Chapter 4 - The Betrayal Inside the House
My estate employed forty-three people.
By sunset, I trusted four.
Mara sat at the kitchen island wearing one of Margaret’s oversized cardigans, drinking tea while Elias spread personnel files across the counter.
“No one leaves until we know who photographed her,” I said.
Mara lowered the cup.
“That’s forty-three suspects.”
“Forty-two.”
“Who did you eliminate?”
“Margaret.”
From the stove, Margaret said, “Smart boy.”
Mara almost smiled.
Elias pointed toward the photograph.
“Angle came from the second-floor east hallway.”
“Cameras?”
“Temporarily offline.”
Mara looked at him.
“How convenient.”
“Exactly.”
Daniel entered.
“I checked maintenance logs. Camera shutdown was authorized by building systems manager Peter Shaw.”
“Bring him in,” I said.
“He disappeared this morning.”
Mara sighed.
“Victor.”
“Probably.”
Daniel dropped another folder onto the counter.
“There’s something else.”
He looked at Mara.
“You were right about the employee fund.”
“I know.”
“No. You found three million.”
Daniel opened the folder.
“I found another eight.”
Mara stared.
“Eight million?”
“Diverted through retirement accounts.”
My jaw tightened.
“Victor stole from people who worked for me.”
Mara corrected me quietly.
“People who trusted you.”
That hurt because it was true.
Before I could answer, Margaret’s phone rang.
She picked it up.
“Vale residence.”
Her expression changed.
“One moment.”
She covered the receiver.
“Dominic. A man says he has information about Victor.”
“Name?”
“He won’t give one.”
I took the phone.
“Talk.”
A distorted voice answered.
“Your lieutenant will trade the missing shipment tonight.”
“Where?”
“Pier Thirty-One.”
“What does he want?”
“You dead.”
“Unoriginal.”
The man laughed.
“Bring Mara Ellis.”
My grip tightened.
“Why?”
“She has the ledger.”
“She doesn’t.”
“She knows where it is.”
Mara had gone completely still.
I said, “You have the wrong information.”
“No, Mr. Vale.”
The voice lost its amusement.
“We know she made another copy.”
The line went dead.
Everyone looked at Mara.
I asked, “Did you?”
She remained silent.
“Mara.”
“Yes.”
I closed my eyes.
“Where?”
“Safe deposit box.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because until yesterday, I wasn’t sure you would choose the truth over Victor.”
That landed hard.
“Fair.”
Elias asked, “Which bank?”
“I’m not telling anyone.”
“Mara,” I said.
She stood.
“No. Think about it. Victor believes the ledger exists. That’s leverage.”
“You are not using yourself as bait.”
“I didn’t say myself.”
“No.”
“You haven’t even heard the plan.”
“Still no.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“Dominic, you don’t get to become overprotective because guilt finally caught up with you.”
The room went silent.
Margaret slowly left.
Daniel followed.
Elias muttered, “I’ll check the perimeter.”
Cowards, all of them.
Mara folded her arms.
“You promised to do this legally.”
“I promised not to retaliate.”
“So keep it.”
“He threatened you.”
“And if you go storming into that pier, Victor gets exactly what he wants.”
I stared at her.
“What are you suggesting?”
“We give Agent Benton the meeting.”
I hated the idea immediately.
Mara continued.
“She has federal agents. Let them watch the pier.”
“And Victor walks away when he sees them.”
“Not if he believes I’m bringing the ledger.”
“No.”
“I can wear a wire.”
“No.”
“Dominic.”
“No.”
She stepped closer.
“What if this is the only chance?”
“There will be another.”
“What if there isn’t?”
“I said no.”
“And I’m not one of your soldiers.”
“I know.”
“Then stop giving me orders.”
“I’m trying to keep you alive!”
My voice filled the kitchen.
Mara flinched.
I regretted it immediately.
She looked at me for a long moment.
Then said quietly, “Yesterday you didn’t care when I walked out crying. Today you won’t let me walk out a door.”
I had no defense.
So I stopped trying.
“I cared yesterday.”
“Then why did you do it?”
“Because I assumed you would always come back.”
Silence.
“That was arrogant,” I said. “And cruel.”
Mara’s eyes softened slightly.
“I won’t make that assumption again.”
She sat.
I sat opposite her.
“Tell me the plan.”
Three hours later, Agent Benton was in my library.
She was in her forties, expressionless, and unimpressed by everything I owned.
“You understand,” she said, “cooperating tonight does not erase anything my office may be investigating about your organization.”
“I’m not asking it to.”
“Good.”
Mara entered.
Benton looked at her.
“You’re certain?”
“Yes.”
I said, “I’m not.”
Nobody asked me.
Benton placed a small transmitter on the table.
“Mara goes to the pier with a copy of the ledger.”
“A fake copy,” I said.
“A partial copy,” Mara corrected.
“Agents will be in position,” Benton continued. “Dominic stays away.”
“No.”
Benton looked at me.
“That wasn’t negotiable.”
“Then the meeting is off.”
Mara touched my arm.
“Dominic.”
I looked down at her hand.
“I’m not sitting at home while you meet Victor.”
“You’ll be nearby.”
“How nearby?”
Benton sighed.
“Two blocks.”
“One.”
“Two.”
“One.”
Mara said, “One and a half.”
Benton and I looked at her.
She shrugged.
“Apparently I’m negotiating with children.”
Despite myself, I smiled.
Then Elias rushed into the room.
“Boss.”
“What?”
“We found Peter Shaw.”
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“Outside Milwaukee.”
“Bring him to Benton.”
Elias hesitated.
“He says he’ll talk only to you.”
“Why?”
“Because according to him, Victor isn’t the one who ordered Mara watched.”
Mara’s face changed.
I asked, “Who did?”
Elias looked directly at her.
May you like
“He says the order came from someone at the Vale Foundation.”
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