Chapter 5: The Woman Behind the Threat
"Margaret Harrington needs protection immediately.""
Admiral Reed spoke into his phone while two agents escorted my mother toward a private office.
My mother refused to move.
"What's happening? Why is someone threatening me?""
I took her hand.
"Mom, please. Go with them.""
She looked at me, tears gathering in her eyes.
"Evelyn, I don't understand any of this.""
"I know.""
She squeezed my fingers.
"Are you going to be safe?""
I wanted to say yes.
Instead, I looked at Admiral Reed.
He gave me a small nod.
"She's safer with the agents," I answered.
My mother finally left.
The ballroom had become an evidence scene. Guests were being interviewed, phones were collected when legally authorized, and the remaining retirement decorations looked grotesquely out of place.
My father's enormous cake still stood untouched.
Forty years of military service.
A lifetime of speeches about honor.
And now federal agents were photographing his retirement gifts as potential evidence.
Celeste sat at a table with an agent beside her.
Her expensive evening dress was wrinkled, and the diamond bracelet on her wrist kept catching against the edge of the evidence table.
I approached.
"Who sent the message?""
She looked up.
"You wouldn't believe me.""
"Try me.""
She swallowed.
"Dr. Victoria Hale.""
I recognized the name.
Victoria Hale was the chief executive officer of Harrington Defense's parent company.
She had taken control of several defense manufacturing contracts after my father became chairman.
She had also attended my father's retirement ceremony that evening.
I glanced around the ballroom.
"Where is she?""
Celeste looked toward the main entrance.
"She left twenty minutes ago.""
Mercer immediately checked with his team.
"Nobody authorized her departure.""
Celeste shook her head.
"She wasn't arrested. She told Dad she had another meeting.""
My father finally spoke.
"Victoria has nothing to do with this.""
I turned toward him.
"Then why is she threatening your family?""
He rubbed his forehead.
"Victoria helped build this company. She managed our largest government contracts. She knows things about our operations that could destroy thousands of jobs.""
Admiral Reed walked over.
"Richard, are you protecting her because she's innocent, or because you know what she'll reveal?""
My father looked away.
Celeste suddenly leaned toward me.
"Victoria didn't just control the company. She controlled the people inside it.""
"Explain.""
"After the Meridian incident, she told Dad that the Navy would cancel every contract if the original reports became public. She said the company would collapse, employees would lose their pensions, and Dad would go to prison.""
My father interrupted.
"That's enough!""
Celeste flinched.
But she continued.
"She offered to make everything disappear.""
I looked at my father.
"Did she?""
He didn't answer.
Mercer placed a new document in front of Celeste.
"Ms. Harrington, we have recovered financial transfers connected to the falsified inspection records. Four million dollars entered your private account.""
Celeste stared at the paper.
"I never kept that money.""
"Where did it go?""
"Victoria told me to move it.""
"To whom?""
Celeste hesitated.
Then she pointed toward William Shaw.
"His account.""
Shaw immediately stood.
"That's a lie.""
Celeste's voice cracked.
"You told me the money was temporary. You said it was going to an offshore account until the investigation ended.""
Shaw adjusted his cuffs.
"I have never received four million dollars from you.""
Mercer looked at his colleague.
"Check the transaction records.""
The agent began typing.
My father sank into a chair.
I watched him.
"How much did you know?""
He looked at me.
"Not everything.""
"That's not an answer.""
"I knew the equipment had problems.""
The room seemed to disappear.
"What?""
He rubbed his face.
"The initial reports showed a failure rate above acceptable standards. Victoria assured me the engineering department had corrected the issue.""
"Did you see the failed tests?""
"Yes.""
"And you approved the shipment anyway?""
His eyes filled.
"Eleven thousand employees depended on that contract. We had invested everything.""
I stared at him.
"Eleven sailors depended on you to make sure the equipment worked.""
He closed his eyes.
"I made a mistake.""
"A mistake?""
My voice shook.
"I went back into that compartment three times. I couldn't feel my hands. I couldn't breathe. I heard men screaming while the walls burned around us.""
He started crying.
"I'm sorry.""
I looked at the scars on my reflection in the dark ballroom window.
"An apology doesn't give those men their lives back.""
Suddenly, Mercer received a message.
He read it twice.
"Admiral, we have a problem.""
Reed turned.
"What is it?""
"Victoria Hale's vehicle was found abandoned outside the naval club.""
"Where is she?""
"We don't know.""
Mercer showed him a photograph.
The passenger door was open.
A broken phone lay on the driver's seat.
Then the agent enlarged another image.
There was blood on the steering wheel.
My stomach tightened.
"Is she dead?""
"We haven't determined that.""
Celeste began shaking.
"She said she would disappear if the investigation reached her.""
Admiral Reed looked at her.
"Did she tell you where she would go?""
Celeste shook her head.
Then she suddenly remembered something.
"Wait.""
She reached for the table.
"She had a safe house. Near Norfolk. She used it whenever there was a problem with a government contract.""
Mercer asked for the address.
Celeste gave it.
The agent transmitted the information to the investigation team.
But before anyone could move, my phone rang.
An unknown number.
I answered.
"Captain Harrington?""
A man's voice sounded distorted.
"Listen carefully. Your sister has told you only half the truth.""
"Who is this?""
"Someone who knows what happened aboard the Meridian.""
"Then identify yourself.""
He paused.
"Ask your father why the rescue compartment was sealed from the outside.""
My blood turned cold.
I looked at Richard Harrington.
He was staring at me.
The caller continued.
"Ask him who ordered the doors locked while you were still inside.""
Then the line went dead.
I slowly lowered the phone.
Admiral Reed studied my face.
"What did he say?""
I looked at my father.
"He said the compartment was deliberately sealed.""
My father stood.
"That's impossible.""
But he wasn't looking at me.
May you like
He was looking at William Shaw.
And Shaw was already moving toward the exit.
