Chapter 9 - THE MAN IN COSTA RICA
Owen Pike was not living in Costa Rica.
He had entered the country using his own passport, stayed for three weeks, and left by boat.
For eleven months, he had been hiding in a small coastal town in Belize under the name Andrew Palmer.
Hartwell investigators found him after tracing payments to his mother’s assisted living facility in New Jersey.
The payments came from an account controlled by Martin Keene.
Owen refused to return voluntarily.
He agreed to speak only after federal agents informed him that Graham’s network was collapsing.
The video interview took place in a secured office at the United States embassy.
Evelyn watched from Hartwell House with Claire and two federal investigators.
Owen appeared thinner than his driver’s license photograph.
He looked into the camera only once.
“Mr. Mercer told me the device was for a security test.”
“What kind of security test?” an investigator asked.
“He said Ms. Hartwell’s car might be vulnerable to hacking.”
“So you installed equipment capable of controlling the throttle and brakes?”
“I did not know he planned to use it.”
“Who paid you?”
“Martin Keene.”
“Did Graham Mercer give you direct instructions?”
Owen rubbed both hands over his face.
“He brought the device to the garage.”
Evelyn felt Claire’s hand touch the back of her chair.
“What happened after the installation?”
“Mr. Mercer asked me to test the connection.”
“When?”
“The night of the crash.”
The room became silent.
Owen continued.
“I sat in a van near the Riverside Hotel.”
“Did you control the car?”
“No.”
“Who did?”
“Mr. Mercer had the access codes.”
“Did you see him use them?”
“I saw his tablet connected to the system.”
“Before the crash?”
“Yes.”
“After?”
“He called me.”
“What did he say?”
Owen looked down.
“He said there had been an accident.”
“Anything else?”
“He told me to erase the logs.”
“Did you?”
“I tried.”
“Why did you flee?”
“Because the next morning, Mr. Keene gave me money and told me to disappear.”
Owen’s voice broke.
“He said if I stayed, they would make it look like I acted alone.”
Evelyn closed her eyes.
The last uncertainty disappeared.
The crash had not been an accident.
Graham had caused it because she refused to save his failing company.
Then he had placed himself beside her hospital bed.
He had held her hand while doctors explained the nerve damage.
He had promised to remain through every difficult day.
He had created the injury and then presented himself as the man willing to love her despite it.
The investigator asked Owen to describe the remote software.
His answer led agents to a cloud server rented through Mercer Strategic Holdings.
The server had been scheduled for automatic deletion.
Investigators recovered partial records before the deadline.
The data showed a connection to Evelyn’s vehicle at 10:42 p.m. on the night of the crash.
The command originated from Graham’s tablet.
At 10:46 p.m., the accelerator command was activated.
At 10:47 p.m., the vehicle struck the barrier.
Claire paused the video.
“Evie.”
Evelyn looked at the frozen image of Owen Pike.
“I am all right.”
“No one would be all right.”
“Then I am not all right.”
Her voice remained steady.
“But I am here.”
Daniel entered the room carrying a phone.
“Graham has disappeared.”
Claire stood.
“Since when?”
“His attorney says he left the office last night.”
“His passport?”
“Still at the penthouse.”
“Vehicles?”
“One is missing.”
Evelyn looked toward the windows.
The security barriers outside Hartwell House were crowded with reporters.
Police watched every entrance.
Graham could not easily reach her.
But Evelyn knew him.
When control failed, he did not retreat.
He searched for another person to control.
“Where is Dr. Redmond?” she asked.
May you like
“No one knows.”
“Find him before Graham does.”
