Chapter 4 - THE FILE MY MOTHER LEFT BEHIND
My father did not touch the flash drive.
He stared at Malcolm instead.
“My wife trusted you.”
“I know.”
“You stood beside me at her funeral.”
“I know.”
Dad’s voice lowered.
“That makes what you did worse.”
Malcolm looked down.
For the first time, guilt appeared on his face.
Nathan interrupted.
“This has nothing to do with tonight.”
I turned toward him.
“It has everything to do with tonight.”
Malcolm pointed at the drive.
“Evelyn’s mother kept records.”
Dad finally looked at the device.
“What records?”
“Accounts.”
Malcolm paused.
“Names.”
Nathan’s expression changed.
“Stop.”
Malcolm continued anyway.
“She discovered that Charles Ashford was using Hartwell subsidiaries to hide unauthorized transfers.”
Charles Ashford had been Nathan’s father.
He had died when Nathan was nineteen.
At least that was what I had always been told.
Dad spoke slowly.
“Charles died in a boating accident.”
Malcolm looked at him.
“Charles disappeared.”
Nathan jumped to his feet.
“That is enough.”
Detective Cole stepped between them.
Malcolm continued.
“His death was never independently confirmed.”
Dad stared at him.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“For twenty-two years?”
“Yes.”
My father turned away.
I had never seen disappointment affect him more deeply than anger.
I looked at Nathan.
“You knew your father might still be alive.”
Nathan remained silent.
That silence answered me.
Celeste whispered, “Nathan?”
He looked at her.
“You told me your father died.”
Nathan ignored her.
I suddenly remembered something from the recording.
A conversation from earlier that night.
Nathan had been speaking on the phone before ordering Celeste to leave the room.
I had barely noticed the words because so much happened afterward.
Now they returned clearly.
Nathan had said, “He wants the Hartwell structure finished before Sunday.”
He.
Not Malcolm.
Someone else.
I looked at Adrian.
“We need to listen to the recording.”
He connected the pendant’s storage card to an isolated laptop.
The room became silent.
Nathan’s voice came through the speakers.
First came threats.
Then Celeste’s laughter.
Then Nathan discussing accounts.
We listened without interruption.
Finally we reached the phone call.
Nathan’s recorded voice filled the room.
“Yes.”
A pause.
“Malcolm handled the proxy forms.”
Another pause.
“No, Evelyn doesn’t suspect anything.”
My father closed his eyes.
Nathan’s recorded voice continued.
“Once Hartwell signs, the company is exposed.”
Then came the sentence that changed everything.
“Tell my father he will finally get what should have been his.”
Celeste stared at Nathan.
My father stared at Nathan.
Malcolm whispered, “There.”
Nathan said nothing.
Dad leaned toward him.
“Your father is alive?”
Nathan finally looked up.
Then he smiled.
“Yes.”
My father’s expression became stone.
“Where is Charles Ashford?”
Nathan leaned back.
“You froze my accounts.”
He glanced at the investigators surrounding him.
“You destroyed my board.”
Then he looked directly at me.
May you like
“So now I suppose we negotiate.”
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