Chapter 9 - THE THIRD PLAYER

Detectives traced the call.

Burner phone.

No registration.

No easy answer.

Daniel stopped speaking entirely.

Victoria started crying.

Real tears this time.

“I want protection.”

Detective Grant crossed her arms.

“From whom?”

Victoria looked at Daniel.

Then at Patricia.

Then at me.

“I don’t know his real name.”

Daniel laughed.

“You’re unbelievable.”

She shouted, “You introduced me to him!”

Marcus leaned forward.

“Who?”

Victoria swallowed.

“He called himself Cole.”

My heart stopped.

Marcus looked at me.

He knew the name too.

Cole Danner had worked for my father.

Not as a friend.

As chief financial officer.

He disappeared from our company three weeks after my father died.

At the time, we believed he had moved overseas.

“Describe him,” Marcus said.

Victoria did.

Tall.

Gray eyes.

Scar near his left ear.

Marcus swore under his breath.

“It’s him.”

I felt dizzy.

“What does Cole have to do with Daniel?”

Victoria stared at the floor.

“He helped create the companies.”

“When?”

“Years ago.”

Daniel snapped, “Shut up.”

Victoria ignored him.

“He knew how to move money without anyone noticing.”

Marcus’s face darkened.

“That’s why the transfers were so sophisticated.”

I looked at him.

“Was Cole stealing from my father too?”

“We never proved it.”

Victoria whispered, “Your father did.”

Everything stopped again.

She continued.

“That’s why he confronted Daniel that night.”

I felt sick.

“My father knew?”

“Cole was moving company money. Daniel knew because Cole was paying him.”

Daniel suddenly surged against the officer beside him.

“She’s lying!”

Two detectives restrained him.

Victoria shouted back.

“You took the money!”

“YOU TOOK IT TOO!”

“I was twenty-seven and stupid!”

“You were greedy!”

“So were you!”

Their voices filled the foyer.

I barely heard them.

My father had known.

He had been trying to protect me.

I remembered our last conversation.

He stood in the kitchen that afternoon.

“Emily, if I ever ask you to choose between your family’s financial security and someone you love, choose security.”

I got angry.

I thought he was insulting Daniel.

“I love him, Dad.”

My father looked tired.

“I know. That’s what scares me.”

He died that night.

I covered my mouth.

Marcus put a hand on my shoulder.

“We need to reopen everything.”

Detective Grant nodded.

“We will.”

Then the estate security system beeped.

A guard ran inside.

“Mr. Reed.”

Marcus turned.

“What?”

“We found someone near the east gate.”

My heart started pounding.

“Who?”

The guard held up a wallet.

Inside was a driver’s license.

Cole Danner.

Before anyone could speak, a deafening crash came from the rear of the mansion.

Glass shattered.

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The lights went out.

And someone screamed upstairs.