Chapter 10 - Martin’s Last Message
The blood in Martin’s car was his.
Not enough to prove he was dead.
Enough to suggest violence.
Police found his phone smashed beneath the passenger seat.
One message remained recoverable.
Sent but not delivered.
To Nathan.
I’m sorry. Claire was right about us. Vanessa thinks she controls this, but she doesn’t know who funded Northstar.
Nathan read it twice.
“Who funded Northstar?”
Financial investigators already had the answer partially.
Banks.
Private investors.
And one large anonymous limited partner routed through Delaware.
Unmasking it required federal subpoenas.
The beneficial owner turned out to be Harold Price.
Hale Development’s board chairman.
Nathan stared at Evelyn.
“Harold?”
Caroline swore.
Harold had chaired the emergency meeting.
He had watched the milk video.
He had pretended horror.
He had also invested privately in the entity positioned to buy Vanessa’s Stamford land.
The conspiracy widened.
Nathan called a special board session without Harold.
Company counsel advised immediate recusal.
Harold refused.
“I’ve done nothing improper.”
Nathan placed Northstar documents on the table.
“You invested in a company benefiting from Hale financing while chairing our board.”
“It was a blind investment.”
“Then why did you vote to expand Vanessa’s family-office authority?”
“Because you were unstable.”
Nathan felt the old rage.
He controlled it.
“Were you paid?”
Harold stood.
“This conversation is over.”
“No. Your chairmanship is.”
The independent directors voted to suspend Harold pending investigation.
He left without shaking anyone’s hand.
Three hours later, police arrested him for obstruction after discovering he had ordered deletion of board correspondence.
Still no Martin.
Then a breakthrough.
A toll camera showed Martin’s vehicle stopping near an abandoned warehouse before it reached the river.
A second vehicle followed.
Registered to a private security contractor.
The contractor had previously worked for Northstar.
Police searched the warehouse.
Martin was alive.
He had been beaten and left restrained inside an equipment room.
At the hospital, he requested protection.
Then he asked for Nathan.
Detective Cole allowed a supervised meeting.
Martin looked terrible.
One eye swollen.
Cuts along his face.
Nathan stood at the foot of the bed.
“Why should I believe anything you say?”
“You shouldn’t.”
Martin’s voice was weak.
“Believe the records.”
“Start talking.”
Martin admitted everything.
He had helped Vanessa access financial data.
He had taken money.
He had helped create the fraudulent power of attorney.
Nathan’s jaw tightened.
“You forged my signature?”
“No. Vanessa traced it.”
“You witnessed it.”
“Yes.”
“You helped her build a case that I was mentally incompetent.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Martin looked away.
“Money.”
“At least you’re concise.”
“Then fear.”
“Of Vanessa?”
“Harold.”
Nathan went still.
Martin explained that Harold Price had discovered Vanessa’s insider-land deal early.
Instead of exposing her, he bought into it.
Harold had connections to Northstar.
He became the source of larger capital.
Vanessa gained protection.
Martin handled transactions.
Everyone profited if Hale’s Stamford project succeeded.
Claire discovered irregularities.
“She was going to fire me,” Martin whispered.
“Why didn’t she?”
“She wanted proof against Vanessa and Harold first.”
Nathan’s throat tightened.
“Did any of you cause the plane crash?”
Martin stared at him.
“No.”
“Did Vanessa?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Think?”
“She talked about Claire being an obstacle. She tracked her travel. But the crash shocked everyone.”
Nathan searched his face.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“Check what happened the day after.”
“What?”
“Vanessa panicked.”
“Why?”
“Because Claire’s death made the trust restrictions harder to undo.”
That was unexpected.
Vanessa had wanted Claire weakened or removed professionally.
But Claire’s sudden death locked her estate plan into place.
Lily’s trust.
Rosa’s protector power.
Restrictions Vanessa had hoped Claire would change under pressure.
“Then why marry me?”
“Plan B.”
Nathan almost laughed at the cruelty of it.
Martin continued.
“She knew you were vulnerable. Harold encouraged it.”
“Why?”
“Spousal access.”
Nathan stepped back.
His marriage had been an acquisition strategy.
Then Martin grabbed his wrist.
“There’s something else.”
Nathan pulled free.
“What?”
“The milk wasn’t the first incident.”
Nathan stopped.
“What do you mean?”
Martin looked ashamed.
“Vanessa sent me videos.”
“What videos?”
“She wanted proof Rosa was unsafe.”
Nathan’s blood turned cold.
“She staged things?”
Martin nodded.
“Twice.”
“What things?”
“She put a loose button near Lily’s playpen and photographed it. She moved a cleaning bottle into the nursery, then blamed Rosa.”
Nathan remembered arguments.
Vanessa telling him Rosa was careless.
He had reprimanded Rosa.
Once he had even threatened to replace her.
His stomach twisted.
“What else?”
Martin hesitated.
Nathan stepped closer.
“What else?”
“She asked me whether security cameras could be looped for ten minutes.”
“When?”
“The morning of the milk incident.”
Nathan stared.
“So she expected the footage gone.”
“Yes.”
“Why wasn’t it?”
“I told Kevin to create the loop.”
“Kevin?”
“Our security director?”
Martin nodded.
“But Kevin refused.”
Nathan remembered Kevin denying involvement.
“So Vanessa thought the camera was disabled.”
“Yes.”
That explained her confidence.
The milk incident had not been an impulsive loss of control followed by a lie.
The lie had been prepared.
The camera was supposed to be blind.
Nathan whispered, “She planned to hurt Lily.”
Martin began crying.
“I didn’t know she would do that.”
“You knew she wanted a fake incident involving my daughter.”
“I knew she wanted Rosa removed.”
“And you helped.”
Martin closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
Nathan turned away.
Then Martin called after him.
“There’s a backup.”
Nathan stopped.
“Of what?”
“Vanessa’s laptop.”
“Where?”
“She kept an encrypted drive somewhere in your house.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
Martin swallowed.
“But the password is a date.”
Nathan stared.
“What date?”
Martin looked at him.
May you like
“The day Claire died.”
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