Chapter 10 - The Man Beside Mercer
Police detained Samuel Mercer before he left the terminal.
The second passenger shocked everyone.
Charles Benton.
The Whitmore board member who had voted against Daniel’s suspension.
Emily stared at the photograph Detective Brooks showed her.
“I knew Charles was close to Patricia.”
Daniel shook his head.
“Not this close.”
Mercer refused to speak.
Charles didn’t.
Within three hours, he asked for an attorney and began negotiating.
Patricia sat inside an interview room across town.
Emily waited outside with Daniel.
“You don’t have to stay,” he said.
“I know.”
“Then why are you?”
Emily looked through the glass.
“Because whatever she did affected Arthur.”
Daniel nodded.
A long silence passed.
Then he said, “And me?”
Emily turned.
“What?”
“Whatever happens between us.”
He swallowed.
“Is there anything left?”
Emily looked tired.
“This isn’t the night for that.”
“That means no.”
“It means I don’t know.”
Daniel nodded slowly.
Strangely, he looked relieved.
Not because she forgave him.
Because “I don’t know” was more than he deserved.
Detective Brooks entered.
“Charles Benton made a statement.”
Daniel stood.
“What did he say?”
“Patricia and Mercer had been moving money for years.”
Emily asked, “Why?”
“Originally? To cover investment losses.”
“And later?”
Lena looked at Daniel.
“To maintain control.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“Dad’s accident?”
“No confession.”
“But?”
“Benton says Mercer was paid seventy-five thousand dollars four days before the crash.”
Emily felt cold.
“For what?”
“He claims he didn’t know.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“Of course.”
Lena continued.
“There’s something else.”
She opened a folder.
“Last week’s nine-million-dollar transfer wasn’t Patricia.”
Daniel looked at her.
“Then who?”
“Benton.”
Emily frowned.
“How did he get Daniel’s credentials?”
Lena looked toward the hallway.
“Claire.”
Daniel stood.
“What?”
“Not knowingly.”
Lena raised a hand.
“Claire received an email that looked like it came from Daniel requesting access confirmation. She clicked a link.”
Claire covered her face.
“It was phishing.”
“Yes.”
Daniel sat beside her.
“Hey.”
“I gave them access.”
“You didn’t know.”
“Nine million dollars.”
“You didn’t know.”
Claire began crying.
Emily watched Daniel put his arm around his sister.
For years, she had wanted him to protect her that way.
The thought hurt more than she expected.
Michael entered carrying a folder.
“Emily.”
She looked up.
“We have a problem.”
“What?”
“The mansion.”
Daniel frowned.
“What about it?”
Michael hesitated.
“There’s a mortgage lien.”
Patricia immediately looked away.
Emily noticed.
“What lien?”
Michael handed her the papers.
A private lender had recorded a thirty-two-million-dollar loan against the Whitmore mansion four years earlier.
Daniel stared at the document.
“I never signed this.”
Michael pointed to the signature.
“Someone says you did.”
Daniel took the page.
“That isn’t my signature.”
Emily looked at Patricia.
Patricia said nothing.
Michael flipped to the guarantor page.
Emily’s name appeared.
She stared at it.
“That isn’t mine either.”
Michael nodded.
“I know.”
Daniel looked at his mother.
“You forged both our signatures?”
Patricia stood.
Her attorney grabbed her arm.
She pulled away.
“You think you understand everything?”
Daniel’s voice dropped.
“Tell me I’m wrong.”
“You’re all children.”
“Mom.”
“I did what had to be done.”
Emily stared at her.
“To save what?”
Patricia laughed.
It was almost hysterical now.
“The family!”
Michael spoke carefully.
“The lender issued a default notice this morning.”
Daniel turned.
“What does that mean?”
Michael looked at Emily.
“If the signatures are legally challenged, there will be litigation.”
“And if they aren’t?”
“The property can be foreclosed.”
Patricia went still.
Emily suddenly understood why Patricia had wanted the postnuptial agreement signed so badly.
Not just the company.
The mansion.
Emily looked at her.
“You were planning to make Daniel’s divorce settlement cover your debt.”
Patricia’s silence confirmed it.
Daniel whispered, “You were going to use me.”
Patricia finally snapped.
“I gave you everything!”
Daniel stared at her.
“No.”
His eyes filled with tears.
“You borrowed everything.”
Then Detective Brooks stepped forward.
“Patricia Whitmore.”
Patricia turned.
“You are under arrest on suspicion of financial fraud, forgery, obstruction, and conspiracy.”
Patricia’s face collapsed.
But before the detective could finish reading her rights, Patricia looked directly at Emily.
May you like
And smiled.
“You still don’t know about the baby.”
