Chapter 10 - The Federal File
She hadn’t actually told the FBI.
Not yet.
The next sentence explained why.
On the recording, Charles laughed.
“You haven’t told anyone.”
Lily answered, “Maybe not today.”
Then the audio ended.
It had been a bluff.
A brilliant, dangerous bluff.
But it told us exactly what Lily had been planning.
Daniel searched the metal box again.
At the bottom was a business card.
Special Agent Thomas Greene.
Federal Bureau of Investigation.
A meeting date was written on the back.
September 8.
The day after Lily died.
My stomach turned.
“She was meeting him the next morning.”
Alvarez nodded.
“And somebody knew.”
“How?”
“We’ll find out.”
The hard drive contained years of financial records.
Jason and Charles had created at least nine shell companies.
Fake equipment rentals.
Fake subcontractors.
Inflated invoices.
Millions moved in small pieces.
Lily had organized everything into folders.
She had even written explanations in plain English.
Start here.
Follow this payment.
Same address, different company.
She had built a roadmap.
My little sister had been terrified and still kept collecting evidence.
I sat on the nursery floor and cried.
Not quietly.
Not gracefully.
I cried until my chest hurt.
Daniel sat beside me.
“She was trying to protect people.”
“I was supposed to protect her.”
“You were her sister, Emily. Not her bodyguard.”
“I would’ve come.”
“I know.”
“That’s why she didn’t tell you.”
I looked at him.
That was the cruelest part.
He was right.
If Lily had called and said Jason threatened her, I would have driven straight over.
Maybe I would have saved her.
Maybe I would have died too.
We would never know.
At 3:17 in the morning, federal agents arrived.
By sunrise, Whitmore Construction’s headquarters was being searched.
The story exploded across local news.
Prominent businessman sought for questioning.
CFO missing after wife’s death.
Financial fraud investigation.
Possible homicide.
Rachel was placed under protective supervision after agreeing to cooperate.
Margaret remained silent.
Then Jason finally resurfaced.
At 8:42 a.m., he called me.
My phone showed UNKNOWN.
I answered because some part of me knew.
“Emily.”
His voice sounded tired.
I stood so quickly I knocked over my coffee.
“Where are you?”
“You’ve always been dramatic.”
I motioned to Alvarez.
She signaled for me to keep him talking.
“You killed my sister.”
He laughed softly.
“Did I?”
“I saw the video.”
“What video?”
“The hallway.”
Silence.
Then:
“That doesn’t show what you think it shows.”
“It shows you going after her.”
“It shows an argument.”
“And Lily going down the stairs.”
“You don’t see me push her.”
My heart pounded.
That was true.
The railing blocked the actual moment.
He knew it.
“You waited ten seconds before calling for help.”
“Shock.”
“You deleted the camera.”
“Privacy.”
“You forged her signature.”
“My wife gave me permission.”
“You stole her money.”
“Our money.”
“Grandma left it to Lily.”
He stopped responding.
Then I said, “Charles is running.”
His breathing changed.
Got you.
“You found the drive,” he said.
“Yes.”
“You have no idea what you’re dealing with.”
“I know you were scared of your pregnant wife.”
His voice hardened.
“Lily should have left things alone.”
Something inside me snapped.
“She was carrying your son.”
“Don’t.”
“Your son died too.”
“I said don’t.”
For the first time, Jason sounded emotional.
But it wasn’t grief.
It was rage.
Then he said something strange.
“You think Noah was mine?”
I froze.
“What?”
May you like
Jason laughed.
And hung up.
