Chapter 7 - THE WOMAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Arthur's investigation uncovered another surprise.
A former administrative assistant named Evelyn Mercer had worked for Dominic Costello.
She had managed confidential records.
Handled private correspondence.
And maintained access to several company properties.
Evelyn had disappeared from the organization shortly after the Halsted Street fire.
Now she lived quietly in Wisconsin.
Arthur arranged for an attorney to contact her.
Evelyn agreed to speak.
She described a dispute between Dominic and several business partners over a redevelopment project.
The Halsted Street warehouse occupied valuable land.
Demolishing it would have been expensive.
A fire would have made redevelopment easier.
Samuel Hayes had discovered unauthorized changes to the building's electrical system.
He threatened to report them.
Evelyn believed someone had deliberately caused the fire.
But she had never known who gave the order.
Then she revealed something else.
Dominic had planned to change his will shortly before his death.
He feared someone inside the organization was betraying him.
And he had begun collecting evidence.
Arthur stared.
“Where is it?”
Evelyn hesitated.
“Your father hid it.”
“Where?”
May you like
She looked at him.
“In the one place nobody would think to search.”
