Chapter 9 - THE PHOTOGRAPHS
There were forty-seven photographs.
Michael had taken them over three weeks.
Brooke entering Gerald Pike’s office after midnight.
Gerald meeting Brooke’s father at a private marina.
A Mercer security vehicle parked outside Harrington Coastal’s headquarters.
Brooke carrying a copy of Catherine Mercer’s trust binder.
Natalie stared at the screen.
“She told me she’d never seen those documents.”
Dominic said nothing.
The next folder contained scanned financial records.
Payments from Harrington Coastal to a company called Black Harbor Consulting.
Victor leaned closer.
“I know that company.”
Dominic looked at him.
“Whose?”
Victor’s face tightened.
“Elliot Vane.”
Dominic froze.
Elliot had worked estate security for nine years.
He handled cameras.
Access codes.
Vehicle logs.
He had also been on duty the night Michael died.
Victor immediately called the security office.
No answer.
He tried Elliot’s mobile phone.
Disconnected.
Dominic looked toward him.
“Where is he?”
Victor was already moving.
“I’ll find out.”
Brooke suddenly spoke.
“This proves nothing.”
Natalie turned.
“You lied about knowing the trust.”
“So?”
“You met Gerald secretly.”
“He was Catherine’s attorney.”
“You sold Catherine’s jewelry.”
“That was a mistake.”
“You stole Noah’s money.”
“I intended to repay it.”
Natalie’s voice rose.
“And Michael discovered you paying a security officer before he died.”
Brooke’s face hardened.
“Be careful.”
Natalie stopped.
Brooke realized too late how the words sounded.
Dominic stepped closer.
“Was that a threat?”
Brooke looked at him.
“No.”
“It sounded like one.”
“I meant she should be careful making accusations.”
Dominic stared at her.
“Michael wrote that somebody inside security was compromised.”
“Elliot was working the night he died.”
“And your father paid Elliot’s company.”
Brooke shook her head.
“My father uses dozens of consultants.”
Dominic almost smiled.
“Then he can explain that to investigators.”
Brooke’s face changed.
“Investigators?”
Dominic took out his phone.
“What did you think was happening here?”
“You thought I was going to handle this privately?”
She stepped toward him.
“Dominic, our families—”
“Our families?”
He looked at Natalie.
“My family is standing behind me.”
Then he looked back at Brooke.
“Yours appears to be stealing from them.”
The door opened.
Victor entered.
His expression was grim.
“Elliot Vane left the estate yesterday.”
“Destination?”
“Unknown.”
“His apartment is empty.”
Dominic’s eyes narrowed.
Victor continued.
“But we found something inside his locker.”
He placed a small black device on the table.
Natalie frowned.
“What is that?”
Victor looked at Dominic.
“A vehicle diagnostic bypass unit.”
Dominic understood immediately.
Natalie did not.
“What does it do?”
Victor answered carefully.
“It can interfere with certain electronic braking systems.”
Natalie’s face turned white.
Michael’s car had been less than a year old.
The manufacturer had found no mechanical defect after his crash.
The brake system had simply stopped responding.
Natalie slowly turned toward Brooke.
Brooke backed away.
“I had nothing to do with that.”
May you like
No one had accused her yet.
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