Chapter 6 - LOCKER 314

The locker contained a recorder.

Three cassette tapes.

A ledger.

And a photograph of Claire at sixteen.

On the back, Charles had written:

Thomas made me promise I would protect her.

I failed.

Claire sat on the floor of an evidence room while Maya inserted the first cassette into an old player.

Static.

Then Charles’s voice.

“If this recording is being heard, something has happened to Thomas or me.”

Claire covered her mouth.

Charles continued.

“Evelyn believes the company belongs to our family.”

“She is wrong.”

“Harrington Maritime exists because Thomas Donovan saved it twice.”

“He owns thirty-eight percent.”

Claire looked at Maya.

Thirty-eight.

Not twenty.

Not ten.

Thirty-eight percent.

The tape continued.

“Richard Vale has been moving company money through offshore accounts.”

“I believe Evelyn knows.”

“Thomas discovered it.”

“He intends to report everything.”

Claire whispered.

“That’s why they killed him.”

Maya held up a finger.

Charles continued.

“If Thomas dies before making his report, look at Project Northstar.”

The tape ended.

Project Northstar.

Nobody knew what it meant.

The ledger helped.

Payments had been routed through shell companies in Panama and the Cayman Islands.

Millions.

Then tens of millions.

One recurring recipient appeared.

NORTHSTAR CONSULTING.

Maya searched.

The company had dissolved thirteen years earlier.

Its registered director was Harold Price.

The family attorney.

Claire leaned back.

“So Harold moved the money.”

“Maybe.”

Maya pointed at the ledger.

“But somebody authorized it.”

That somebody was identified on tape two.

Evelyn.

Her voice was unmistakable.

“You move the money tonight.”

Then Harold.

“Thomas is watching.”

Then Evelyn again.

“Then make sure Thomas stops watching.”

Claire felt nauseated.

The recording did not prove murder.

But it proved conspiracy.

And motive.

The third tape was worse.

Thomas’s voice.

Claire’s father.

“I know what you did.”

Richard answered.

“You know what you think we did.”

“You stole seventy million dollars.”

“You signed some of the transfers.”

“Because you lied about their purpose.”

“You signed them.”

“I’m going to Charles.”

Richard laughed.

“Charles is dying.”

“He’ll still believe me.”

Then Evelyn spoke.

“No.”

Thomas went silent.

Evelyn continued.

“He’ll believe his wife.”

The recording ended.

Claire sat frozen.

Maya immediately called the district attorney.

By afternoon, investigators had enough to request financial warrants.

But someone was already moving faster.

At Harrington Maritime, Preston discovered Richard ordering servers wiped.

“What are you doing?”

Richard turned.

“Routine security maintenance.”

“Bullshit.”

Preston stepped between Richard and the server room.

“You’re deleting records.”

Richard smiled.

“You’ve finally developed a backbone.”

“Did you kill Thomas Donovan?”

Richard’s smile disappeared.

“Move.”

“No.”

Richard stepped closer.

“You’re not your father.”

“I know.”

Preston looked him directly in the eyes.

“My father trusted people too much.”

Richard laughed.

“And you trust yourself too much.”

He punched Preston.

Preston fell.

Richard grabbed the laptop containing the deletion authorization.

He ran.

Preston tackled him near the elevator.

They crashed into a glass wall.

Employees screamed.

Richard drove an elbow into Preston’s ribs.

Preston refused to release him.

Security arrived.

Richard was restrained.

Preston sat bleeding on the floor.

He called Claire.

She answered.

“What?”

“I stopped Richard from wiping the servers.”

Claire went silent.

“Why?”

Preston looked at Richard struggling against security.

“Because you were right.”

“About what?”

“I spent my whole life refusing to look.”

He wiped blood from his mouth.

“I’m looking now.”

Claire said nothing.

Then Preston added:

“And I found something.”

“What?”

“A payment made three days before your father died.”

“To who?”

Preston stared at the transaction on the laptop.

“Not Richard.”

“Then who?”

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