Chapter 10 - Victor’s Death
The sheriff cautioned Laura not to jump from suspicious insurance to murder.
She listened.
Barely.
Victor had severe coronary artery disease.
His cardiologist had warned him for years.
His death could easily have been natural.
The insurer had paid after reviewing medical records.
But the new circumstances justified reexamining the timeline.
Celeste had found Victor unconscious.
Grant had been at the resort.
Evan had called emergency services.
Paramedics pronounced Victor dead after resuscitation failed.
Laura had arrived hours later from Denver.
“What happened that morning?” Detective Sarah Holt asked Celeste.
Celeste’s voice shook.
“I brought Dad coffee.”
“What time?”
“Six forty.”
“Was he awake?”
“Yes.”
“Did you argue?”
“Yes.”
“About?”
“The stewardship trust.”
Laura looked at her.
Celeste had previously said she saw the trust the night before.
Now there had been another argument.
“What did he say?”
“That he was recording the deed that day.”
“And you?”
“I said he would bankrupt the resort.”
“Then?”
“I left.”
“When did you return?”
“About seven thirty.”
“You found him?”
“Yes.”
“Where was Grant?”
“In the finance office.”
Grant’s keycard logs placed him there at 7:02.
But between 6:42 and 6:58, his location was unknown.
Victor’s suite camera had been disconnected.
Grant claimed maintenance.
Evan denied requesting maintenance.
Another inconsistency.
Then Dr. Mercer provided Victor’s medical file.
One note mattered.
Victor had recently stopped taking a particular beta blocker because it caused dangerously low heart rate.
Paramedics reported the medication bottle beside his bed.
But according to pharmacy records, Victor had returned his remaining tablets weeks earlier.
“How did a bottle get back into his room?” Laura asked.
Nobody knew.
Toxicology had not been performed because the death was considered natural.
Exhumation was legally possible but required probable cause and family consent or court order.
Laura hesitated.
Celeste surprised everyone.
“Do it.”
Laura looked at her.
Celeste’s eyes filled.
“If Grant did anything…”
She could not finish.
The sisters jointly petitioned.
The court authorized exhumation after prosecutors presented the financial motive, suspicious insurance, medication discrepancy, and disabled camera.
Caleb was not told the details.
He only knew investigators were checking whether Grandpa’s heart attack happened naturally.
“Will they hurt Grandpa?”
Laura’s heart tightened.
“No. Grandpa can’t feel anything.”
Caleb considered that.
“Will it tell you the truth?”
“Maybe.”
He nodded.
“Then okay.”
The forensic examination took time.
Meanwhile Laura and Celeste temporarily aligned against Grant.
It was fragile.
Neither trusted the other.
At a Snowhaven board meeting, Laura moved to suspend Grant as CFO.
Celeste seconded.
The independent director voted yes.
Grant was removed.
He appeared by video.
“You’re both making a catastrophic mistake.”
Laura answered, “You stole millions.”
“Alleged.”
“You threatened my son.”
“I never threatened Caleb.”
“You photographed his school.”
Grant paused.
“I didn’t.”
Celeste laughed bitterly.
“Why should anyone believe you?”
Grant looked at her.
“Because you know what Laura doesn’t.”
Celeste went still.
“What?”
“You signed the Blackpine side letter.”
Laura stared at her sister.
Celeste whispered, “No.”
Grant displayed a document.
Her signature.
Not electronic.
Ink.
The side letter acknowledged Victor had not approved the full collateral package but authorized Grant to proceed under Celeste’s emergency management authority.
If genuine, Celeste had knowingly deceived Blackpine and Victor.
Celeste stared at the signature.
“I didn’t sign that.”
Grant smiled.
“Now everyone has forged signatures.”
Laura hated the symmetry.
The forensic-document examiner would need time.
Grant continued.
“And if you want to investigate Victor’s death, Laura should probably ask where Celeste was for the nineteen minutes missing from her own timeline.”
Detective Holt looked sharply at her.
Celeste’s face went white.
“What nineteen minutes?”
Grant’s smile disappeared.
“Tell them.”
Laura whispered:
“Celeste?”
Her sister began crying.
“I went back.”
“To Dad’s room?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you say that?”
“Because we fought again.”
“When?”
“Seven twelve.”
Victor was found unresponsive around seven thirty.
Laura could barely breathe.
“What happened?”
May you like
Celeste whispered:
“He told me he was giving the police everything.”
