Chapter 6 - SOMEONE INSIDE THE BUILDING
Martin immediately locked down the thirty-eighth floor.
Security checked every elevator.
Every stairwell.
Every employee badge.
Lucy wanted to leave.
Martin refused.
“I’m not keeping you prisoner.”
“It feels like it.”
“Someone threatened your life.”
“I’ve handled myself for eighteen years.”
“Not against people like this.”
Lucy stood.
“You don’t get to become protective after one hour.”
Martin flinched.
Scarlett snapped,
“He’s trying to keep you alive.”
Lucy turned.
“And you suddenly care?”
Scarlett’s jaw tightened.
“Yes.”
Lucy laughed bitterly.
“Why?”
“Because somebody just threatened my sister!”
The word hung in the room.
Both women froze.
Scarlett looked embarrassed.
Lucy looked away.
Martin’s security chief entered.
“Sir.”
“What?”
“We traced the call.”
Lucy stepped forward.
“From where?”
The chief looked uncomfortable.
“Inside this building.”
Martin’s face changed.
“What floor?”
“Thirty-seven.”
Everyone stared.
That floor housed executive finance and legal operations.
Martin asked,
“Who’s still there?”
“Fourteen employees.”
“Lock it down.”
Security swept the floor.
They found one unlocked office.
CFO Daniel Mercer’s.
Daniel had worked with Martin for fourteen years.
His laptop was gone.
His desk drawers were empty.
Scarlett whispered,
“He left?”
The security chief nodded.
“His badge exited the building eleven minutes ago.”
Martin swore.
Lucy returned to Rebecca’s files.
She searched Daniel Mercer.
One folder appeared.
D.M.
Inside were hundreds of bank transfers.
Lucy opened the first.
Payments moved from Hale Meridian to a consulting firm.
Then to another company.
Then offshore.
Martin stared.
“He’s been stealing from us.”
Harold corrected him.
“No.”
Martin looked at him.
Harold pointed at the dates.
“He’s been moving money for Victor.”
Lucy opened another file.
Then another.
Millions.
Tens of millions.
Over nearly fifteen years.
Scarlett whispered,
“How did nobody catch this?”
Martin’s face hardened.
“Because Daniel controlled internal auditing.”
Lucy opened an email Rebecca had saved.
From Daniel to Victor.
R.C. has documents. We need them before she speaks to the girl.
Lucy felt sick.
“They knew Mom was dying.”
Martin read another.
If she contacts Martin directly, everything becomes unstable.
Lucy searched.
Then found another message.
Sent six months ago.
The day before Rebecca died.
Hospital situation solved. No direct contact was made.
Lucy stopped.
Martin read it twice.
“What does that mean?”
Scarlett whispered,
“Was your mother in a hospital?”
Lucy nodded slowly.
“She died at St. Catherine’s.”
Martin looked at her.
“How?”
“Heart failure.”
“She had cancer.”
“She was weak.”
Martin’s eyes narrowed.
“That message says ‘situation solved.’”
Lucy’s stomach twisted.
“No.”
Scarlett looked terrified.
“Lucy…”
“No.”
Martin grabbed the phone.
“Call the hospital.”
Lucy slammed her hand on the table.
“No!”
Everyone stopped.
“My mother died from cancer.”
Her voice cracked.
“She was sick.”
Martin approached carefully.
“We need to know.”
Lucy shook her head.
“I was holding her hand.”
Scarlett went pale.
Lucy’s tears finally came.
“She looked at me.”
Martin whispered,
“What happened?”
“She couldn’t breathe.”
Lucy wiped her face angrily.
“The nurse said her heart stopped.”
Martin looked toward the email.
Harold whispered,
“Maybe it wasn’t natural.”
Lucy stared at him.
“If you say that again…”
The security chief interrupted.
“We have another issue.”
Martin turned.
“What now?”
“Fire alarm.”
Red lights began flashing.
An alarm screamed through the building.
Scarlett looked toward the hallway.
“Is there a fire?”
The chief checked his radio.
“Server floor.”
Martin cursed.
Lucy grabbed the flash drive.
“They’re destroying records.”
Smoke entered the corridor.
Security moved everyone toward emergency stairs.
Lucy followed Martin.
Then she stopped.
“My bag.”
Martin turned.
“Leave it!”
“My mother’s original letter is inside!”
“Lucy!”
She ran back toward the conference room.
Scarlett yelled,
“Are you crazy?”
Lucy disappeared into the smoke.
Scarlett looked at Martin.
Then ran after her.
“Scarlett!”
Inside the room, smoke poured from a ventilation grate.
Lucy grabbed her purse.
A shadow appeared behind her.
She turned.
Daniel Mercer stood in the doorway.
Holding a gun.
“You should have listened to the phone call.”
Lucy froze.
Then Scarlett entered behind him.
May you like
Daniel turned.
Scarlett swung a fire extinguisher into his head.
