Chapter 14 - The Woman Behind the Letter O
Olivia denied owning the number.
Samuel did not accuse her publicly.
Not yet.
They met in the yacht salon after Catherine left.
Nathan placed the burner phone on the table.
“Who is O?”
Olivia stared at the screen.
“I don’t know.”
Samuel asked, “Did you communicate with Victor on a separate phone?”
“No.”
“Did you tell him Samuel could not learn what Rachel found?”
Olivia’s face tightened.
“I told Victor the audit had to remain confidential during refinancing.”
Nathan pointed at the message.
“That sounds very similar.”
“It isn’t mine.”
Maya ran the number through an open-source lookup.
Prepaid.
No registered owner.
Nathan watched Olivia.
She was frightened.
But was she guilty?
Samuel asked quietly, “Give me your phone.”
Olivia hesitated.
Nathan saw it.
Samuel saw it too.
“Why are you hesitating?”
“Because my phone contains board communications, personal messages—”
“You are president of a company under investigation for internal fraud.”
Olivia closed her eyes.
Then handed it over.
The forensic accountant began preserving its contents.
Nathan stepped outside.
Maya followed.
“You think it’s her?”
“I don’t know.”
“She buried the audit.”
“Yes.”
“She approved payments.”
“Yes.”
“She had motive.”
“To protect the refinancing.”
Maya leaned against the railing.
“You’re defending her.”
“I’m trying not to do what I did with Samuel.”
“What?”
“Decide who someone is based on what’s easiest to believe.”
Maya studied him.
“That almost sounded mature.”
“Don’t spread it around.”
For the first time in days, she smiled.
Then her expression faded.
“Nathan, Victor’s affidavit offer.”
He looked at her.
“How do you know?”
“Samuel told me.”
Nathan frowned.
“I told Samuel in confidence.”
“You don’t have much confidence left to protect.”
Fair.
Maya continued.
“You should consider pretending to accept.”
Nathan looked toward the salon.
“Wear a wire?”
“In Rhode Island, a participant can generally consent to recording.”
Nathan nodded slowly.
“Victor checks phones.”
“Then don’t use your phone.”
Samuel rejected the idea at first.
“You are not law enforcement.”
“I’m also the person Victor thinks he controls.”
“You’re emotionally involved.”
“That’s why he’ll talk.”
Samuel stared at him.
Nathan continued.
“He offered me a million dollars. He wants a confession. That means he needs something before the board or investigators move.”
Olivia said, “He probably wants Blue Meridian closed first.”
Samuel looked at her.
“You’re assuming you’re still running it.”
Olivia flinched.
Samuel continued.
“Until we resolve that phone, you are stepping back from decisions involving Victor.”
Olivia’s face changed.
“You’re suspending me?”
“Temporarily.”
“I am president.”
“And I control the board votes necessary to remove you.”
Silence.
Another power reversal.
Olivia removed her executive badge and set it on the table.
“I understand.”
Nathan watched her leave.
He remembered his own termination.
Humiliation had looked different when it happened to someone else.
That evening Nathan called Victor.
“I’ll do it.”
Victor went silent.
Nathan continued.
“One million.”
“Now you understand.”
“I understand being broke.”
Victor laughed.
“Good.”
“Where?”
“Tomorrow night.”
“Why not now?”
“Because tomorrow the Aurelia board meets.”
Nathan’s pulse quickened.
“What are you planning?”
“Your affidavit changes the meeting.”
“How?”
“You let me worry about that.”
“I want half before I sign.”
“You’ll get one hundred thousand when you arrive.”
“You said five hundred.”
“You’re negotiating from unemployment.”
Nathan hated that Victor still knew exactly how to provoke him.
“Fine.”
Victor gave him an address.
An abandoned brokerage office near the old shipyard.
Nathan met Samuel afterward.
“I need something small enough Victor won’t find.”
Samuel placed a key-fob recorder on the desk.
Nathan shook his head.
“He’ll search everything.”
Maya suggested an analog recording module hidden inside Nathan’s watch strap.
Nathan looked at Samuel.
“If this works, we get him admitting the forgery.”
Samuel replied, “If it fails, he knows you’re cooperating.”
“I know.”
Nathan left.
But before going home, he made another mistake.
He checked his bank account.
Legal retainers.
Mortgage.
Credit cards.
Future divorce adjustment.
Nearly everything he owned was leveraged.
When the next morning came, Nathan did not just pretend to be tempted by Victor’s money.
Part of him genuinely wanted it.
At the meeting site, Victor placed a transfer confirmation in front of him.
$100,000.
Deposited into an account Nathan controlled.
Nathan stared at it.
Victor smiled.
“Sign.”
Nathan looked at the affidavit.
It blamed him for everything.
The forged consent.
Credential cloning.
Vendor approvals.
Nathan picked up the pen.
His watch was recording.
Victor leaned back.
Nathan said, “You forged Samuel’s signature, and I get one million to say I did it?”
Victor smiled.
“You get one million to describe a version of events everyone already believes.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Victor’s eyes narrowed.
“You’re suddenly very interested in precise language.”
Nathan pushed.
“Did you use Samuel’s Pier Four signature?”
Victor stood.
“Take off your watch.”
Nathan’s blood froze.
“What?”
“Your watch.”
Victor extended his hand.
Nathan laughed weakly.
“Seriously?”
Victor said nothing.
Nathan removed it.
Victor examined the strap.
His expression changed.
Then he smashed the watch against the desk.
Nathan stood.
Victor grabbed his collar.
“You ungrateful idiot.”
Nathan shoved him away.
Victor’s face twisted.
“For twelve years I protected you.”
“You collected dirt on me.”
“I gave you a life.”
“You bought obedience.”
Victor stepped closer.
“And now I’m going to buy your conviction.”
Nathan froze.
Victor smiled.
“You accepted one hundred thousand dollars from a company linked to the fraud you claim to be investigating.”
Nathan’s blood ran cold.
The transfer.
Victor had deliberately paid from Northstar.
Before Nathan could reach his phone, the office door opened.
Two men entered.
Not police.
Private security.
Victor straightened his jacket.
“Get him out.”
Nathan’s recorder was destroyed.
May you like
Victor had made no usable confession.
And Nathan had just accepted money from the shell company at the center of the conspiracy.
