Chapter 6 - Sophie’s Twelve Percent
Claire had never known Michael owned twelve percent of her family company.
That ignorance shamed her.
“He invested twelve million dollars,” Hannah Brooks explained. “The shareholder agreement gave him twelve percent noncontrolling voting stock.”
“Why didn’t I know?”
Hannah looked uncomfortable.
“You were not involved in that financing round.”
“I was executive vice president.”
“Leonard handled family capitalization privately.”
Of course he had.
Leonard had compartmentalized everyone.
Claire ran operations.
William handled fleet acquisitions.
Michael developed software and compliance systems.
Leonard kept ownership architecture to himself.
After Michael’s supposed death, his twelve percent should have passed through his estate according to his will.
The will named Sophie as beneficiary through a trust until age twenty-five.
Instead, a stock transfer document showed Michael selling his shares back to Leonard Family Holdings.
The signature date came eleven days after the Baja crash.
Claire stared at it.
“Another forged document.”
Hannah nodded.
“If authenticated as fraudulent, Sophie may still have a claim to those shares or their value.”
Richard’s warning suddenly made sense.
This was not only about old crimes.
It was about present control.
Ashford Aviation had grown dramatically in five years.
Twelve percent was now worth approximately $94 million.
More importantly, the shares carried voting rights.
Claire personally controlled thirty-one percent.
William controlled sixteen.
Various trusts and directors held the rest.
If Sophie’s twelve percent were restored, Claire could effectively control the company through her own shares plus fiduciary authority over Sophie’s trust—subject to court oversight.
Richard had married into a family where a child unknowingly held the balance of power.
Claire’s stomach turned.
“Did he know?”
Hannah answered carefully.
“Richard supervised corporate strategy. It would be surprising if he didn’t.”
At home, Sophie sat on the floor repairing her letter with transparent tape.
Claire watched from the doorway.
“Can I come in?”
Sophie shrugged.
Claire sat beside her.
“Your dad owned part of the company.”
Sophie looked up.
“How much?”
“Enough that it matters.”
“Did Grandpa take it?”
Claire hesitated.
“I think Grandpa used papers that weren’t true.”
Sophie frowned.
“Stealing?”
“Maybe.”
“Why do grown-ups call stealing different words?”
Claire almost laughed.
“Because sometimes grown-ups are cowards.”
Sophie pressed another strip of tape onto Michael’s letter.
“Was Grandpa bad?”
Claire looked at her father’s photograph across the room.
Leonard holding Sophie as a baby.
Smiling.
People were easier when dead if you allowed memory to edit them.
“I think Grandpa loved you.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Claire looked back at her daughter.
“No.”
Sophie waited.
Claire swallowed.
“I think your grandfather did bad things.”
Sophie considered that.
“Richard says Dad was bad.”
“He might have made mistakes too.”
“But you don’t know.”
“No.”
Sophie nodded.
“Then don’t say he did.”
Claire realized her daughter was demanding a standard none of the adults had used.
Evidence.
That evening Elena called.
“Someone came to my apartment.”
Claire stood.
“Who?”
“I don’t know. Nothing was stolen.”
“What happened?”
“My desk was searched.”
“Call police.”
“I did.”
“Do you have cameras?”
“Yes.”
The hallway footage showed a man in a baseball cap entering with a copied key.
His face remained partially hidden.
But on his wrist was a company security badge.
Ashford Aviation.
Claire sent the image to Marcus Dean.
He identified the man.
Troy Becker.
Richard’s former Northstar employee, now deputy head of Ashford corporate security.
Troy stopped answering calls.
His company vehicle was found abandoned near Stamford.
Richard denied contacting him.
Then Claire received a text from an unknown number.
STOP USING THE GIRL’S SHARES AS AN EXCUSE TO DIG UP THE DEAD.
Attached was a photograph of Sophie leaving school three months earlier.
Claire’s blood ran cold.
Someone had been monitoring her daughter long before the jet incident.
Reyes ordered additional protection.
Hannah sought an emergency restraining order against Richard.
The court granted temporary no-contact conditions regarding Sophie.
But Richard’s lawyers attacked Claire in return.
They filed papers asserting Claire was using the assault accusation to seize sole control of marital assets and corporate voting rights.
Richard claimed the marriage had been deteriorating.
That part was true.
Claire had not admitted it to anyone.
For nearly a year, she and Richard had been fighting about Sophie.
Richard called the girl “stuck in grief.”
Claire called him impatient.
Richard wanted Michael’s belongings removed from Sophie’s room.
Claire resisted.
Sometimes.
Other times she compromised.
A photograph moved to a drawer.
A birthday card packed away.
A box of Michael’s books sent to storage.
Tiny concessions.
Now Claire saw a pattern.
Richard had not suddenly become threatened by Michael on the jet.
He had spent years erasing him gradually.
The locket and letter were merely the first time he had been forced to erase evidence in public.
Then Reyes called.
Troy Becker had been found.
Alive.
He had walked into a federal field office with an attorney.
“He wants immunity,” Reyes said.
“For what?”
“He says he has information about Michael.”
Claire gripped the phone.
“What information?”
Reyes paused.
“Troy says Richard ordered him to follow Michael after the Hangar 12 meeting.”
“And?”
“He says Michael never made it out of Connecticut that night.”
Claire stopped breathing.
“But the archive showed Richard driving him away.”
“Yes.”
“Where did they go?”
Reyes’s voice became quieter.
“A house in Litchfield County owned through one of Leonard’s holding companies.”
Claire knew the property.
Her father’s hunting lodge.
She had not been there since childhood.
Reyes continued.
“Troy says Michael was kept there for three days.”
Sophie entered the room.
Claire turned away from her.
“Why?”
“Until he agreed to sign something.”
“What?”
“The transfer of his twelve percent.”
Claire looked at the forged stock sale again.
Her heart pounded.
“And did he sign?”
“No.”
“Then who did?”
“Troy says Richard did.”
Claire closed her eyes.
Reyes was not finished.
“Claire, there’s something else.”
“What?”
“Michael escaped.”
Hope struck so suddenly it hurt.
“When?”
“The third night.”
“Where did he go?”
“We don’t know yet.”
Then Reyes added:
“But according to Troy, when Richard realized Michael was gone, Leonard said one sentence.”
Claire’s hand tightened around the phone.
“What sentence?”
May you like
Reyes answered.
“Find him before Claire finds out we buried the wrong man.”
