Chương 6
He almost laughed.
Instead, he leaned back in his chair.
The office was quiet.
Too quiet.
How did you know?
Know what?
That I was not okay.
Claire took longer to answer this time.
Because people who are okay do not hold babies on airplanes like they are trying to remember something they lost.
Marcus looked at the message.
The words affected him more than he expected.
He wanted to ask what she meant.
He wanted to deny it.
He wanted to tell her she was wrong.
Instead, he asked something else.
Did you know my company was investigating you?
No.
Then why were you on that flight?
Claire did not answer immediately.
When she finally did, the message was longer.
Because I found something my husband left behind.
Marcus sat forward.
What?
A notebook.
His breathing slowed.
What kind of notebook?
One with names.
Dates.
Things he was tracking before he died.
Marcus looked around the office.
The room suddenly felt smaller.
Did it mention Vale Industries?
Yes.
Did it mention me?
Another pause.
Yes.
Marcus closed his eyes.
What did it say?
Claire did not respond.
The typing bubble appeared.
Then disappeared.
Then appeared again.
Finally, a message arrived.
It said you were either the person who could help him or the person he was trying to expose.
Marcus stared at the words.
That was the first thing anyone had said in years that matched the confusion inside his own head.
Because he had spent his entire life believing there were only two possibilities.
That he had been betrayed by someone else.
Or that he had failed to see something obvious.
He had never considered that both could be true.
Where is the notebook now?
With me.
Why were you flying to Chicago?
Claire’s answer came slower.
Because I was going to meet the person who wrote one of the names in it.
Who?
My husband’s old supervisor.
Marcus looked back at the folder on his desk.
The name on one of the documents was from a medical company that supplied equipment to several hospitals.
A company Vale Industries had acquired two years after Emma’s death.
A company he barely remembered because it had been handled by another division.
What was your husband’s job?
Claire typed.
Compliance investigator.
Marcus stopped.
The room went completely still.
A compliance investigator would have access to internal reports.
A compliance investigator would look for irregularities.
A compliance investigator would know where someone might hide a mistake.
Or a crime.
What was his name?
Claire answered.
Thomas Bennett.
Marcus searched the name in his internal database.
The results appeared instantly.
Thomas Bennett.
Former senior compliance analyst.
Employee terminated five years ago.
Reason listed as professional misconduct.
Marcus felt a cold sensation move through him.
Claire.
What?
Your husband was fired by Vale Industries.
She did not respond for several seconds.
Then:
I know.
You knew?
Yes.
Why did you not tell me?
Because I wanted to know if you would find it yourself.
Marcus read the sentence twice.
The irritation came first.
Then understanding.
Claire had been testing him.
Not because she wanted power.
Because she had spent months surrounded by people who gave her answers she could not trust.
You thought I was involved.
Yes.
Marcus looked away.
That hurt more than he expected.
Not because she suspected him.
Because part of him understood why.
What changed your mind?
Claire answered quickly.
The baby.
He frowned.
What?
She made a mistake.
Marcus looked at the screen.
What does that mean?
When you held her, you forgot anyone was watching.
He said nothing.
People who pretend to care usually remember the audience.
The message ended there.
Marcus placed the phone on the desk.
For several minutes, he did not move.
Then someone knocked on the office door.
He looked up.
His assistant, Natalie, stood there holding a laptop.
“Sorry.”
Marcus straightened.
“I thought you left.”
“I did.”
She stepped inside.
“Then I received a message from Daniel saying I needed to come here immediately.”
Marcus studied her face.
Natalie had worked for him for four years.
She was one of the few people who could tell him when he was wrong without fearing the consequences.
“What happened?”
She placed the laptop on the desk.
“You tell me.”
The screen showed a security report.
Marcus looked at the timestamp.
His stomach tightened.
“What is this?”
“Someone entered the archive room last night.”
“Who?”
“That is the problem.”
Natalie turned the laptop toward him.
“The access card belonged to you.”
Marcus stared at the screen.
“No.”
“I checked twice.”
“That card is in my possession.”
“I know.”
“Then someone copied it.”
Natalie nodded.
“That was my thought.”
Marcus looked at the footage.
The camera angle was partially blocked.
A person in a dark coat entered the room.
The face was hidden.
The person moved with confidence.
Not like someone breaking in.
Like someone who belonged there.
“When?”
Natalie checked the report.
“Three hours after you left for the flight.”
Marcus felt the weight of the timeline.
Someone knew he was leaving.
Someone knew he would not be there.
Someone had planned around his absence.
“Natalie.”
“Yes?”
“Who knew my travel schedule?”
She did not answer.
That hesitation was enough.
Marcus looked at her.
“Who?”
“Several people.”
“Name them.”
“Your assistant team.”
“My security team.”
“Daniel.”
“Board members.”
“Family office.”
The last two words stayed in the room.
Marcus looked back at the screen.
The hidden person moved toward the archive shelves.
Not searching.
Not confused.
They knew exactly where they were going.
Then they stopped.
The person turned toward the camera.
For one second, the face came into view.
Marcus leaned closer.
The image was blurry.
But not blurry enough.
Because he recognized the person.
And the recognition was worse than finding a stranger.
It was someone he had trusted for years.
Someone who had stood beside him during the worst days of his life.
May you like
Someone who had told him they were protecting him.
Marcus whispered the name.
