Chương 6
Marcus’s comment to Rachel had not reached him yet.
But the truth was already there.
He looked at Brooks.
“Company accounts.”
Her pen moved.
“What about them?”
“Adrian believed money was missing.”
“How much?”
“He didn’t know.”
“From where?”
“A development subsidiary.”
“Which one?”
“Hale Urban Ventures.”
“What does it do?”
“Commercial property, mixed-use projects, hospitality.”
Brooks nodded.
“And your brother believed someone was stealing?”
“He said the numbers were being manipulated.”
“By whom?”
“He didn’t say.”
“Why not?”
“Because he enjoyed making me furious.”
Brooks waited.
Vincent looked down at Adrian’s hand.
“No. That isn’t fair.”
“What’s fair?”
“He wanted proof before accusing anyone.”
“Did he have proof?”
“He had discrepancies.”
“What kind?”
“Vendor payments, consulting fees, duplicate invoices. I didn’t see the full file.”
“Why?”
Vincent’s mouth tightened.
“Because I was late.”
Brooks looked at him.
“To dinner?”
“To a meeting before dinner.”
“How late?”
“Forty-three minutes.”
“Why?”
“A financing call ran long.”
“Couldn’t reschedule?”
“I chose not to.”
Brooks let the silence sit.
Vincent did not need her help feeling what it meant.
Adrian had asked him to come early.
Not casually.
Come at six. I found something. Don’t send Marcus.
Vincent had read the message during another call.
He had replied with a thumbs-up.
Then he had sent Marcus ahead with documents Adrian needed.
A stupidly ordinary decision.
The sort people made every day without consequence.
Brooks asked, “Why did your brother say not to send Marcus?”
Vincent looked at her sharply.
“I didn’t tell you that.”
“No. Your face did something when I said his name.”
Vincent almost smiled.
He did not.
“Adrian texted me not to send Marcus.”
“But you did.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I assumed he was irritated with him.”
“About?”
“Adrian was irritated with everybody.”
Brooks’s gaze stayed on him.
Vincent leaned back.
“Marcus handled the subsidiary’s operations for me.”
Now Brooks understood.
“When did he begin doing that?”
“Two years ago.”
“Access to financial records?”
“Yes.”
“Payments?”
“Some approvals.”
“Vendor selection?”
“Yes.”
“Could your brother’s concerns have involved Marcus?”
Vincent did not answer.
His phone buzzed.
A message from the hospital liaison.
Another from his chief financial officer.
Six from people who had already heard Adrian collapsed at Bellamy House.
One from Marcus.
I would never hurt either of you. Call me before this becomes irreversible.
Vincent turned the phone facedown.
Brooks saw the message preview before he did.
“Don’t delete that.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“Don’t respond.”
Vincent looked at his brother.
“What if I want him to keep talking?”
“Then let us handle it.”
“I’m not accustomed to letting other people handle things.”
“I noticed.”
Vincent finally looked at her.
Brooks shrugged.
“You brought two private security guards to dinner.”
“They were for Adrian.”
“Why?”
“He’d received threats.”
Brooks’s pen paused.
“What threats?”
“Anonymous emails.”
“How long?”
“Three weeks.”
“About what?”
“Nothing specific.”
“Did he report them?”
“No.”
“Did you?”
“He wouldn’t let me.”
Brooks looked at the unconscious man.
“I’m beginning to see your family problem.”
Vincent said nothing.
“He wanted proof before action,” she said. “You wanted action before proof.”
“Yes.”
“And tonight you ignored his request, sent Marcus to the meeting, and arrived late.”
Vincent looked at her.
“Is this the part where you tell me guilt isn’t evidence?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“I was going to tell you guilt makes people easy to manipulate.”
His eyes narrowed.
“If someone did this, they may know you’re blaming yourself.”
Vincent’s voice lowered.
“I am not blaming myself.”
Adrian’s ventilator cycled.
Brooks closed her notebook.
“Of course not.”
She left before he could answer.
At three seventeen in the morning, the preliminary screening from the decanter showed the presence of a substance that should not have been in bourbon.
Nobody called it poison yet.
The crime laboratory would need confirmatory testing.
Brooks nevertheless sent officers to find Marcus Reed.
He was not at his apartment.
His phone was turned off.
By sunrise, every person who had been uncertain became certain for exactly the wrong reason.
Marcus had disappeared.
Vincent learned while standing in the hospital corridor holding coffee he had forgotten to drink.
Brooks called.
“He isn’t home.”
“Where is he?”
“If I knew, I wouldn’t be calling.”
“His company car has tracking.”
“Send us access.”
Vincent turned toward the window.
Morning traffic moved below.
“I can have my security team—”
“No.”
“They know his addresses.”
“So do we.”
“You don’t know all of them.”
“Then give them to us.”
Vincent gripped the paper cup.
“Detective.”
“Mr. Hale, this is the part where wealthy people make investigations worse because they believe resources and authority are the same thing.”
“I don’t need a lecture.”
“Then don’t create a reason for one.”
He nearly hung up.
Instead he said, “I’ll send the list.”
“Thank you.”
She paused.
“And Vincent?”
It was the first time she had used his first name.
“Yes.”
“Do not contact the child or her mother without talking to me.”
His expression hardened.
“Why would I?”
“Because Marcus knows they matter.”
Vincent stared through the glass.
“They need protection.”
“They need normalcy and informed choices. You sending armed men to their house at dawn may not feel like protection to them.”
He looked down at the city.
“What do you suggest?”
“I have patrol checking on the address Rachel provided. If the risk increases, I’ll tell her.”
“That’s inadequate.”
“It’s what I can justify right now.”
Vincent ended the call.
Then he did exactly what she told him not to do.
Not with armed men.
With money.
He called Thomas at Bellamy House and ordered the restaurant to give Rachel paid leave indefinitely.
Thomas called Rachel at seven twelve.
She was awake on Danielle’s couch with a blanket around her shoulders.
Emily still slept.
“Paid leave?”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“Mr. Hale said until this is resolved.”
Rachel stood and walked into the kitchen.
“No.”
Thomas was silent.
“What?”
“No.”
“Rachel.”
“I’m not taking money from him.”
“It’s payroll.”
“It’s his payroll right now.”
May you like
“He doesn’t own Bellamy.”
“He owns thirty percent.”
