Chapter 6 - THE BROTHER'S SECRET
Evelyn turned toward Noah.
He didn't deny it.
That frightened her.
"Noah?"
His face had gone pale.
"I can explain."
"Then explain."
"I went to Dad's office."
"When?"
"Around eleven fifty."
"You never told me."
"I couldn't."
"Why?"
Noah looked toward Martin.
"You promised."
Martin lowered his head.
Evelyn stood.
"What happened?"
Noah rubbed both hands across his face.
"Dad called me."
"Why?"
"He said he had finally figured out who was authorizing the transfers."
Evelyn's heart hammered.
"Who?"
Noah looked at her.
"He wouldn't tell me over the phone."
"So you went there."
"Yes."
"Was he alive?"
"Of course."
"Was he sick?"
"He looked terrible."
"What happened?"
Noah paced toward the window.
"He gave me documents."
"What documents?"
"Bank records."
"Where are they?"
"I hid them."
"For eleven months?"
"I was scared."
Evelyn stared at her brother.
"Of whom?"
Noah turned around.
"Of you."
The words hit harder than she expected.
"Me?"
"Dad showed me transactions approved using your authorization code."
Evelyn shook her head.
"That's impossible."
"I know that now."
"But you didn't then."
"No."
"So you thought I was stealing from our own company?"
"I didn't know what to think."
"Why didn't you confront me?"
"Because Dad collapsed ten minutes after I left."
Evelyn went silent.
Noah's eyes filled with tears.
"I thought maybe somebody had discovered what he knew."
"And you thought that somebody might be me."
"I'm sorry."
Evelyn stepped away from him.
Her own brother had suspected her for almost a year.
Adrian watched silently.
Martin looked miserable.
"Where are the records?" Evelyn asked.
Noah reached inside his jacket.
He removed a key.
"Union Station."
"A locker?"
"Yes."
"Let's go."
They left through the hotel's private service entrance.
Adrian insisted on coming.
Evelyn didn't stop him.
Forty minutes later, they entered Union Station.
The building was nearly empty.
Noah led them toward a row of storage lockers.
Number 417.
He inserted the key.
The locker was empty.
Noah froze.
"No."
"What?"
"It was here."
Evelyn looked inside.
Nothing.
Noah checked the neighboring lockers.
"I put everything here."
Adrian examined the lock.
"No damage."
"Someone had a key," Evelyn said.
Then she noticed something taped to the inside wall.
A photograph.
She pulled it free.
It showed Evelyn entering Carrington Global headquarters two weeks earlier.
Someone had taken it from across the street.
On the back was a handwritten message.
STOP DIGGING OR YOU'LL JOIN CHARLES.
Adrian immediately reached for his phone.
"We're calling the police."
Evelyn grabbed his wrist.
"No."
"Someone threatened your life."
"Exactly."
"Which is why—"
"If Richard has people inside my company, I don't know who else he owns."
Noah stared at the photograph.
"Then what do we do?"
Evelyn looked at him.
"We make Richard believe we're scared."
Adrian understood first.
"You want him to think you're backing down."
"I want him comfortable."
"And then?"
May you like
Evelyn folded the photograph.
"Then we find Elena Ward before he does."
