Chapter 6 - THE MAN IN THE SEDAN
Daniel ran outside.
The sedan took off before he reached the curb.
He pulled out his phone and photographed the plate.
Claire locked the door behind him.
I turned on her.
“You know him?”
She nodded.
“His name is Grant Lyle.”
“Who is he?”
“He handled problems for the Vale family.”
Daniel came back inside.
“What kind of problems?”
Claire stared at him.
“The kind wealthy families don’t want attached to their names.”
His face darkened.
“How do you know him?”
Claire sat slowly.
“Because I worked for your father.”
Daniel froze.
“You what?”
“Robert Vale hired me as an executive assistant before I opened this salon.”
I stared at her.
“You never told me.”
“I didn’t know who you were when I hired you.”
“For four years?”
“I knew your first name. Elena isn’t exactly rare.”
She looked embarrassed.
“Then I found your emergency contact form six months after you started. Elena Morales.”
My stomach tightened.
“And you still said nothing.”
“I was scared.”
“Of what?”
Claire looked toward the window.
“Of that man.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“What did Grant do?”
She folded her hands.
“Ten years ago, your mother came into your father’s office after hours. Grant was with her.”
“What did they want?”
“A personnel file.”
“Whose?”
Claire looked at me.
“Yours.”
I felt cold.
“I never worked for Vale Industries.”
“No. But you helped Robert with the Vale Foundation’s books.”
I had almost forgotten.
Three months before everything fell apart, Daniel’s father had asked me to help categorize receipts for a charity event.
I was studying accounting then.
I noticed something.
A wire transfer.
Two point four million dollars.
Foundation money sent to a company I couldn’t identify.
I had asked Robert about it.
His face had changed.
He told me not to mention it to anyone.
A week later, Vivian stopped inviting me to family dinners.
A month later, my marriage ended.
Daniel was watching me.
“What did you find?”
“I don’t know.”
“Elena.”
“It was years ago.”
“You remembered something.”
I told him.
When I said the amount, Claire’s face went white.
“Two point four million?”
“Yes.”
She stood.
“Oh, God.”
“What?”
“I typed a memo for Robert.”
Daniel’s voice hardened.
“What memo?”
“He asked outside auditors to investigate missing foundation funds.”
“Did they?”
“I don’t know. Your mother told me the review was canceled.”
Daniel looked at me.
“So this wasn’t only about us.”
Claire shook her head.
“I don’t think so.”
My phone rang.
Mia’s school.
I answered immediately.
“Hello?”
“Ms. Morales?”
“Yes.”
“This is Principal Warren. There’s been an incident.”
My body went cold.
“What happened?”
“A man came to the office asking to pick up Mia.”
Daniel was beside me now.
“Who?”
The principal continued.
“He said he was her grandfather’s representative.”
“My father is dead.”
“We know. That’s why we called.”
“Where is Mia?”
“She’s safe.”
I could breathe again.
Then the principal said, “The man left when we asked for identification.”
Daniel showed me the photo he had taken of the black sedan.
I emailed it to the school.
Thirty seconds later, the principal called back.
Her voice shook.
“That’s him.”
May you like
Grant Lyle had followed me from the salon.
Then he had gone after my daughter.
