Chapter 7 - THE DEAD DETECTIVE
Detective Marcus Vale had officially died in 2017.
His obituary described a decorated police career.
A loving husband.
A devoted father.
A public servant.
Elena knew better.
Vale had been the officer assigned to Samuel Torres’s death.
He had signed the revised accident report.
And now security footage proved he was alive.
Julian enlarged the image.
“You’re certain?”
“I’ve spent four years staring at his photograph.”
Elena pointed to the scar above the man’s eyebrow.
“That’s him.”
Richard leaned against the desk.
“If Vale faked his death, he had help.”
Julian looked at his father.
“And Mom knew.”
Richard didn’t argue.
Elena received a notification on her phone.
Unknown number.
She opened it.
A photograph appeared.
Her apartment door.
Taken from the hallway.
Beneath it was a message.
STOP DIGGING OR YOU’LL LOSE MORE THAN YOUR MOTHER DID.
Julian saw her face.
“What happened?”
She showed him.
Richard immediately called security.
Elena grabbed his wrist.
“No police yet.”
Richard looked stunned.
“You were just threatened.”
“The detective involved in my grandfather’s case was police.”
“That was decades ago.”
“And he’s apparently alive after being declared dead.”
Julian nodded slowly.
“She’s right.”
Richard paced.
“What do you suggest?”
Elena looked at the security image.
“We find out why Victoria wanted me arrested tonight.”
Julian frowned.
“She hated that you were investigating.”
“No.”
Elena shook her head.
“She didn’t know I was investigating until tonight.”
Richard stopped moving.
Elena continued.
“She planted the necklace before she knew about the letter.”
“So something happened earlier.”
“Yes.”
She remembered Victoria entering the kitchen that afternoon.
Victoria had stared at Elena’s phone.
Then she had behaved strangely for the rest of the evening.
Elena opened her photo gallery.
The last image she had viewed before the party was a scan of Samuel’s accident file.
Beside it was another photograph.
A bank transfer.
Julian leaned closer.
“What’s that?”
“A transfer my grandfather discovered.”
“Eleven million dollars?”
“No.”
Elena enlarged the document.
“Thirty-eight million.”
Richard almost dropped the phone.
“That account belongs to Harrington Holdings.”
“It did.”
“Where did the money go?”
Elena pointed at the destination company.
Mercer Crown Investments.
Julian stared at the name.
“Mercer.”
“Your mother’s maiden name.”
Richard’s face turned gray.
“That company still exists.”
Elena looked at him.
“Who owns it?”
Richard didn’t answer.
Julian opened his laptop.
He searched corporate records.
Thirty seconds later, he stopped.
“Dad.”
Richard looked over his shoulder.
Mercer Crown Investments had one listed controlling beneficiary.
Julian Harrington.
Julian stared at the screen.
“I’ve never heard of this company.”
Elena’s blood ran cold.
Victoria hadn’t merely stolen money.
May you like
She had placed it in her son’s name.
And if federal investigators ever discovered the transfers, Julian would appear to be the person behind everything.
