Chapter 7 - Someone Else Was Watching
Police arrived within minutes.
The mansion dinner no longer mattered.
The board fight no longer felt like the biggest problem.
Someone had just threatened Emily.
Daniel stood beside her while detectives photographed the lobby.
“You’re coming home with me.”
Emily looked at him.
“No.”
“Emily.”
“No.”
“Someone threatened you.”
“And your house is supposed to make me safe?”
Daniel flinched.
“You know what I mean.”
“I’ll stay somewhere secure.”
“With who?”
“Michael arranged it.”
Daniel looked toward Michael.
His jaw tightened.
Emily noticed.
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Turn this into jealousy.”
“I’m not jealous.”
“You look jealous.”
“I look terrified.”
That stopped her.
For a second, the anger between them disappeared.
Daniel lowered his voice.
“Someone fired something through a window three feet from you.”
Emily looked away.
“Then help find out who.”
Detective Lena Brooks approached.
“We checked the street cameras.”
Daniel turned.
“And?”
“The SUV had stolen plates.”
“Driver?”
“Covered.”
Emily asked, “Did they follow me here?”
“We don’t know.”
The detective glanced toward Patricia.
“But I’d like everyone’s phones.”
Patricia exploded.
“Absolutely not.”
Lena looked at her.
“You can provide it voluntarily, or we can discuss other options.”
“This family has attorneys.”
“I’m sure it does.”
Ryan nearly smiled.
Patricia glared at him.
Two hours later, Michael opened the USB on an isolated laptop.
Emily, Daniel, Ryan, and Claire watched.
Patricia refused to stay.
She left with her attorney.
The first folders contained years of financial records.
Northbridge transfers.
Private trusts.
Real estate purchases.
Then Ryan found another folder.
“Who is S. Mercer?”
Daniel shook his head.
Emily leaned closer.
Files showed regular payments from Patricia’s accounts to Mercer Consulting.
$20,000.
$35,000.
$60,000.
Over six years.
Claire whispered, “Mom had another consultant?”
Emily opened an invoice.
PRIVATE RISK MANAGEMENT.
Daniel frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Michael opened another document.
It was an email.
From Patricia.
To Samuel Mercer.
ARTHUR IS ASKING QUESTIONS AGAIN. MAKE SURE THE RELEVANT FILES AREN’T ACCESSIBLE.
Daniel’s face changed.
“Dad.”
Emily read the next message.
HE WANTS TO BRING EMILY INTO THE REVIEW. THAT CANNOT HAPPEN.
Ryan stared at her.
“She was afraid of you before Dad died.”
Emily felt cold.
Another email.
IF ARTHUR MOVES FORWARD WITH REMOVING ME, I NEED AN ALTERNATIVE.
Claire covered her mouth.
“Alternative?”
Michael scrolled.
The next files were encrypted.
He frowned.
“These will take time.”
Daniel stood abruptly.
“Who is Samuel Mercer?”
Michael searched corporate databases.
Then stopped.
“Well?”
Michael turned the screen.
Samuel Mercer.
Former corporate security specialist.
Former private investigator.
Current location unknown.
Daniel read the employment history.
Then his eyes caught on one line.
His entire body went still.
“What?”
Emily leaned over.
Samuel Mercer had worked for Whitmore Development.
Twenty-three years earlier.
Director of Executive Security.
Daniel whispered, “I remember him.”
Ryan looked over.
“You do?”
“He used to come to the house.”
Claire went pale.
“He drove Dad sometimes.”
Emily looked at Daniel.
“When did he leave?”
Daniel stared at the screen.
“Right after Dad’s car accident.”
Emily froze.
Arthur Whitmore had survived that crash.
But he had never fully recovered.
His health declined afterward.
Seven months later, he died following complications from surgery.
Daniel slowly sat down.
“No.”
Emily felt her pulse hammering.
Ryan whispered, “You think the accident wasn’t an accident?”
Nobody answered.
Michael clicked one final unencrypted file.
A photograph appeared.
Arthur Whitmore standing beside his damaged car.
The image had been taken the morning after the crash.
On the back of the digital scan was a handwritten note.
Emily read it aloud.
“Brake line cut. P says keep quiet.”
Daniel stared at the screen.
Then Claire began crying.
May you like
Because she recognized the handwriting.
It belonged to their father.
