Chapter 5 - The Man Who Had Enemies Inside His Own House
Vivien and Marcus were arrested, but Raymond refused to celebrate.
“They’ll try to negotiate,” Frank warned.
Raymond sat inside his townhouse library, studying copies of the evidence.
Hazel stood near the fireplace.
“For what?”
“Lesser charges,” Frank said. “Information on other organizations.”
Raymond looked disgusted.
Hazel said, “As long as Rosa’s family gets the truth.”
Frank nodded.
“They will.”
A guard entered.
“Raymond, we have another problem.”
Raymond looked up.
“What?”
“Someone accessed your private accounts two hours ago.”
Frank frowned.
“From where?”
“Your house.”
Silence.
Hazel looked around.
“This house?”
The guard nodded.
Raymond stood.
“Lock the doors.”
Hazel stared at him.
“You have another traitor?”
Raymond looked toward Frank.
“We may have had more than one all along.”
The security team checked every room.
Twenty minutes later, they brought in Raymond’s longtime household accountant, Edmund Crane.
A thin man in his sixties.
Raymond looked stunned for the first time Hazel had ever seen.
“Edmund?”
The accountant lowered his eyes.
Frank placed a laptop on the desk.
“Someone transferred two million dollars from a holding company this morning.”
Edmund said nothing.
Raymond stepped closer.
“You handled my father’s accounts.”
“Yes.”
“You attended my wedding.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Vivien was moving money.”
Edmund finally looked up.
“Yes.”
Hazel watched Raymond carefully.
Betrayal from Vivien had angered him.
This hurt him.
“Why?” Raymond asked.
Edmund gave a tired laugh.
“Because your father made promises he never kept.”
“My father has been dead twelve years.”
“And you inherited everything.”
“So you helped my wife kill me?”
Edmund looked away.
“I was told nobody innocent would be harmed.”
Hazel snapped, “Rosa Delgado was innocent.”
Edmund flinched.
Raymond’s voice became colder.
“You knew the basement door would be sealed.”
“I didn’t know cleaners would still be inside.”
“You knew I would.”
Edmund said nothing.
Raymond stared at him.
Then he turned toward his guards.
“Call the police.”
Everyone paused.
One guard said, “Raymond?”
“You heard me.”
Edmund looked surprised too.
“You’re turning me over?”
Raymond’s expression hardened.
“I spent years solving betrayal the way my father taught me.”
He looked briefly at Hazel.
“That method nearly burned me alive.”
Hazel understood what he was saying.
Something had changed.
The police took Edmund away.
Later that evening, Hazel found Raymond alone in the kitchen.
Not the library.
Not the office.
The kitchen.
He was trying to open a bottle of water with one bandaged hand.
Hazel took it from him.
“You run half the city, but plastic defeated you.”
“I was winning.”
“You were losing badly.”
She opened it and handed it back.
Raymond smiled.
“Thank you.”
Hazel sat across from him.
“What happens now?”
“To Edmund?”
“To you.”
He considered the question.
“I rebuild.”
“Your businesses?”
“My life.”
Hazel nodded.
“And preferably with fewer people trying to burn you alive.”
“That’s the goal.”
Silence settled between them.
Then Raymond said, “I owe you.”
“No.”
“You saved my life.”
“I know.”
“I can give you money.”
“No.”
“A house.”
“No.”
“A job that doesn’t involve scrubbing floors.”
Hazel narrowed her eyes.
“I actually liked my job.”
Raymond looked surprised.
“You liked cleaning?”
“I liked earning my own money.”
“That’s fair.”
“But Rosa was trying to expose financial crimes before she died.”
Raymond became quiet.
Hazel continued.
“Your companies employ thousands of people.”
“Yes.”
“Then maybe you need someone who notices things powerful people ignore.”
Raymond stared at her.
“What are you asking for?”
“A job.”
He almost smiled.
“You just refused one.”
“I refused charity.”
“What position?”
Hazel looked at the files scattered across the counter.
“Compliance.”
Raymond blinked.
“You have compliance experience?”
“I found your wife’s escape route, a barred basement door, a hidden witness, and an accountant stealing two million dollars.”
She leaned back.
“Seems like experience.”
Raymond laughed.
A real laugh this time.
It surprised both of them.
“All right.”
Hazel smiled.
“One condition.”
“I knew there would be one.”
“You don’t get to fire me for disagreeing with you.”
“I reserve the right to consider it.”
“No.”
Raymond held out his uninjured hand.
“Fine.”
She shook it.
“Welcome to Castellano Industries.”
Hazel looked at their joined hands.
“Sounds dangerous.”
Raymond smiled.
May you like
“Less dangerous than your old job.”
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