Chapter 7 - Sabotage
The Harbor Crown had suffered a steering fault twelve minutes before Lucas went overboard.
At the time, everyone blamed the storm.
Now Officer Grant was not so sure.
“The fault forced us to reduce speed,” he explained.
Andrew stood in the ferry’s control room two days later while investigators examined system logs.
“That matters because?”
“Because at normal speed, the aft deck would have been closed to passengers.”
Rachel looked at Grant.
“So someone needed the ferry slowed down.”
“Exactly.”
At reduced speed, crew unlocked the rear viewing area after Monica complained Lucas was restless inside.
David Rosen’s equipment case had contained tools compatible with accessing an electrical control panel.
Grant showed them the logs.
A steering-sensor wire had been loosened manually.
Not enough to disable the ferry permanently.
Enough to trigger a safety alert.
Andrew felt cold.
“This was choreographed.”
Rachel nodded.
“Storm. Reduced speed. Open deck. Few passengers outside.”
“Camera?”
Grant pointed toward the screen.
“Someone also attempted to disable the aft camera remotely.”
Andrew looked at him.
“But it kept recording.”
“Firmware update. The remote command failed.”
That tiny technical failure had saved Rachel from being framed.
Maybe saved Andrew from ever knowing the truth.
“Who sent the command?”
“Still tracing it.”
Detective Chen entered.
“We found David.”
Andrew turned.
“Where?”
“Albany International Airport.”
“Arrested?”
“Detained.”
He had been attempting to board a private charter to Montreal.
In his luggage investigators found $180,000 cash, three passports under false identities, and an encrypted laptop.
David hired a criminal attorney immediately.
He refused to speak.
But the laptop did.
Inside were draft emails, spreadsheets, legal memoranda, and a folder titled CONTINGENCIES.
One document described the ferry plan.
DATE FLEXIBLE — WEATHER REQUIRED.
TARGET: L.B.
PRIMARY LIABILITY: R.C.
Andrew read the initials.
Lucas Bennett.
Rachel Cole.
His hands shook.
Rachel read beside him.
“Primary liability.”
“They were going to blame you from the beginning.”
The document continued.
R.C. history provides motive against Bennett family.
Prior complaint creates evidence of resentment.
Heroic rescue possibility should not compromise narrative if physical evidence points to initial push.
Rachel stepped away from the screen.
Andrew looked at her.
“You okay?”
“No.”
She had survived near-freezing water.
Now she was learning her rescue had been anticipated.
Not as an accident.
As a useful possibility.
Andrew continued reading.
STROLLER LOSS EXPECTED.
PERSONAL ITEMS TO BE RECOVERED BEFORE EVENT.
“That’s the flash drive,” he said.
Except Monica had not recovered it before pushing Lucas.
She recovered it afterward.
Something had gone wrong.
The plan stated David would retrieve any sensitive items from the diaper bag during the steering disruption.
But security footage showed Victor unexpectedly slipping Harold’s flash drive into the bag afterward.
Monica saw Victor do it.
That was why she grabbed the drive after the push.
Two conspiracies had collided on the same deck.
Victor was hiding evidence against himself and others.
David and Monica were trying to murder Lucas and frame Rachel.
Then Rachel noticed a line near the bottom.
A.B. retained in executive cabin through scheduled legal call.
Andrew stared.
A.B.
Him.
“David called me.”
“What?”
“The acquisition call. He arranged it.”
The call had kept Andrew inside while Monica pushed Lucas.
It had not been a real emergency.
David had coordinated the timing.
Andrew covered his mouth.
He had been speaking to one of David’s associates while his son was being rolled toward the edge of a ferry.
Detective Chen said, “We have enough to charge David with conspiracy to commit murder, among other offenses.”
“What about Monica?”
“Her charges will expand.”
“And Victor?”
“Still under investigation for fraud and obstruction. At this point, we have not proven he knew about the murder plan.”
Victor might not have ordered Lucas’s death.
That did not make him harmless.
Andrew called an emergency board meeting.
Victor attended by video under advice of counsel.
Andrew announced that Victor was suspended as CFO pending investigation.
Victor did not fight.
Then Andrew disclosed the stolen nine million Victor had admitted taking privately.
Victor’s attorney interrupted.
“Mr. Bennett, that conversation was privileged between brothers.”
Andrew stared at the screen.
“No. It wasn’t.”
Victor looked exhausted.
“Do what you need to do.”
The board voted unanimously to suspend him.
Afterward Andrew remained in the empty room.
Rachel entered.
“You won.”
“No.”
“Victor lost control.”
“My father is still dead. My brother is still a thief. My fiancée tried to kill my child.”
Rachel sat across from him.
“You still think winning means nobody gets hurt.”
Andrew looked at her.
“What does it mean?”
“Knowing what you’re willing to lose to stop more people getting hurt.”
The answer stayed with him.
Then Detective Chen called.
David’s laptop contained another file.
A scanned insurance policy.
Twenty-five million dollars.
Insured person: Andrew Bennett.
Beneficiary: Monica Hale upon marriage.
May you like
The policy was pending final activation.
Their wedding was scheduled in nineteen days.
