Chapter 8: The Assistant Who Knew Too Much
Olivia Grant was standing beside the reception desk when we arrived at Reed Meridian's headquarters.
She wore a cream-colored blouse and black trousers.
Her handbag rested on the floor.
A security officer stood several feet behind her.
The moment she saw me, she looked toward the elevators.
"Olivia," I said.
She swallowed.
"Mr. Reed.""
"Going somewhere?""
"I was just leaving.""
"After trying to access our private archive?""
Her face turned pale.
"I needed a personal document.""
"At eleven o'clock at night?""
She glanced toward Michael.
"Can we talk privately?""
I studied her expression.
She wasn't acting like someone caught stealing money.
She looked terrified.
"Come to my office.""
Olivia followed us upstairs.
Once inside, Michael closed the door.
I remained standing.
"Tell me why you attempted to access the archive.""
She placed her handbag on the chair.
"Daniel asked me to.""
"Where is Daniel?""
"I don't know.""
"Don't lie to me.""
She looked at the floor.
"I haven't seen him in two days.""
"What did he want from the archive?""
"An old medical file.""
I froze.
"What medical file?""
Olivia looked at Eleanor.
Her eyes widened.
"You found the letter.""
Eleanor stepped forward.
"Olivia, your father would have wanted you to tell the truth.""
The young woman began crying.
I stared at Eleanor.
"Her father?""
Eleanor nodded.
"Olivia is Margaret Ellis's daughter.""
The name hit me immediately.
The nurse who had written the statement about Daniel's visit to our father.
Olivia wiped her cheeks.
"My mother died three years ago. She kept records of everything that happened that night.""
I pulled out a chair.
"Why didn't you tell me this before?""
"Because Daniel threatened my family.""
Michael leaned forward.
"How?""
"He said he had documents proving my mother had stolen medication from the hospital. He said he could ruin her reputation even after her death.""
Eleanor frowned.
"That's absurd. Margaret was one of the most respected nurses at that hospital.""
"I know," Olivia whispered.
"But Daniel had photographs. He showed them to me.""
I looked at her.
"Why were you working for him?""
"He hired me after my mother died. He said he wanted to help me.""
"And then?""
"He started asking questions about the hospital.""
"What questions?""
"Whether my mother kept copies of her statements. Whether she remembered what happened after your father was admitted.""
I sat down.
"Did she?""
Olivia nodded.
"She kept a recording.""
Silence filled the room.
"What recording?""
Olivia opened her handbag and removed a small USB drive.
"My mother recorded the conversation outside your father's room that night. She said she wanted proof in case someone tried to blame her for what happened.""
She placed the drive on the desk.
Michael connected it to the secure computer.
A digital audio file appeared.
Olivia nodded.
"That's it.""
I pressed play.
At first, there was only static.
Then a man's voice emerged.
My father's voice.
"Daniel, I know what you've been doing.""
A second voice answered.
My brother.
"Then you should have stayed out of it.""
"Those accounts were opened using your mother's identity.""
"You can't prove that.""
"I have the documents.""
A chair scraped against the floor.
Then Daniel spoke again.
"You always choose Marcus.""
My father's voice became quieter.
"Your brother didn't steal from this family.""
"He got everything!""
"That's not true.""
"You're leaving him the company. You're leaving him the trust. What am I supposed to have?""
"Your share. Your future. A chance to build something of your own.""
"I don't want a share. I want control.""
A long silence followed.
Then my father said something that made my chest tighten.
"Daniel, if you continue, you'll lose more than the company. You'll lose your brother.""
The recording ended with footsteps and a door closing.
I stared at the screen.
"Is that all?""
Olivia shook her head.
"No. There's another recording.""
She opened a second file.
This one was shorter.
My father's voice was weak.
"Margaret, please listen to me. If anything happens, make sure Marcus knows the truth about his mother.""
Then came the nurse's voice.
"What truth?""
My father answered:
"Patricia never knew what Daniel was doing. Someone used her identity after she died. But the person who helped him wasn't Daniel.""
My stomach tightened.
"Who was it?""
My father's voice faded.
"His mother.""
I looked at Eleanor.
She shook her head slowly.
"Your father was referring to his mother-in-law.""
My maternal grandmother.
She had died four years before my father.
But the next sentence made the situation even stranger.
"She left instructions with someone. Someone who still has the original account records.""
I paused the recording.
"Who?""
Olivia looked at me.
"I don't know.""
Then she reached into her handbag again.
This time, she removed a small photograph.
It showed Daniel standing beside an older man outside a private bank.
I recognized the man immediately.
Richard Whitmore.
Ethan's father.
The photograph was dated seven years earlier.
"Why did you keep this?"" I asked.
Olivia lowered her eyes.
"Because my mother said your father wasn't afraid of Daniel.""
"Then who was he afraid of?""
She hesitated.
"Richard Whitmore.""
Michael stepped closer.
"Why would Whitmore be involved seven years ago?""
Olivia took a shaky breath.
"Because he was already working with Daniel.""
I stared at her.
"What were they doing?""
"Moving money out of your father's company.""
I felt my stomach turn.
"How much?""
"More than two million dollars.""
Michael immediately checked his phone.
"That would explain the unexplained losses from the old property accounts.""
I looked back at Olivia.
"Why didn't you come forward sooner?""
"Because Daniel told me my mother had taken money from your father. He said she would be blamed if I exposed anything.""
Eleanor took the photograph.
"Olivia, your mother was trying to protect you.""
The young woman nodded.
Then she whispered:
"There's one more person you need to speak to.""
"Who?""
"Your grandmother's former accountant.""
I frowned.
"My grandmother's accountant died years ago.""
Olivia shook her head.
"No. He changed his name and moved to Savannah.""
"Why would he do that?""
"Because he witnessed the original transfer.""
"Which transfer?""
She looked at me.
"The transfer that proves your father never legally owned all the money Daniel and Richard Whitmore stole.""
Before I could ask another question, Michael's phone rang.
He answered.
"Hello?""
His expression changed immediately.
"What do you mean the building is on fire?""
I stood.
"Which building?""
Michael covered the microphone.
"The downtown storage facility.""
My blood ran cold.
"Where the original documents were stored?""
He nodded.
Then he returned to the call.
"Is everyone safe?""
A pause.
"Did anyone see who started it?""
He listened.
Then his face drained of color.
"Understood.""
He ended the call.
"What happened?"" I demanded.
Michael looked at me.
"The fire department found an accelerant near the archive entrance.""
"Was anything destroyed?""
"Most of the documents were damaged.""
I closed my eyes.
Then Michael delivered the final blow.
"They recovered a security camera.""
"Good. Did it capture anything?""
He swallowed.
"Yes.""
"Who?""
Michael turned his phone toward me.
The photograph showed a man standing beside the storage facility shortly before the fire began.
It was Daniel.
But he wasn't alone.
Standing beside him was someone I had never expected to see.
My former chief financial officer.
Michael Turner.
I slowly looked up.
May you like
Michael was standing right in front of me.
And he was staring at the photograph with an expression that told me he knew exactly what it meant.
