Chapter 7 - PAIGE’S MOTHER
Paige did not panic.
Not immediately.
She became very still.
Then called her mother.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
Her hands started shaking.
Gabriel reached toward the phone.
Stopped before touching.
“May I?”
She handed it to him.
He gave Nico one instruction.
“Local police. Welfare check. Now.”
Not Moretti men.
Police.
Good.
Then Paige’s mother called back.
“Paige? I was in the shower.”
Paige nearly collapsed.
“You’re okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Lock the doors.”
“What?”
“Mom, please.”
Something in Paige’s voice worked.
Her mother locked them.
Police arrived four minutes later because Gabriel’s team had already contacted the local department.
They found no intruder.
But a man had been sitting in a parked car down the block.
He drove away when patrol arrived.
License plate stolen.
Threat credible.
Paige sat.
“Buster?”
Her mother, confused:
“He’s barking at the police.”
Good.
Alive.
Annoying.
Normal.
Gabriel told her mother only that Paige was involved in a corporate fraud investigation and someone might try to intimidate witnesses.
No mafia explanation.
Yet.
After the call, Paige turned on him.
“This is because of your company.”
“Yes.”
No defense.
“Because of Vale.”
“Yes.”
“And because you noticed me.”
Gabriel’s face changed.
“Yes.”
She hated the honesty.
Then:
“I want my mother moved somewhere safe.”
“We can arrange—”
She held up a hand.
“With her consent.”
He nodded.
“Of course.”
Her mother agreed to spend a few days with Paige’s aunt after police recommendation.
Buster went too.
One problem reduced.
Then Gabriel said:
“You should leave Manhattan.”
Paige stared.
“No.”
His eyes hardened.
“Paige.”
“No.”
“You’re being targeted.”
“So are your records.”
“That is not comparable.”
“My name is on those records.”
Silence.
She continued:
“If I disappear now, Vale gets exactly what he wants. It looks like I ran.”
Gabriel hated it.
But he understood.
“Then you stay somewhere secure.”
“I’ll choose the hotel.”
He almost argued.
Stopped.
“Fine.”
Another improvement.
Then IT recovered part of the HONEY file from a cached server.
It contained planned pressure points.
MOTHER — OHIO
DOG — GOLDEN RETRIEVER
DEBT — RUSK
EMPLOYMENT TERMINATION
CRIMINAL ATTRIBUTION
Paige’s stomach turned.
Vale planned to destroy her through everything she loved or feared.
Then one section:
KEVIN RETURN — USE IF NECESSARY.
Paige looked at Kevin.
He looked away.
“What does that mean?”
Kevin swallowed.
“Vale wanted me to convince you to run.”
“When?”
“If Gabriel discovered Northstar.”
“Where?”
“Canada.”
“Why?”
“He said if you crossed the border with cash, it would look like guilt.”
Paige stared.
“And you agreed?”
“No.”
“Eventually.”
He closed his eyes.
“I came back because I was supposed to call you tonight.”
“To lure me away.”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
Kevin looked at her.
“Because I saw you through the lobby glass.”
“What?”
“This morning.”
He had seen Paige rushing into work.
Cheap coat.
Coffee.
Exhausted.
Still paying his debt.
Something broke in him.
“I couldn’t do it.”
Paige’s anger remained.
But something changed around its edges.
Not forgiveness.
Context.
Then Kevin admitted why Vale drugged him.
Kevin told Vale he was done.
He stole the backup drive and planned to give it to Paige.
Vale intercepted him.
Then Paige asked:
“Why not go to police?”
Kevin laughed bitterly.
“Because I was guilty too.”
Fair.
He had created companies.
Forged documents.
Moved money.
He would face consequences.
Gabriel did not promise otherwise.
Then Nico entered.
“Rusk is in custody.”
Local police stopped him after discovering forged plates and an outstanding warrant unrelated to Paige.
Convenient.
Rusk had a laptop.
On it:
A spreadsheet titled WINSLOW PAYMENTS.
Every dollar Paige paid recorded.
Recipient split:
40% Rusk.
60% M. Vale discretionary.
Paige stared.
Martin Vale personally profited from the fake debt he used to control her.
Then the final column caught her eye.
STATUS:
ACTIVE UNTIL P.W. SIGNS RELEASE.
“What release?”
Nico opened another file.
A document Paige had never seen.
It assigned all rights in Northstar Freight Consulting to Martin Vale.
Her forged signature was already inserted.
Only notarization remained.
Vale did not merely want Paige frightened.
May you like
He planned to make her legally transfer the shell company to him before disappearing.
And if she refused, he had her mother’s address.
