Chapter 8 - Someone Was Watching
Evelyn moved us again.
No argument.
No debate.
We left the apartment within an hour.
Noah thought it was an adventure.
A new place.
A hotel with room service.
A pool he could not use because we were “too busy.”
I hated lying to him.
But fear had changed the rules.
Agent Blake reviewed the photograph.
“Could be intimidation.”
“Could?”
“Could also be someone trying to push you into contact.”
“With Daniel?”
“Or Vale.”
I looked at the image.
The angle came from across the street.
Long lens.
Professional enough.
“What ledger?”
Blake didn’t answer.
“You know.”
He sighed.
“We believe Vale maintained a private ledger documenting off-book payments to public officials and contractors.”
“And Daniel has it?”
“We don’t know.”
“But someone thinks he does.”
“Yes.”
“And someone thinks it implicates me.”
“We don’t know that either.”
I laughed without humor.
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
Blake leaned forward.
“Claire, if you have ever signed documents tied to Mercer Construction without reviewing them—”
“I did.”
He stopped.
“How often?”
“Years ago, sometimes Daniel would bring things home.”
“What kind?”
“Vendor approvals. Loan papers. Board consents.”
“You signed without reading?”
“Sometimes.”
There it was.
The thing smart people hate admitting.
Trust can make you careless.
Especially when it wears your husband’s face.
Blake nodded slowly.
“That could be the vulnerability.”
I felt sick.
The next morning, Vanessa surfaced.
She did not turn herself in.
She called me from a blocked number.
“I need immunity.”
“I’m not a prosecutor.”
“You know people now.”
“I know investigators.”
“Same difference.”
“No.”
She inhaled sharply.
“Daniel has the Vale ledger.”
“Where is he?”
“Moving.”
“With Vale?”
“Not anymore.”
“What happened?”
“Daniel stole it from him.”
My grip tightened.
“Why?”
“Insurance.”
“Against whom?”
“Everyone.”
Then Vanessa laughed once.
“He always needed insurance.”
“What does the ledger say about me?”
Silence.
“Vanessa.”
“There are entries under your initials.”
My stomach dropped.
“C.M.?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“Over one million.”
“That’s impossible.”
“I know.”
I stopped.
“You know?”
“Daniel told me years ago he needed a clean name.”
My voice turned quiet.
“He used mine.”
“Yes.”
I closed my eyes.
There it was.
Confirmation.
Daniel had built a second identity using my name.
Not just for company theft.
For bribery payments.
Then Vanessa said, “There’s one more thing.”
“What?”
“He has been paying someone inside law enforcement.”
I went still.
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then how do you know?”
“Because every time Daniel thought he was about to be investigated, he got warned first.”
My eyes shifted toward Agent Blake across the room.
Vanessa whispered, “Claire, be careful who you trust.”
May you like
The line went dead.
And suddenly every badge in the room felt different.
