Chapter 15 - Michael’s Password
Sofia stared at Michael.
Ben repeated through the phone, “The terrace camera was disabled using Michael’s executive credentials.”
Michael stood.
“That’s impossible.”
Ben continued.
“The audit log recovered from the backup shows your username.”
“I wasn’t logged in.”
“Someone was.”
Sofia asked, “Who knew your password?”
Michael laughed bitterly.
“Apparently the entire company.”
Eleanor investigated.
Michael used multifactor authentication.
Someone would have needed not only his password but access to his device.
Daniel knew his schedule.
Natalie frequently used his tablet at home.
Grant had corporate administrator privileges.
Any of them could have created the appearance of Michael’s login.
But Grant used it in court immediately.
His attorneys suggested Michael might have orchestrated the entire incident to manipulate the trust, generate sympathy, or discredit his brother.
The theory was absurd.
It was also damaging.
News channels ran it for hours.
FATHER UNDER SCRUTINY IN RIVER BABY CASE.
Sofia watched Michael turn off the television.
“Now you know how it feels.”
He looked at her.
“What?”
“To have strangers wonder if you tried to hurt Emma.”
He sat.
“You’re right.”
The criminal case against Natalie remained strong.
The conspiracy case against Grant did not.
The burner phone had not been found.
Natalie’s deleted messages were unrecovered.
Daniel could testify that Grant discussed staging an incident, but his gambling debts made him vulnerable on cross-examination.
Laura’s recordings established financial misconduct and motive, but not the order to murder Emma.
Then Celia Park called.
Owen would not testify.
Sofia felt her stomach drop.
“Why?”
“He wakes up screaming,” Celia said. “Someone threatened him. A brick came through our home. I’m done.”
“You have every right.”
“Will the video still matter?”
“Yes.”
“But they want him to authenticate it.”
“Prosecutors can sometimes authenticate digital evidence other ways.”
Celia heard the uncertainty.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
Sofia hung up.
Michael stood at the window.
“We’re losing the cleanest witness.”
“He’s a child.”
“I know.”
“That means we protect him even if it hurts the case.”
Michael nodded.
That was growth.
It did not make the setback smaller.
Later that evening, Ben arrived carrying an old leather appointment book.
“I found this behind the wine lockers.”
Sofia opened it.
Laura’s handwriting.
Meeting dates.
Names.
Initials.
G.H.
R.K.
C.W.
And repeatedly:
N.M.
Natalie Mercer.
One entry had a box around it.
APRIL 17 — G KNOWS ABOUT EMMA CONDITION. N WANTS IN.
Michael read it twice.
“Laura knew Natalie was connected before Emma was born.”
Sofia turned the page.
The next note was worse.
IF ANYTHING HAPPENS, CHECK RIVER ROOM 3.
Ben looked up.
“River Room Three is a private storage suite beneath Glasswater.”
Sofia’s mouth went dry.
“That’s where I was arrested.”
Ben nodded.
Grant had not merely lured her somewhere random.
He had lured her to the exact room Laura had wanted searched.
Michael whispered, “He needed your trespass arrest to make anything found there look planted.”
Sofia stared at the appointment book.
Her mistake had contaminated a potential crime scene.
Grant had anticipated desperation.
Used it.
And now anything inside River Room Three would be attacked in court.
Detective Brooks arrived with worse news.
“Grant has scheduled contractors to clear those storage rooms tomorrow morning.”
Michael stood.
“Can you get a warrant?”
“We’re applying tonight.”
“And if you don’t?”
May you like
Brooks looked toward the river.
“Then whatever Laura hid there may disappear forever.”
