Chapter 7 - The Man Who Searched for Laura
David did not confront Grant.
That was Rebecca’s instruction.
“Every time you confront someone,” she said, “you teach them which evidence matters.”
David almost smiled.
Laura would have liked her.
Instead, they reviewed Grant Hollis’s role in the original missing-person investigation.
He had collected Laura’s laptops.
He had coordinated private investigators.
He had obtained hotel records.
He had supervised estate security footage.
He had also been the person who first reported finding suspicious financial documents in Laura’s office.
“The account records,” David said.
Rebecca nodded.
“The records that made her look guilty.”
Grant had controlled the crime scene before police arrived.
That did not prove he planted anything.
It made the possibility impossible to ignore.
Maya joined them at a secure conference room inside Bennett Aero headquarters.
“I remember Grant asking me about Laura.”
“When?” David asked.
“The week she disappeared.”
“What did he ask?”
“Whether she had ever requested a private flight.”
“And had she?”
“No.”
Maya paused.
“But she asked how owner-repositioning flights were archived.”
David looked at Rebecca.
Laura had been planning Flight 2719.
“Did you tell Grant that?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Laura asked me not to.”
For the first time, Maya looked guilty.
David shook his head.
“You protected her.”
“I didn’t know what from.”
“You protected Ethan too.”
Maya looked away.
“I should have told you sooner.”
David understood the feeling.
Everyone in this story had a version of that sentence.
A forensic analyst examined the forged trust authorization.
David’s signature had been assembled digitally from at least three genuine signatures.
The source documents came from Bennett Aero board packets.
Grant had access to them.
Celeste did too.
Jonathan’s real signature was authentic.
The trust shares had been pledged to secure a $40 million revolving credit facility for Northstar.
David stared.
“They borrowed against Ethan’s shares.”
Rebecca nodded.
“Approximately $18 million in value.”
“For what?”
“Northstar invested in distressed aviation properties.”
“Whose?”
“Some were bought from companies connected to Marcus.”
David stood.
“So Marcus and Celeste were business partners.”
“Financially, at minimum.”
It contradicted Celeste’s claim that Marcus was the greater danger.
Unless both things were true.
David called an emergency Bennett Aero board meeting.
Rebecca objected.
“You don’t yet know which directors are compromised.”
“I need to freeze company cooperation with Northstar.”
“That is reasonable. Accusations are not.”
At the meeting, Celeste arrived with her own counsel.
Grant sat at the security end of the table.
Jonathan looked miserable.
David presented only verified facts.
“The Ethan Bennett Generation Trust shares were pledged without valid authorization.”
Celeste interrupted.
“That is disputed.”
“No.”
“You are not a handwriting expert.”
“The signature was digitally assembled.”
Several directors shifted.
David continued.
“Until an independent review is completed, Bennett Aero will suspend transactions with Northstar Advisory.”
Celeste looked at board chair Evelyn Marsh.
“This is exactly why I requested today’s second agenda item.”
David frowned.
“What second item?”
Evelyn cleared her throat.
“Celeste submitted a proposal for temporary executive authority.”
David stared.
“Over what?”
“Family-related transactions and special investigations.”
Rebecca whispered, “Power grab.”
Celeste folded her hands.
“David is emotionally compromised.”
He almost laughed.
“My wife is missing and you struck my son.”
“And now you are accusing half the company of conspiracy based on documents delivered by people with obvious grudges.”
“You forged my signature.”
“Prove I did.”
David looked at Grant.
Grant did not react.
Celeste continued.
“David has also hidden evidence from the board.”
“That is false.”
“You found original family financial records today and did not disclose them.”
David went still.
Only six people knew.
David.
Rebecca.
Jonathan.
Maya.
Ethan.
The vault staff.
Grant had called afterward.
Celeste knew because Grant told her.
David looked at him.
Grant met his eyes calmly.
There it was.
Not proof.
But understanding.
The board voted.
Five to four.
David retained his CEO title.
But Celeste was granted temporary authority over all Bennett Family Office matters pending outside review.
That included Ethan’s trust administration.
David stood.
“No.”
The company’s outside counsel said quietly, “The board cannot remove her as trustee without court action.”
Celeste looked at David.
For the first time since the jet, she had regained power.
“You wanted everything opened,” she said.
“Now we’ll open it properly.”
After the meeting, Rebecca found David in the hallway.
“We file for emergency trust relief tomorrow.”
“She controls Ethan’s money tonight.”
“Not if we notify financial institutions of the dispute.”
David’s phone buzzed.
A text from an unknown number.
A photograph appeared.
Laura.
Alive.
The timestamp was from two months earlier.
She stood outside a roadside diner.
Beside the image was one sentence:
ASK GRANT WHY HE TOLD YOU SHE WAS NEVER SEEN AFTER MAINE.
David looked through the glass wall toward the boardroom.
May you like
Grant Hollis was standing beside Celeste.
They were smiling.
