Chapter 3 - The Ghost’s First Move
At 9:00 Monday morning, Richard Cole entered his office and discovered Daniel Walker sitting behind his desk.
Cole froze.
“Who the hell are you?”
“Lily Walker’s father.”
Recognition appeared immediately.
Cole closed the door.
“You need to leave.”
Daniel remained seated.
“Your son attacked my daughter.”
“My son was home.”
“No, he wasn’t.”
“You have proof?”
“Yes.”
Cole’s confidence faltered.
Daniel placed a folder on the desk.
Cole didn’t touch it.
“What is that?”
“Seventeen municipal construction contracts awarded to your company during the last six years.”
“So?”
“Fourteen contain unexplained cost increases.”
Cole stared at him.
“Are you threatening me?”
“No.”
Daniel stood.
“I’m explaining why you should stop protecting Ethan.”
“You think you can walk into my office and intimidate me?”
Daniel approached him.
“I spent nineteen years trying to become the kind of man who never needed to intimidate anyone.”
Cole laughed nervously.
“What does that even mean?”
“It means you're fortunate you met me now.”
Daniel walked toward the door.
Cole called after him.
“Who are you?”
Daniel stopped.
“Ask your father.”
Two hours later, Richard Cole did.
His eighty-two-year-old father dropped his coffee cup.
“Daniel Walker?”
“Yes.”
“Dark hair? About fifty?”
“Yes.”
The old man went pale.
“Call Ethan.”
“Why?”
“Call your son right now.”
Richard frowned.
“Dad—”
“RIGHT NOW!”
At the state capitol, Senator Margaret Hale received a similar visitor.
Vincent sat across from her.
She studied him.
“I know you.”
“You knew me.”
“You worked for—”
“Don't say the name.”
Margaret went silent.
Vincent placed a photograph of Lily on her desk.
“Your son helped do this.”
Margaret looked away.
“Brandon told me she fell.”
“Your son lied.”
“You have evidence?”
“We do.”
Her face changed.
Vincent stood.
“Mr. Walker is offering every family one opportunity.”
“For what?”
“To tell the truth.”
“And if we don't?”
Vincent buttoned his jacket.
“He tells it without you.”
That evening, all three boys met again.
This time nobody laughed.
“My grandfather knows Walker,” Ethan said.
Tyler frowned.
“So?”
“He’s terrified.”
Brandon paced.
“My mother got visited too.”
“By Walker?”
“Some old guy.”
Tyler scoffed.
“We're freaking out over a middle-aged importer?”
Ethan slammed his fist onto the table.
“My grandfather called him The Ghost.”
Silence.
Brandon stared at him.
“That’s not funny.”
“I’m not joking.”
Tyler shook his head.
“The Ghost was a myth.”
“No,” Ethan said.
“My grandfather says he controlled half the East Coast.”
Brandon went pale.
“He’s Lily’s father?”
“Yes.”
Tyler stood.
“Then we leave.”
“Where?”
“Anywhere.”
Before anyone moved, every phone on the table buzzed.
One message.
WESTBRIDGE UNIVERSITY — EMERGENCY BOARD MEETING TOMORROW, 9 A.M.
Then Ethan received another.
Unknown number.
May you like
Bring the truth. Your money can stay home.
---
