Chapter 5 - THE SECURITY DIRECTOR'S SECRET
Merrick Doyle disappeared that evening.
His phone went unanswered.
His apartment was empty.
And his office at the Ferraro building had been cleared of personal belongings.
Casius stood in the doorway, looking at the bare shelves.
"He knew."
His deputy, Luca Marino, nodded.
"Looks that way."
Casius stared at the empty desk.
"Nineteen years."
Luca said nothing.
"Nineteen years, and he was lying to me."
Meanwhile, investigators examined the documents from Thomas Pierce's radio.
The storage device contained scanned invoices, internal correspondence, and recordings of several conversations.
One recording was especially troubling.
A man's voice said:
"Pierce needs to stop asking questions."
Another replied:
"Then make sure he does."
The second voice belonged to Edmund Ashford.
The first was harder to identify.
Delaney listened once.
Then asked for the recording to stop.
Her face was pale.
August Bellamy sat beside her.
"I'm sorry."
She looked at him.
"Don't apologize yet."
He frowned.
"Why?"
"Because I want to know why nobody listened to my father."
August lowered his eyes.
That night, Casius visited Delaney's apartment.
He arrived alone.
She opened the door but didn't invite him inside.
"What do you want?"
He held out a folder.
"Information about Merrick."
She took it.
Inside were employment records and photographs.
Delaney studied them.
Then frowned.
"Why are you giving this to me?"
"Because he knew your father."
She looked up.
"And?"
Casius hesitated.
"Because I think my family helped destroy yours."
Silence.
Delaney's expression tightened.
"Think?"
He swallowed.
"I don't know everything yet."
She nodded.
"Then find out."
He looked at her for a long moment.
Then said, "I will."
Before leaving, Casius glanced at her shoes.
The sole had separated further.
He almost offered to buy her a new pair.
Then stopped himself.
She didn't need another wealthy man turning her dignity into charity.
Instead, he asked, "Are you safe here?"
Delaney looked at him.
"I've lived here for seven years."
"That wasn't my question."
She considered him.
Then answered honestly.
"I don't know."
Casius nodded.
"I can arrange protection if you want it."
She hesitated.
Then said, "Through the police."
"Of course."
For the first time, Delaney saw something beyond the cold man who had watched her fall.
Not kindness.
Not yet.
But the beginning of accountability.
After he left, she opened the folder again.
One photograph showed Merrick outside a small suburban house.
The date was three months before her father's death.
Delaney stared at the house.
She knew it.
It was the place where her father had spent his final weeks.
Then she noticed something in the background.
A car.
A black sedan.
Its license plate was partially visible.
She enlarged the photograph.
The registration was traced to a company controlled by Edmund Ashford.
Delaney's heart began pounding.
May you like
Because she remembered that car.
It had been parked outside her father's house the night he died.
