Chapter 16 - The Last Forty-Eight Hours
The theft changed the atmosphere from scandal to siege.
Police found no forced entry at Evelyn’s office.
A building contractor’s access card had been cloned.
The original green folder was gone.
Andrew publicly denied involvement.
His lawyers called the accusation “another paranoid fantasy.”
Margaret could barely contain herself.
Evelyn did not allow her near a microphone.
Then Blackridge Infrastructure announced it would proceed with the WTD acquisition if shareholders approved within forty-eight hours.
Andrew scheduled the vote for Friday at noon.
If the sale closed, Andrew would receive nineteen million dollars.
Northstar-related liabilities could become tangled in merger indemnities.
Employees would scatter.
Records could move.
The company would survive in name while the Whitmore family lost control forever.
Laura stared at the merger notice.
“Let it go.”
Margaret turned.
“What?”
“The company.”
“You don’t understand.”
“I understand perfectly. You are choosing between a corporation and people.”
“It isn’t that simple.”
“It always becomes complicated when money is involved.”
Margaret felt defensive anger rise.
Then Emma entered wearing the oversized red coat.
She had insisted on keeping it.
One sleeve was torn.
Margaret looked at the coat and remembered the bus terminal.
Laura said, “What does winning look like to you?”
Margaret opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
Emma asked, “Does Dad’s company matter more than Dad?”
Margaret stared at her.
“No.”
“Then why are you acting like it?”
The child walked away.
Margaret sat slowly.
Evelyn arrived twenty minutes later.
“We have news.”
“What?”
“Oscar signed a cooperation agreement.”
Margaret stood.
“He’ll testify?”
“Yes.”
“And Samuel?”
“Also.”
“Vale?”
“Yes.”
Three witnesses.
Three pieces of the same buried crime.
Evelyn continued.
“And Janice has authenticated the recordings on her second phone.”
“Then we have Andrew.”
“We have a case.”
Margaret almost corrected her.
Then stopped.
Evelyn noticed.
“Progress.”
Margaret ignored the remark.
“What about the shareholder vote?”
“The independent trustee controlling Daniel’s twenty-two percent will not support the sale without a delay.”
“How much do I control?”
“Thirty-nine percent personally.”
“Andrew?”
“Thirty-one.”
“Other family trust?”
“Eight.”
“With Daniel’s shares, we can block him.”
“Unless something changes.”
Something did.
At four that afternoon Andrew filed suit challenging Daniel’s codicil.
He claimed Daniel lacked proper testamentary formalities and that the independent trustee’s appointment was invalid.
At six, Blackridge revised its offer.
Two hundred forty-eight million.
Several minority holders reconsidered.
At seven, WTD’s board announced that the vote would proceed.
At eight, Margaret received a text from Andrew.
ONE LAST CONVERSATION.
Evelyn said, “Do not go.”
Margaret looked at Detective Ortiz.
Ortiz said, “New York is a one-party-consent state. If you choose to meet him voluntarily, you can lawfully record your own conversation. But we do not want you provoking admissions.”
Margaret almost smiled.
“Everyone finally agrees I should talk less.”
The meeting took place in Daniel’s old office.
Margaret wore a recording device provided by investigators.
Andrew stood at the window.
“You brought police toys?”
Margaret’s heart jumped.
“Paranoia doesn’t suit you.”
He turned.
“You’ve been talking to Ortiz.”
“So have you.”
“Through counsel.”
Margaret sat.
“What do you want?”
Andrew poured a drink.
“Take your thirty-nine percent and vote yes tomorrow.”
“No.”
“You walk away with almost a hundred million dollars.”
“I already have money.”
“Then take the money and give it to Emma. Pretend this was noble.”
“What happens to you?”
“I leave.”
“Where?”
“Anywhere.”
“And Daniel?”
Andrew’s face hardened.
“Still dead.”
Margaret forced herself not to react.
“And Laura?”
“Her conviction will probably disappear.”
“Because you framed her.”
Andrew stared.
“I did what I had to do.”
“To get Emma’s shares?”
“To keep the company from being torn apart.”
“You hid a child.”
“She was safe.”
“She was hungry.”
“That was Janice.”
“You paid Janice.”
“I paid for surveillance.”
“You sabotaged Daniel’s car.”
Andrew slammed his glass down.
“I told Vale to stop him from reaching the meeting!”
Silence.
Margaret’s pulse thundered.
Andrew continued before he could stop himself.
“I did not tell anyone to kill him.”
“But you knew what Vale planned.”
“I knew the car would fail.”
Margaret’s eyes burned.
“And you let your brother drive it.”
Andrew looked away.
“He was supposed to be in Manhattan.”
“That makes him less dead?”
Andrew’s jaw trembled.
“You think I don’t know what I did?”
“Do you?”
“I have known every day for five years.”
For one instant Margaret saw the little boy from the lake photograph.
Then Andrew’s expression hardened again.
“But once it happened, there was no going back.”
“So you framed Laura.”
“She was going to give you everything Daniel found.”
“You hid Emma.”
“If Emma surfaced, Daniel’s trust could remove me.”
“You tried to have her declared dead.”
Andrew whispered, “I needed the shares.”
Margaret felt something inside her finally go quiet.
Not triumph.
Grief.
Andrew stepped closer.
“You want the truth? Fine.”
His eyes were wet.
“I didn’t plan Daniel’s death.”
A pause.
“But after he died, I decided I would not waste it.”
Behind Margaret’s blouse, the recorder captured every word.
May you like
The final confrontation was no longer avoidable.
It had already begun.
