Chapter 14 - THE FIRE AT THE WATER
Flames rolled across the old shingles.
Victor’s team called the fire department while two guards forced the side door open.
Dominic tried to enter.
Victor blocked him.
“No.”
“There may be evidence inside.”
“And there may be gasoline inside.”
Dominic glared at him.
Victor did not move.
“You pay me to stop you from doing stupid things too.”
Dominic looked toward the burning building.
“Then save whatever is in there.”
The firefighters arrived seven minutes later.
By sunset, the fire was contained.
Half the structure was destroyed.
But a metal storage locker survived.
Inside was a waterproof case.
The case contained six flash drives.
Three ledgers.
A disposable phone.
And photographs.
Samuel examined them at the mansion that evening.
The ledgers recorded payments between Harrington Coastal and Elliot Vane.
But the disposable phone was worse.
Messages were still recoverable.
One exchange occurred five days before Michael’s death.
HARRINGTON: He keeps following Gerald.
ELLIOT: Want him scared?
HARRINGTON: I want him stopped.
ELLIOT: Define stopped.
There was a four-minute gap.
Then Harrington replied.
HARRINGTON: Permanently if necessary.
Natalie left the room.
Emma followed her.
Dominic stared at the screen.
Brooke’s father had not merely known.
He had authorized escalation.
But Brooke’s name did not appear in that exchange.
Then Samuel opened another conversation.
BROOKE: Michael is making Dominic suspicious.
ELLIOT: Dominic doesn’t know anything.
BROOKE: Keep it that way.
ELLIOT: Your father says handle Michael.
BROOKE: Then handle him without dragging me into it.
Dominic closed his eyes.
Natalie had returned to the doorway.
She heard every word.
“No.”
Her voice was barely audible.
Dominic turned.
Natalie stared at the phone.
“She knew.”
Dominic said nothing.
“She knew her father told Elliot to handle Michael.”
Samuel spoke carefully.
“It still doesn’t prove she ordered murder.”
Natalie looked at him.
“She knew.”
“Yes.”
Samuel did not soften it.
“She knew there was a threat.”
Natalie’s eyes filled with tears.
“And she warned no one.”
No one answered.
A state investigator called moments later.
Elliot Vane had been detained near Montreal after Canadian authorities located his vehicle.
Dominic listened quietly.
“When will he be questioned?”
The investigator explained.
Dominic’s expression changed.
“What did he say?”
Everyone watched him.
He ended the call.
Natalie stepped closer.
“What?”
Dominic looked at her.
“Elliot says he will cooperate.”
Her knees weakened.
Dominic caught her.
“He says he has proof.”
“Proof of what?”
Dominic swallowed.
May you like
“That Michael’s death was not an accident.”
---
