Chapter 2 - THE WIDOW WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
The police arrived within minutes.
Statements were taken.
Witnesses were questioned.
The restaurant's security footage was preserved.
Thaddius was arrested following the assault and threats.
Cora sat in Papa G's office with a cold compress against her cheek.
Delilah remained beside her.
Wesley stood near the doorway.
He hadn't asked her to explain herself.
Hadn't demanded details.
Hadn't tried to turn her suffering into a story for his own satisfaction.
That restraint unsettled her.
Finally, she spoke.
“Mr. Cain.”
He looked up.
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
He shook his head.
“You don't owe me gratitude for stopping someone who was hurting you.”
Cora looked down.
She had heard men say kind things before.
Usually just before asking for something.
Wesley seemed to understand her hesitation.
“I'll leave you with your friend.”
He turned toward the door.
Then Cora spoke again.
“Daniel worked for a company called Harrow Systems.”
Wesley stopped.
His expression changed.
“What did you say?”
Cora looked up.
“Harrow Systems.”
Wesley crossed the room.
“Your husband worked there?”
She nodded.
“He was an engineer.”
Wesley stared at her.
For three months, his security team had been investigating a catastrophic failure in a proprietary shipping logistics system.
Fifteen specialists had examined the problem.
Software engineers.
Cybersecurity consultants.
Financial auditors.
Systems architects.
Nobody could explain why the system kept producing contradictory records.
Nobody could identify the source of the failures.
And now a frightened waitress had mentioned the one company connected to the mystery.
Wesley looked at her.
“Cora, what did Daniel do at Harrow?”
She hesitated.
Then said:
May you like
“He designed the original architecture.”
Wesley stopped breathing.
