Chapter 9 - CATHERINE LEFT A LETTER FOR DESMOND
Catherine Gallagher had been the gentlest person in the family.
According to Desmond.
Which Sadi had learned meant very little inside families built on secrets.
She married Patrick at twenty-six.
Ran charitable programs.
Avoided business.
Died from ovarian cancer at thirty-eight.
Desmond had loved her like a sister.
Now Luis claimed she paid him to install a dormant AEGIS module in Patrick’s vehicle.
Not activate it.
Install it.
Why?
They searched Catherine’s estate files.
Patrick controlled most.
But Catherine had maintained a private attorney.
Ellen Walsh.
Still practicing.
When Desmond called, Ellen said:
“I wondered when you’d finally ask.”
That sentence irritated him instantly.
Sadi almost laughed.
They met in her office.
Ellen produced a sealed letter.
TO DESMOND — IF PATRICK EVER TRIES TO BUY MERIDIAN.
The room went silent.
Catherine predicted the acquisition.
Five years earlier.
Desmond opened it.
Her handwriting began:
Des,
If Patrick is trying to buy Meridian, then he finally decided Dad’s mistake could make him rich.
She called Seamus “Dad” after marriage.
Catherine had discovered Project AEGIS through Patrick.
Patrick believed Gallagher Holdings should revive the technology.
Seamus refused before his death.
Too dangerous.
Too much liability.
Patrick disagreed.
He had quietly negotiated with Meridian.
Catherine found the contracts.
Then found something worse.
Patrick planned to use his minority licensing interest as collateral for a private investment vehicle.
If the deal failed, outsiders could claim part of Gallagher technology.
Catherine tried to stop him.
He dismissed her.
Then she did something extreme.
She asked Luis to install an old AEGIS module in Patrick’s vehicle.
Not as weapon.
As proof.
She wanted to demonstrate the system remained hackable.
Luis would remotely disable Patrick’s car during a private test, then Catherine would confront him with the security flaw.
But cancer advanced.
She never conducted the test.
She died.
Luis left the dormant module installed.
Years passed.
Someone else found it.
Someone activated it.
Desmond read the final paragraph.
Patrick is not evil.
He is terrified of being second to you.
Do not mistake insecurity for harmlessness.
Desmond looked away.
Then another line:
And do not trust Alan Mercer with any medical decision involving corporate control.
Sadi stared.
Mercer again.
Why?
Catherine had once caught Patrick asking Mercer whether long-term neurological impairment could trigger emergency control clauses in the family trust.
Five years before Desmond was injured.
No bombing yet.
No paralysis.
Patrick had already been studying incapacity.
Desmond’s expression became glacial.
Then Ellen said:
“There’s another document.”
Catherine created a private insurance and whistleblower packet.
If Patrick ever attempted to revive AEGIS without independent safety review, all licensing rights assigned to his branch would suspend.
Who became temporary rights holder?
Desmond.
Unless Desmond was medically incapacitated.
Then rights transferred to a neutral trustee.
Not Patrick.
Patrick’s entire plan depended on a forged capacity structure that did not even give him what he thought.
Sadi whispered:
“So somebody lied to Patrick too.”
Exactly.
Who convinced him incapacity would give him full control?
Dr. Mercer?
Nicholas?
Someone at Meridian?
Then Ellen turned the final page.
Advisor listed on Patrick’s proposed control structure:
MALCOLM REEVE.
Sadi knew that name.
Everyone in the estate did.
Malcolm Reeve was Desmond’s longtime consigliere.
May you like
The man currently running the criminal side of the Gallagher organization while Desmond recovered.
And he had been almost completely absent from every investigation so far.
