Chapter 8 - The Man Who Called Too Quickly
Daniel sent a photograph of the notebook entry to Melanie Shaw, Mercer Grid’s general counsel.
She called within three minutes.
Too quickly.
“What exactly do you have?”
Daniel heard something in her voice.
Fear.
“Why?”
“Because if those notes are accurate, we have a potential criminal exposure.”
“We?”
“The company.”
“Or Aaron?”
“Both, depending on who approved what.”
Daniel looked through Rebecca’s living-room window.
Snow had begun again.
“Melanie, did you know about Graycap?”
A long pause.
“I knew they were a vendor.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
“I reviewed a procurement concern two years ago.”
Daniel stood.
“What concern?”
“Claire emailed me.”
His grip tightened around the phone.
“And?”
“She asked whether Graycap had gone through competitive review.”
“What did you tell her?”
“That I would look into it.”
“Did you?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
Another pause.
“The documentation appeared complete.”
“Appeared?”
“Daniel…”
“Who gave you the documentation?”
“Aaron.”
Daniel laughed once.
Hard.
“You never called Claire back.”
Silence.
“I did.”
“When?”
“She had already entered hospice. Madeline answered her phone.”
Daniel felt cold.
“What did Madeline say?”
“That Claire was sleeping most of the day and that financial discussions were increasing her anxiety.”
Claire’s letter echoed.
If Madeline tells you I was confused near the end…
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Did you document the call?”
“Yes.”
“Send it to Elena.”
“I’ll need authorization.”
“I am founder and chairman.”
“You are also on administrative leave.”
The power reversal stung.
Daniel lowered his voice.
“Melanie, if you bury this now, you become part of it.”
She did not answer.
Thirty minutes later Elena received the memo.
That small act told Daniel Melanie had chosen a side.
At least for the moment.
The next problem arrived through Sophie.
She had been quiet all afternoon.
At dinner she barely touched her food.
Finally Rebecca asked, “Sweetheart, are you hurting?”
Sophie shook her head.
“Did something happen?”
Another shake.
Ethan whispered, “She’s scared about the phone.”
Daniel turned.
“What phone?”
Sophie glared at her brother.
“You promised.”
Ethan’s lip trembled.
Daniel moved carefully.
“Sophie, nobody’s in trouble.”
She stared at her plate.
“I found Madeline’s old phone.”
“When?”
“Before Thanksgiving.”
“Where?”
“In the laundry room.”
Daniel forced himself to remain still.
“What did you do with it?”
“I hid it.”
Rebecca stopped eating.
“Where?”
“At home.”
“The Denver house?”
Sophie nodded.
“Why?”
“Because there were messages.”
Daniel’s heart rate increased.
“What messages?”
“I don’t know all the words.”
She looked embarrassed.
“There was one that said ‘trigger.’ And one said ‘trust vote.’”
Daniel and Rebecca exchanged a glance.
“Who were they from?”
“A.”
Aaron.
Daniel did not say it.
Sophie continued.
“Madeline caught me looking once.”
“What happened?”
“She said it was a work phone and if I touched it again, Ethan would get punished.”
Ethan lowered his head.
Daniel’s hands clenched beneath the table.
“Where did you hide it?”
“In Mom’s piano.”
The Denver house had been empty since the chalet incident.
Police had not searched it because the assault occurred in Vail.
Daniel immediately called Mendoza.
By midnight, detectives had obtained consent from Daniel and a warrant covering Madeline’s areas of access.
They found the phone inside the upright Steinway Claire had played every evening.
It was wedged behind the removable lower panel.
Battery dead.
Screen cracked.
But intact.
Mendoza called the following morning.
“We have the device.”
“Can you access it?”
“Digital forensics will try.”
Daniel hesitated.
“Was there anything else?”
“Yes.”
A lockbox in Madeline’s closet.
“What was inside?”
“Cash. Two passports. A prepaid phone.”
Daniel frowned.
“Passports?”
“One is hers.”
“And the other?”
Mendoza’s voice changed.
“Aaron Pike’s.”
Daniel sat down.
Why would Madeline have Aaron’s passport?
Mendoza continued.
“And there’s something else you need to know before you hear it elsewhere.”
Daniel braced.
“Aaron reported his passport stolen six months ago.”
“What?”
“He filed a police report.”
Daniel’s mind raced.
If Aaron had deliberately given it to Madeline, why report it stolen?
Unless he wanted future deniability.
Or unless she had taken it.
For the first time Daniel saw a crack between his two enemies.
Maybe Madeline and Aaron were not equal partners.
Maybe one had begun preparing to betray the other.
Then Daniel’s phone buzzed with an incoming message from an unknown number.
No text.
Only a photograph.
Sophie leaving school three months earlier, holding Madeline’s hand.
Taken from across the street.
Another photograph arrived.
Ethan at a playground.
Then Daniel entering Mercer Grid headquarters.
Under the third image appeared five words.
STOP DIGGING INTO CLAIRE’S FILES.
Daniel stared at the screen.
Someone was still watching them.
May you like
And Madeline was currently under police restrictions.
Which meant she was not working alone.
