Chapter 10 - THE VOICE OF A DEAD MAN
The tape was twenty-seven years old.
Ruiz had it digitally restored.
Everyone gathered in an evidence room.
Daniel.
Elena.
Rebecca.
Vanessa, under guard.
Margaret, now recovered after police found her locked inside a maintenance room at Howard Holdings.
Nobody spoke when Richard Howard’s voice began.
“I don’t know who will hear this.”
Static crackled.
“But if Rebecca is dead, then I helped cause it.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
Richard continued.
“Samuel forged Rebecca Price’s signature.”
“I knew after the transfer.”
“I could have stopped it.”
“I didn’t.”
Margaret looked down.
“I told myself the company would collapse without us.”
“I told myself Rebecca was irresponsible.”
“I told myself anything that allowed me to keep what we had stolen.”
Vanessa stared forward.
Then Richard said:
“But Samuel did not decide to remove Rebecca.”
Margaret lifted her head.
“That order came from Charles Howard.”
Daniel opened his eyes.
“My grandfather.”
Richard’s voice continued.
“My father said Rebecca would destroy the family.”
“He paid Samuel.”
“He ordered him to make her disappear.”
Rebecca covered her mouth.
Daniel looked sick.
Then came the next revelation.
“I discovered Vanessa was alive in 2004.”
Vanessa stared at the speaker.
“I knew Samuel had raised her as his own.”
“I should have told Rebecca.”
“I should have told Daniel.”
“I did neither.”
“I was a coward.”
Elena looked at Daniel.
Tears filled his eyes.
Richard continued.
“When Vanessa returned to our lives, I recognized her immediately.”
Vanessa whispered:
“You knew?”
“I watched her grow close to Daniel.”
“I suspected Samuel had sent her.”
“I let it happen because I hoped guilt would keep him quiet.”
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“So everybody used me.”
Rebecca reached toward her.
Vanessa pulled away.
The recording continued.
“I have amended the trust.”
“If Daniel has a child, the controlling shares will pass temporarily into that child’s trust.”
“Not because the child deserves Rebecca’s company.”
“But because it removes control from everyone who participated in the theft.”
Margaret closed her eyes.
“The trustee will be Elena Howard.”
Elena froze.
Daniel turned toward her.
Richard’s voice continued.
“I chose Elena because she is the only person in this family who never benefited knowingly from what we did.”
Vanessa stared at Elena.
Elena could barely breathe.
“The trustee has one instruction.”
“Return ownership to Rebecca Price or her lawful heir after an independent accounting.”
The tape stopped.
Nobody moved.
Twenty-eight years of greed had ended with one dead man finally telling the truth.
Vanessa looked at Elena.
“So you control it.”
“Temporarily.”
“You can return it.”
“Yes.”
Margaret stood.
“Absolutely not.”
Everyone turned.
Margaret’s face had changed.
Fear was gone.
Only fury remained.
“Howard Holdings employs twelve thousand people.”
“You cannot hand control to a woman who disappeared for decades.”
Rebecca stood.
“A company you stole from me.”
“I didn’t order your death.”
“You profited from it.”
Margaret looked toward Daniel.
“This is your legacy.”
Daniel stared at her.
“No.”
“It’s theft.”
Margaret flinched.
“Daniel.”
“My entire life was paid for with someone else’s loss.”
“You are a Howard.”
“Exactly.”
Daniel took Elena’s hand.
“And I’m done using that as an excuse.”
Margaret looked at Elena with hatred.
“This is what you wanted.”
Elena almost laughed.
“You think I wanted to get pushed down a staircase so I could inherit a corporate crime scene?”
“You poisoned him against us.”
“No.”
Daniel answered.
“You did that yourself.”
Margaret went silent.
Vanessa suddenly spoke.
“The money.”
Everyone turned.
“The one point eight billion.”
Ruiz stepped closer.
“Where is it?”
Vanessa looked at Rebecca.
“I can return it.”
“Then do it.”
Vanessa smiled sadly.
“There’s a problem.”
“What?”
“Samuel changed the transfer codes.”
Ruiz frowned.
“When?”
“Before he disappeared.”
“Why?”
“Because he knew I was starting to question him.”
Elena asked:
“Where is Samuel?”
Vanessa stared at her.
“I thought he was dead.”
“You said he deserved worse.”
“I lied.”
Ruiz leaned forward.
“Where is he?”
Vanessa looked toward the door.
“He was supposed to meet someone at Pier 19.”
“When?”
“Tonight.”
“What time?”
Vanessa checked the clock.
“Twenty minutes ago.”
Ruiz swore.
Officers moved.
Then Rebecca’s phone rang.
She looked at the screen.
Unknown number.
She answered.
“Hello?”
Samuel Price’s voice filled the room.
“Rebecca.”
Vanessa stood so quickly the guards grabbed her.
“Samuel!”
He laughed.
“Hello, sweetheart.”
Vanessa’s face filled with rage.
“You lied to me.”
“For your own good.”
“You stole me from my mother!”
“Your mother abandoned you.”
Rebecca shouted:
“You kidnapped her!”
Samuel sighed.
“Still dramatic after all these years.”
Ruiz signaled technicians to trace the call.
Samuel continued.
“You want the money back?”
“Yes.”
“Then bring Elena.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“No.”
Samuel laughed.
“Not you, Daniel.”
“You’ve never mattered as much as you think.”
“Elena comes alone.”
“Why?” Elena asked.
Samuel paused.
“Because she has something I need.”
“What?”
“The child.”
Daniel’s face went white.
Samuel continued.
“Richard’s trust doesn’t activate at birth.”
“It activated the moment Elena’s pregnancy was medically certified.”
Elena’s hand covered her stomach.
“And right now…”
May you like
Samuel said softly.
“…that unborn baby controls more money than anyone in this room.”
