Chapter 6 - THE WOMAN THEY UNDERESTIMATED
Detective Mason backed away.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Catherine slid a bank statement across the table.
“Then explain it.”
The older detective looked at his partner.
“Is this true?”
Mason said nothing.
Grant stepped toward the door.
Catherine blocked him.
“You were very confident when you entered this room.”
“My attorneys will destroy you.”
“Your attorneys don’t know what you’ve done yet.”
I moved closer to Grant.
“You thought I was just a cook.”
“You are just a cook.”
“No,” Catherine said. “She is the majority owner of Carter Distribution Cooperative.”
Hannah stared at me.
Grant stopped breathing for half a second.
After David’s death, the small suppliers he had protected formed a cooperative. I had quietly invested every insurance payment, every settlement dollar, and most of the diner’s profits into it.
For twenty years, I let other people run it publicly.
I never wanted wealth.
I wanted independence.
Carter Distribution now controlled produce, dairy, meat, and bakery supply routes for more than four hundred independent restaurants and forty:six grocery stores.
Including twelve Holloway locations.
Grant’s voice became careful.
“How much do you own?”
“Fifty:one percent.”
Margaret’s confidence cracked.
“That’s impossible.”
“Your family bought from us through three subsidiaries. You never bothered to ask who was behind them.”
My phone rang.
It was my cooperative’s director.
“Evelyn, Holloway’s people just ordered us to cancel your diner’s contracts.”
“Cancel theirs instead.”
Grant stepped toward me.
“You wouldn’t.”
“Effective immediately.”
Margaret’s mouth fell open.
Forty:six seconds later, Grant’s phone began vibrating.
Then Margaret’s.
Then both at once.
Store managers.
Regional directors.
Board members.
Without our distribution routes, several Holloway stores would run out of fresh products within twenty:four hours.
“You’re attacking thousands of employees,” Grant snapped.
“No. I’m protecting them from owners who use company money to frame abused women.”
Catherine handed the memory card to the older detective.
“Call your supervisor. And Internal Affairs.”
Grant’s eyes burned into mine.
“This isn’t over.”
“No,” I said. “It’s hour three.”
His phone rang again.
This time, when he answered, all the color left his face.
His father had just collapsed at the company headquarters.
May you like
And the board wanted Grant removed before sunset.
:::
