felt relief.
Then his phone rang.
Jamie's school.
His stomach dropped.
He answered immediately.
“This is Nathan.”
“Mr. Harcourt?”
The principal sounded frightened.
“Yes?”
“There has been an incident involving Jamie.”
Nathan was already moving.
“What happened?”
“A woman arrived to pick him up.”
Nathan stopped.
“What woman?”
“She had authorization.”
“No one has authorization.”
“She had documentation signed by a family representative.”
Nathan looked at Victor.
He was already avoiding Nathan’s eyes.
“Where is my son?”
“He is safe.”
Nathan’s knees nearly weakened.
“Where?”
“In my office.”
“Do not let anyone near him.”
“We won’t.”
“Who came for him?”
The principal hesitated.
“A driver.”
“Name?”
“Marcus Hale.”
Nathan knew the name.
His mother’s longtime driver.
Nathan looked at Eleanor.
She stared back.
“What did you do?”
Eleanor’s eyes widened.
“What?”
“Marcus tried to take Jamie from school.”
Rebecca stood.
“Mom?”
Eleanor shook her head.
“I did not send Marcus.”
Nathan didn’t know whether to believe her.
He left.
Nora met him at the school.
Nathan hurried into the principal’s office.
Jamie sat curled on a couch.
The moment he saw Nathan, he ran.
“Daddy!”
Nathan dropped to his knees and caught him.
“I’m here.”
Jamie clung to his neck.
“They said Grandma wanted me.”
Nathan closed his eyes.
“No one is taking you anywhere.”
The principal handed Nathan a folder.
“The driver presented these.”
Inside was a temporary pickup authorization.
Victor Sloan’s firm letterhead.
Nathan’s signature.
Forged.
And Eleanor listed as emergency guardian.
Nathan’s hands shook.
“Where is Marcus?”
“Security stopped him when Jamie refused to leave.”
“Police?”
“On the way.”
Jamie pulled something from his pocket.
“He gave me this.”
Nathan looked down.
A folded note.
He opened it.
One sentence.
TELL YOUR FATHER THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUR MOTHER.
Nathan stared.
Jamie’s face crumpled.
“I don’t know what it means.”
Nathan looked at Nora.
Neither did he.
But someone wanted Jamie frightened.
Someone wanted Nathan looking backward.
Toward Claire.
A police officer entered.
“We found the driver’s car.”
Nathan stood.
“Where is Marcus?”
“He ran.”
Nathan’s jaw tightened.
The officer held up a sealed evidence bag.
“This was on the passenger seat.”
Inside was an old photograph.
Claire.
Standing beside her car on the morning she died.
Nathan felt the blood drain from his face.
May you like
On the back, someone had written four words.
SHE SHOULD HAVE LISTENED.
