Chapter 6 - THE MAN ARTHUR TRUSTED MOST
Vincent did not reach for his weapon.
That helped.
A little.
Arthur stared at him.
“You knew Elise?”
“No.”
“You worked for Richard.”
“When I was twenty-two.”
“You handled storage accounts.”
“Yes.”
Norah looked between them.
“How convenient.”
Vincent’s jaw tightened.
“I did not kill your mother.”
“I didn’t say you did.”
“You thought it.”
She didn’t deny it.
Arthur hated this.
Vincent had been beside him through everything.
His father’s death.
Catherine’s death.
Henry’s birth.
Wars.
Betrayals.
If Vincent was the traitor, Arthur’s entire understanding of loyalty was a lie.
Then Maya called Norah.
Her transplant team wanted an answer.
Norah stepped away.
Arthur used the moment.
“Tell me now if there is something I should know.”
Vincent looked genuinely angry.
“Yes.”
Arthur’s eyes narrowed.
“I destroyed records for Richard.”
Silence.
“What records?”
“Shipping manifests.”
“Why?”
“I was twenty-three. He told me they involved federal tax fraud.”
“You believed him?”
“I wanted to.”
Arthur almost hit him.
Instead, he asked, “Did Elise know you?”
“Yes.”
Norah turned.
She had heard.
Vincent continued.
“She confronted me once.”
“When?”
“Two weeks before she died.”
“What did she say?”
“That I was helping poison children.”
Vincent looked sick.
“That was when I checked the manifests myself.”
“And?”
“She was right.”
Arthur stared.
“What did you do?”
“I copied everything I could and sent it anonymously to your father.”
Norah whispered, “You helped her.”
“Too late.”
Vincent looked at the torn letter.
“I think Elise knew I switched sides.”
“Then why warn her daughter about someone Arthur trusted?”
“Because there was someone else.”
Arthur’s face hardened.
“Who?”
Vincent hesitated.
That was enough to make Arthur furious.
“Say it.”
“Catherine.”
Everything stopped.
Arthur’s voice dropped.
“My wife?”
Vincent nodded.
“Elise met Catherine.”
“When?”
“Three times.”
“You knew?”
“Afterward.”
Arthur took one step toward him.
“Why did my wife meet a bookkeeper investigating toxic dumping?”
“Because Catherine discovered payments through the Cole Foundation.”
The charitable foundation Arthur had placed in her name after their marriage.
His wife had unknowingly been used to move money.
Norah whispered, “She found out.”
“Yes.”
Vincent continued.
“And she went to Elise.”
Arthur felt ill.
Catherine had known.
She had been investigating his family while pregnant with Henry.
And she never told him.
Maybe because she didn’t trust him.
That hurt more than he expected.
Norah touched the recorder in the file cabinet.
“Maybe this tells us.”
They played the first tape.
Elise’s voice.
Then Catherine’s.
Arthur closed his eyes.
Five years since hearing it.
Catherine sounded nervous.
“If Richard knows I found the payments, he’ll move everything.”
Elise replied, “Then tell Arthur.”
“No.”
Arthur’s eyes opened.
Catherine continued.
“Arthur loves his family too much. He’ll confront Richard before we have proof.”
Norah glanced at him.
Catherine had understood him perfectly.
Then Elise asked:
“Who else knows?”
A long pause.
Catherine answered:
“Vincent.”
Arthur looked toward his security chief.
But Catherine continued.
“And my brother.”
Arthur froze.
Norah frowned.
“Your wife had a brother?”
Arthur stared at the recorder.
“Yes.”
A man he had not spoken to since Catherine’s funeral.
May you like
Dr. Julian Mercer.
The obstetric surgeon who had been inside the delivery room the night Catherine died.
