Chapter 7 - The Woman in the Passage
They waited until Peter drove away.
Then Julian called Rebecca.
Rebecca called a private investigator.
No one followed Peter.
“That recording needs preserving exactly as captured,” Rebecca told Julian. “Make two forensic copies. Don’t edit it. Don’t post it.”
Emily sat in the gatehouse kitchen.
“So we know Victoria covered up surveillance.”
“We know she ordered Peter to destroy a device,” Julian said. “Context matters.”
“She said September footage could show who entered this passage.”
“I heard her.”
“Then who was it?”
Julian didn’t answer.
At nine the next morning, Rebecca sent a formal preservation notice to Blackthorne Estate, Vale Meridian, Adrian, Victoria, and Peter Daines.
By eleven, Vale Meridian’s outside counsel responded that no relevant surveillance footage existed.
At twelve fifteen, Peter resigned.
By two, Victoria had turned Emily’s private life into national business gossip.
A financial news site reported that “a former Vale household employee claiming pregnancy by an unidentified member of the Vale family” was cooperating with Julian Vale in his renewed corporate dispute.
Vale Meridian shares weren’t publicly traded, but its bondholders noticed.
Its lenders noticed.
Its board noticed.
Adrian called Julian.
Emily heard the conversation because Julian put it on speaker.
“You’re destabilizing the company.”
“You’re doing that yourself.”
“You have no idea what twenty thousand employees depend on.”
“Then stop using them as a shield.”
“You’re working with a pregnant employee you slept with. Do you understand how this looks?”
Julian’s face reddened.
Emily spoke before he could.
“It looks like your wife went through my bedroom and assaulted me.”
Silence.
Adrian said, “Emily?”
“Yes.”
“You’re with him?”
“That is not your business.”
“It becomes my business when you participate in theft.”
“I didn’t.”
“Our systems say otherwise.”
“Your systems also said my access card was deactivated.”
Adrian paused.
Emily continued.
“Which means either your controls are incompetent or someone used my identity.”
“I suggest you retain counsel.”
“I already have.”
She ended the call.
Julian stared at her.
“What?”
“That was reckless.”
Emily laughed.
“You’re criticizing recklessness?”
“He was trying to make you say something useful against you.”
“So was I.”
Julian almost smiled.
Then his expression grew serious.
“Rebecca found Peter.”
Emily stood.
Peter Daines agreed to meet only because Rebecca’s investigator informed him that destroying evidence after a litigation hold could carry serious consequences.
They met at a diner near Stamford, Connecticut.
Peter looked exhausted.
He refused coffee.
“I’m not testifying.”
Rebecca sat opposite him.
“We didn’t ask you to.”
“You’re going to.”
“Eventually.”
Peter looked at Emily.
“I never entered your room.”
“Who did?”
He glanced toward the window.
“Victoria.”
Emily’s fists tightened beneath the table.
“When?”
“More than once.”
“Why?”
“She wanted Nora’s ledger.”
“What ledger?”
“I don’t know.”
“What happened September twelfth?”
Peter closed his eyes.
“I was told to disable the west gatehouse exterior cameras for maintenance.”
“By Victoria?”
“Yes.”
“And the interior unit?”
“I forgot about it.”
Julian leaned forward.
“Who entered the passage?”
Peter looked at him.
“Victoria.”
Emily felt the room tilt.
“She was there?”
“She entered through the conservatory service tunnel at 1:17 a.m.”
Julian’s face hardened.
“What did she do?”
“I couldn’t see inside the room. The camera only covered the passage entrance.”
“Why erase it?”
“She ordered me to.”
“Why?”
“She said she was preventing a family scandal.”
Emily whispered, “She was watching us.”
Peter shook his head.
“I don’t know what she saw.”
“Did she slide a note under the bedroom door?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did she lock us in?”
“I was told the electronic lock malfunctioned.”
“Did it?”
Peter looked away.
Rebecca said, “Mr. Daines.”
“No.”
Emily’s breath caught.
Peter swallowed.
“Victoria remotely triggered the lock from the security app at 11:14 p.m.”
Julian stood abruptly.
Rebecca told him to sit.
He did.
Barely.
Emily said, “Why put me there?”
Peter’s eyes met hers.
“I heard her arguing with Adrian earlier that week.”
“About what?”
“You.”
Emily went cold.
“What did they say?”
“Victoria said, ‘If Nora hid it with the daughter, we need the daughter inside the estate.’ Adrian said bringing you in was too dangerous.”
Emily whispered, “And September?”
Peter rubbed his face.
“She said Julian had started asking about Nora. She wanted to know whether either of you knew where the ledger was.”
“So she lured us together?”
“I think so.”
Julian said, “To spy on us.”
Peter nodded.
Emily felt violated in a way deeper than being watched.
Victoria had engineered the meeting.
Not the feelings.
Not the sex.
But the room.
The timing.
The fear.
She had treated two human beings like pieces on a board.
Rebecca asked, “Why are you telling us this?”
Peter’s face tightened.
“Because she just blamed everything on me.”
He slid his phone across the table.
An email from Victoria.
Peter, your unauthorized surveillance practices have created unacceptable exposure for the family. Counsel will be informed that you acted independently.
Peter looked at Emily.
“I did ugly things for these people.”
“Why?”
“They paid me $240,000 a year.”
The honesty stung.
Peter continued.
“My daughter starts college next fall. My wife hasn’t worked in twelve years. Every bad decision looked temporary while I was making it.”
Rebecca asked, “Will you sign an affidavit?”
“No.”
“Will you give us the original September camera backup?”
Peter’s eyes lifted.
Julian leaned forward.
“You still have it.”
Peter’s silence confirmed it.
“Where?”
“Safe.”
“Give it to us.”
Peter shook his head.
“Not for free.”
Emily stared at him.
“How much?”
“Two million dollars.”
Julian’s expression turned icy.
“That’s extortion.”
“No.” Peter stood. “That’s the price of ending six years of lies.”
He walked toward the door.
Then stopped.
“One more thing.”
Emily waited.
“The camera didn’t just record Victoria.”
“Who else?”
Peter looked directly at Julian.
May you like
“Your brother.”
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