Chapter 7 - REBECCA COLE
Sarah Bell had been sitting fifteen feet from Arthur three days earlier.
He remembered her now.
Dark hair instead of blond.
Glasses.
Older.
Quieter.
During the merger meeting, she had asked only two questions.
Both concerned legacy vendor payments.
Arthur hadn't thought anything of it.
Now those questions looked like flares in the dark.
He called the number from the consulting agreement.
Disconnected.
Her hotel room was empty.
No luggage.
No computer.
Nothing.
Arthur drove to Garrison North's office with Daniel.
The merger counsel looked irritated until Arthur showed him Claire's letter.
Then he stopped talking.
Rebecca Cole had been recommended by an outside accounting firm.
Her credentials checked out.
Except most had been fabricated.
“How did she get onto the merger team?”
Arthur asked.
The counsel frowned.
“Your CFO approved her.”
Arthur stared.
“Owen?”
“Yes.”
That made no sense.
If Sarah had spent six years hiding from people connected to Vance Meridian, why would Owen Mercer voluntarily bring her back?
Unless he didn't know who she was.
Or unless he knew exactly.
Arthur drove straight to headquarters.
Owen had served Vance Meridian for twenty-four years.
He had attended Arthur's wedding to Claire.
He had carried Claire's coffin.
He was godfather to Lucas.
Arthur found him in his office.
Owen looked exhausted.
Gray hair disheveled.
Tie loose.
“Arthur.”
“Why did you hire Rebecca Cole?”
Owen's face went blank.
“Who?”
“Don't.”
Arthur shut the door.
“Sarah Bell.”
Owen sat very still.
Then slowly removed his glasses.
“Where did you hear that name?”
“Claire.”
Owen's eyes changed.
Daniel stepped forward.
“She left records.”
Owen leaned back.
For a long time, he said nothing.
Arthur felt sick.
“You knew.”
Owen looked at him.
“I knew Sarah was alive.”
“For how long?”
“Six years.”
Arthur's fists tightened.
“You let me believe she disappeared.”
“She asked me to.”
“Why?”
Owen's voice was barely audible.
“Because your father wanted her found.”
Arthur stopped.
“My father.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Owen stood and walked to the window.
“Richard discovered Sarah was investigating unauthorized payments.”
“Did he make them?”
“No.”
“Then why was he afraid?”
“Because he knew who did.”
Arthur waited.
Owen turned around.
“Your brother.”
Arthur stared.
“I don't have a brother.”
Owen's face tightened.
“Yes, Arthur.”
Daniel slowly sat.
Arthur didn't.
“What are you talking about?”
“Before your father married your mother, he had another son.”
Arthur laughed once.
Not because it was funny.
Because the alternative was impossible.
“You expect me to believe I have a secret brother?”
“Half brother.”
“Name.”
“Jonathan Vale.”
Arthur's brain stopped on the surname.
Vale.
Close to Hale.
Victor Hale.
“No.”
Owen nodded.
“Victor changed his surname after prison.”
Arthur stared.
“Victor is my father's son?”
“Yes.”
Everything shifted.
Victor wasn't simply Elena's former business partner.
He was Arthur's half brother.
The son Richard Vance had hidden.
Owen continued.
“Richard supported Victor privately for years.”
“Why wasn't I told?”
“Your mother knew.”
Arthur felt another blow.
“She knew?”
“She insisted Victor remain outside the family.”
“Why?”
“Because Richard had an affair with Victor's mother during their engagement.”
Arthur sat down.
He suddenly felt twenty years younger.
Small.
Excluded from decisions made by dead people.
“What does this have to do with the company fraud?”
Owen looked ashamed.
“Victor believed part of Vance Meridian should have been his.”
“So he stole it?”
“At first, Richard gave him money.”
“How much?”
“I don't know.”
“Don't lie to me.”
“I don't know.”
Owen's voice rose.
“That was the problem.”
He lowered it again.
“Richard used company vendors to transfer money secretly.”
Arthur stared.
“The shell companies.”
“Yes.”
“So Claire thought someone was stealing.”
“Technically, they were.”
“Forty-three million dollars?”
“Not all of that went to Victor.”
“Where did the rest go?”
Owen looked toward Daniel.
“After Victor discovered how the system worked, he began creating vendors himself.”
Arthur felt rage rise.
“And my father?”
“He found out.”
“What did he do?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“He was terrified Victor would expose the original payments.”
Arthur stood abruptly.
“So my father covered up fraud to hide an affair.”
“Yes.”
Arthur laughed bitterly.
“And Claire found it.”
“Yes.”
“Did my father kill her?”
Owen looked horrified.
“No.”
“Did Victor?”
“I don't know.”
“Harold?”
“I don't know.”
Arthur grabbed the back of a chair.
“Then tell me what you do know.”
Owen swallowed.
“Claire came to me the week before she died.”
Arthur froze.
“She showed me Sarah's findings.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“She asked me not to.”
“Why?”
“Because she didn't know who to trust.”
Arthur looked away.
“She didn't trust me.”
“She loved you.”
Owen's voice softened.
“She was trying to protect you.”
Arthur's jaw tightened.
“By keeping me ignorant?”
“By making sure whoever was involved couldn't destroy you along with the company.”
Daniel spoke.
“Why did Sarah disappear?”
“Because someone broke into her apartment and left a photograph of her daughter on the kitchen table.”
Arthur stared.
“She had a child?”
“Five years old.”
“Who threatened her?”
“We never proved it.”
“But you suspected Victor.”
“Yes.”
Arthur paced.
“And now Sarah came back.”
“She contacted me three months ago.”
“Why?”
“Because she saw Victor's name attached to a vendor in the merger disclosures.”
Arthur stopped.
“What vendor?”
“Bellweather Strategic Partners.”
The account that received Lucas's stolen money.
Owen continued.
“Sarah realized he had restarted the old network.”
“So you brought her in under an alias.”
“Yes.”
“To investigate quietly.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
Owen looked miserable.
“Because she wouldn't agree otherwise.”
Arthur stared at the man he had trusted for most of his adult life.
“Everyone keeps deciding what I shouldn't know.”
Owen said nothing.
Arthur stepped toward him.
“Where is Sarah?”
“I don't know.”
Daniel shook his head.
“She contacted Margaret after disappearing from the hotel.”
Owen looked surprised.
Arthur watched carefully.
Real surprise.
Maybe.
Then Owen's phone rang.
He glanced at it.
Ignored it.
Arthur's eyes narrowed.
“Who?”
“Nobody.”
“Answer.”
“Arthur.”
“Answer the phone.”
Owen did.
“Hello?”
Silence.
His face drained of color.
He put the call on speaker.
Victor Hale's voice filled the room.
“Hello, Uncle Owen.”
Arthur stared.
Owen closed his eyes.
Victor laughed.
“Oh, Arthur's there too.”
Arthur stepped closer.
“Where is Sarah?”
“Safe.”
“If you touch her—”
“You really do sound like Dad when you're angry.”
Arthur gripped the desk.
“What do you want?”
“What I was owed thirty years ago.”
“You stole from my son.”
“No.”
Victor's voice hardened.
“I took from the Vance family.”
“Lucas is eight.”
“And already owns more of the company than I ever will.”
“That isn't his fault.”
“No.”
Victor paused.
“It's yours.”
Arthur almost shouted.
Instead he said.
“Come say that to my face.”
“Soon.”
The line clicked.
Arthur looked at Owen.
“What did he mean by Uncle Owen?”
Owen did not answer.
Arthur's stomach dropped.
Daniel stood.
“Owen.”
Arthur stepped closer.
“What did he mean?”
Owen stared at the floor.
Finally, he whispered.
“Richard Vance wasn't Victor's only secret.”
Arthur felt the room go still.
Owen raised his eyes.
“My sister was Victor's mother.”
Arthur stared at him.
“You're his uncle.”
“Yes.”
“And you never told me.”
“No.”
“Did you help him steal the money?”
“No.”
Arthur moved closer.
“Did you help Claire?”
“Yes.”
“Did you help Sarah disappear?”
“Yes.”
“Did you hide evidence from police?”
Owen hesitated.
That was answer enough.
Arthur's voice became dangerously quiet.
“What did you hide?”
Owen opened a locked cabinet behind his desk.
From inside, he removed a plastic evidence bag.
The object inside was old.
Metal.
Rust stained.
Arthur stared.
“What is that?”
Owen placed it on the desk.
“A brake line.”
Arthur stopped breathing.
May you like
Owen looked at him.
“It came from Claire's car.”
