Chương 3 - THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
Charles Mercer entered the library like he belonged there.
That was the first thing I noticed.
No hesitation.
No admiration.
No pause at the paintings or shelves.
He knew the room.
Walter remained seated.
Nathan stood near the fireplace.
I was at the far end of the sofa holding coffee I no longer wanted.
Charles smiled at me.
“Ms. Ellis.”
“You know me?”
“Everyone does after Saturday.”
I hated that.
He turned to Walter.
“Sir.”
Walter’s expression cooled.
“You left early.”
Charles smiled.
“Family emergency.”
Nathan said:
“What family emergency?”
Charles looked at him.
“My son.”
“Which one?”
A beat too long.
“Evan.”
Nathan’s face gave nothing.
Mine probably did.
Bad liar.
Walter gestured.
“Sit.”
Charles did.
“I came because internal audit found something concerning.”
Nathan’s jaw tightened.
“You came to my father’s home instead of calling me?”
“It concerns him.”
Walter sighed.
“People always say that right before ruining my evening.”
Charles removed a folder.
Inside were copies of invoices.
Hawthorne Redevelopment LLC.
Seventeen million in consulting, design, community acquisition, and contractor-transition payments.
Several authorizations carried Walter’s digital approval.
Walter put on his glasses.
“I didn't sign these.”
Charles looked grave.
“That is why I’m here.”
Nathan stepped closer.
“Who validated them?”
“Your office.”
Silence.
Nathan’s expression changed.
“My office.”
“Yes.”
“Which person?”
“Digital credential logs show executive authorization.”
“That isn't a person.”
Charles hesitated.
“Your chief of staff’s token.”
Nathan’s face went still.
His chief of staff was Rachel Dane.
She had worked for him six years.
I had seen her at the gala.
Red hair.
Quiet.
Never left Nathan’s side.
“Rachel is on maternity leave.”
“Exactly.”
Nathan’s voice became dangerous.
“Her access was disabled three months ago.”
Charles looked uncomfortable.
“Apparently not fully.”
I watched Walter.
He wasn’t studying the documents anymore.
He was studying Charles.
Then Walter asked:
“How did you know Mara was here?”
Charles blinked.
“What?”
“You said everyone knew her after Saturday.”
“Yes.”
“That was not my question.”
Silence.
Walter repeated:
“How did you know she was here tonight?”
Charles smiled.
“I saw her car.”
I almost laughed.
“I took a rideshare.”
Charles stopped.
Nathan’s entire body changed.
“Try again.”
Charles looked at me.
Then Walter.
“I assumed.”
“No.”
Walter removed his glasses.
“You knew.”
Charles stood.
“This is becoming ridiculous.”
Nathan moved toward the door.
“You can leave.”
“Nathan, you need to understand—”
“Tomorrow. Office. Counsel present.”
Charles’s face hardened.
“Your father asked me here.”
“I did not.”
Walter said it calmly.
Charles looked at him.
For the first time, something slipped.
Not fear.
Anger.
Then he recovered.
“Good evening.”
After he left, nobody spoke for several seconds.
I finally said:
“He lied badly.”
Nathan looked at me.
“You think?”
“People are terrible at lying when they assume everyone else is impressed by them.”
Walter laughed.
Nathan did not.
He was already calling someone.
“Lock Rachel Dane’s credentials. Full forensic review. Now.”
He ended the call.
Then looked at me.
“You need to go home.”
Walter frowned.
“She’s staying.”
“No.”
“Excuse me?”
Nathan turned to me.
“Someone knows where you are.”
“Apparently.”
“You should stay here tonight.”
I blinked.
“That sounds very different from go home.”
“I changed my mind.”
“Do you do that often?”
“No.”
Walter said:
“Unfortunately.”
I almost smiled.
Then my phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
Message.
YOU SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE $25,000.
I showed Nathan.
He went white.
Walter’s face hardened.
I expected Nathan to become commanding.
Instead he asked:
“Do you have somewhere else safe?”
I looked at him.
“My apartment.”
“Not tonight.”
“My friend Jenna.”
“Would that put her at risk?”
I hated that he was right.
“No.”
“Then stay.”
I looked toward Walter.
He gave me a small nod.
So I stayed.
Guest room.
Door locked.
Nathan had security placed discreetly outside the floor.
Not inside.
That mattered.
At 1:17 a.m., I couldn’t sleep.
I went downstairs for water.
Nathan was in the kitchen.
No jacket.
Sleeves rolled.
Staring at a laptop.
“You ever sleep?”
“No.”
“Unhealthy.”
“So I’m told.”
I opened the refrigerator.
“Do billionaires have normal food?”
“Define normal.”
I found leftover pie.
“Acceptable.”
Nathan watched me cut a slice.
Then:
“Why aren't you more frightened?”
I stopped.
“I am.”
“You joke when you’re frightened.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
I shrugged.
“Same reason your father smiled on stage.”
His expression changed.
There it was.
Recognition.
I sat across from him.
“You really thought I was using Walter.”
“Yes.”
“Still?”
“No.”
“Fast turnaround.”
“I verify information.”
“Human beings are not spreadsheets.”
“No.”
His voice softened.
“That has been mentioned.”
Walter again, probably.
I ate pie.
Nathan returned to the laptop.
“What are you looking at?”
“Access logs.”
“Any fun crimes?”
“Potentially.”
I leaned closer.
He did not stop me.
Rachel Dane’s supposedly disabled credential had been reactivated eleven times.
Always late evening.
Always from a board-level device.
“Which board member?”
“We don't know.”
“Can Charles access board devices?”
“Yes.”
“Can others?”
“Yes.”
“Who benefits if you’re suspended?”
Nathan looked at me.
“Three people could act as interim CEO.”
“Charles?”
“Yes.”
“Who else?”
“CFO Leonard Shaw. Operations president Elise Moreno.”
“Would either want the job?”
“Elise has refused twice.”
“So Leonard.”
“Possible.”
I pointed toward the screen.
“What about Walter?”
“What?”
“Why use his signature?”
“Founder authority.”
“No. Why him specifically?”
Nathan frowned.
I continued.
“If they only want you removed, there are probably easier ways to fabricate spending. Why make your eighty-one-year-old father look corrupt?”
Nathan went still.
Because maybe the target was not only Nathan.
Maybe someone needed Walter discredited too.
He closed the laptop.
“Tomorrow, we check the family trust.”
“What family trust?”
His expression darkened.
“The one that still owns twenty-two percent of Alden Civic.”
“Who controls it?”
“My father.”
“For life?”
“Yes.”
“After?”
Silence.
“Nathan?”
He looked at me.
“After my father dies or is declared incapable, control transfers to a three-person committee.”
“Who?”
Nathan’s jaw tightened.
“Me.”
“Okay.”
“Charles Mercer.”
There it was.
“And?”
“Leonard Shaw.”
I leaned back.
“So if Walter is declared incompetent and you’re suspended…”
Nathan finished:
“Charles and Leonard control the trust.”
“And can influence the company.”
“Yes.”
I stared at him.
“That’s not theft.”
“No.”
“It’s a takeover.”
His eyes met mine.
“Yes.”
Upstairs, an old man slept in a guest wing of the house he had built.
May you like
And somewhere outside it, people who had ignored him for forty-three seconds were apparently deciding whether he still deserved to control his own life.
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