Chapter 3: Camera Twelve
I forgot about the pain in my cheek.
“What was recorded?””
Kevin said nothing.
Dad stepped between us.
“Answer her.””
“I can't.””
“You can,” Dad said.
“And you will.””
Harrison Caldwell watched from the other side of the room with an expression I couldn't read.
Ryan looked confused.
“What's he talking about?””
Harrison ignored his son.
Dad pulled out his phone.
“Security control. Conference room. Now.””
Kevin's head snapped up.
“Mr. Bennett, please.””
That frightened me more than anything else.
Ten minutes earlier, Kevin had been willing to humiliate me to protect Ryan.
Now he looked terrified.
A minute later, our head of security, Marcus Reed, entered carrying a tablet.
“Sir?””
“Camera Twelve.””
Marcus frowned.
“North lobby angle.””
“I want everything from tonight.””
Marcus tapped the screen.
Then stopped.
His eyebrows drew together.
“That's strange.””
“What?””
“The archive begins at 9:17.””
I checked the clock.
It was 9:46.
Dad's voice hardened.
“Where's everything before 9:17?””
“Deleted.””
Kevin immediately said, “System error.””
Marcus looked at him.
“Our system doesn't delete thirty-seven minutes because of an error.””
Dad turned toward Kevin.
“Who has deletion access?””
Marcus hesitated.
“You. Me. Mr. Marsh.””
Dad looked at Kevin.
Kevin's face had gone gray.
I stepped closer.
“What happened before Ryan arrived?””
“Nothing.””
“Then why delete it?””
“I didn't.””
Marcus tapped again.
“Actually…”
Kevin's eyes widened.
Marcus turned the tablet toward Dad.
“The deletion was authorized under Kevin's employee credentials at 9:19.””
Nobody spoke.
Kevin wiped sweat from his forehead.
“My login must have been compromised.””
Dad stared at him.
“Give me your access card.””
“Charles—”
“I'm not Charles to you right now.””
Kevin slowly removed his card.
Dad took it.
“You're suspended.””
Kevin looked toward Harrison.
That tiny movement gave him away.
Dad saw it.
So did I.
“Why do you keep looking at him?”” I asked.
Kevin froze.
Harrison's expression remained perfectly calm.
Dad turned toward Harrison.
“Do you know something about this?””
Harrison shrugged.
“I know Kevin Marsh has been extremely helpful during due diligence.””
My stomach tightened.
“Helpful how?””
Martin suddenly looked uncomfortable.
Dad noticed.
“Martin?””
Martin avoided his eyes.
“Charles, there have been conversations.””
“What conversations?””
“Operational discussions with Caldwell's team.””
“Without me?””
“They're acquiring control.””
“They were acquiring control.””
Harrison smiled thinly.
“Semantics.””
Dad ignored him.
“What was on Camera Twelve?””
Kevin suddenly headed for the door.
Marcus blocked him.
“Move,” Kevin snapped.
“Don't.””
Dad didn't raise his voice.
Kevin stopped.
I walked toward the glass wall.
Camera Twelve hung above the concierge corridor.
From there, it captured the entrance to Dad's executive offices.
Then I remembered something.
At around eight forty, before Ryan arrived, I'd seen Kevin carrying a cardboard file box toward the service elevator.
At the time, I hadn't thought anything of it.
Now I did.
“Kevin.””
He wouldn't look at me.
“You were moving files earlier.””
His face changed.
Dad looked at me.
“What files?””
“I don't know. He had a box.””
Kevin shook his head.
“Old personnel records.””
“Where did you take them?”” Dad asked.
“Storage.””
Marcus immediately radioed downstairs.
“Security to basement records storage. Check for a cardboard archive box delivered within the last hour.””
Kevin lunged for Marcus's radio.
Marcus caught his wrist.
“Don't touch me!””
Dad stared at him.
“What is in that box?””
Kevin's breathing became shallow.
Harrison finally spoke.
“Charles, this has gone far enough.””
Dad slowly turned.
“Interesting.””
“What?””
“Five minutes ago you wanted everything handled privately because of Ryan.””
Harrison said nothing.
“Now you're trying to stop me from investigating my own employee.””
“You're upset.””
“No.””
Dad's voice was ice.
“I'm becoming curious.””
Ryan looked between the adults.
“Dad, can we just leave?””
“No,” Harrison said.
The answer came too quickly.
Ryan noticed.
So did I.
Marcus's radio crackled.
“Mr. Reed?””
Marcus raised it.
“Go.””
“We found the box.””
Kevin closed his eyes.
The officer continued.
“It's not personnel records.””
Dad held out his hand for the radio.
“What is it?””
A pause.
“Original financial documents, sir. Vendor agreements. Payroll reports. Internal audits.””
Martin swore quietly.
Dad looked at him.
“You know what those are?””
Martin said nothing.
Dad stepped closer.
“Martin.””
“They're due-diligence documents.””
“Why are originals being removed from my executive office?””
Harrison picked up his briefcase.
“This is no longer relevant to tonight's incident.””
Dad laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
“I think it's becoming extremely relevant.””
Harrison walked toward the door.
Marcus blocked him too.
“You cannot detain me,” Harrison said.
“No one is detaining you,” Dad replied.
“You're free to leave.””
Harrison's gaze moved to Kevin.
“But Kevin stays.””
For the first time, Harrison lost his composure.
It lasted less than a second.
But I saw it.
Dad did too.
Kevin suddenly blurted, “I didn't have a choice.””
Harrison spun around.
“Be quiet.””
The room went still.
Dad looked at Kevin.
“What did he make you do?””
Harrison stepped toward him.
“Kevin.””
Kevin's hands were shaking.
“You promised I'd be protected.””
“Stop talking.””
“You said after the acquisition closed, I'd be regional vice president.””
Martin stared at Harrison.
Dad didn't move.
Kevin's words came faster.
“You said Bennett would be gone by Christmas.””
My father's face changed.
“What?””
Kevin looked sick.
“The hotel wasn't the real target.””
Dad walked closer.
“What was?””
Kevin stared at Harrison.
Harrison's jaw clenched.
Ryan looked at his father.
“Dad, what is he talking about?””
Kevin swallowed.
“They needed the internal audits before Friday.””
“Why?”” I asked.
“Because there are numbers in those files Caldwell's lawyers can't let Charles see before he signs.””
Harrison stepped forward.
“That is enough.””
Kevin laughed nervously.
“No, I'm not taking the fall for you.””
Dad held out his hand to Marcus.
“Give me the tablet.””
Marcus passed it over.
Dad opened the audit directory.
Several files had been accessed that evening.
One name appeared again and again.
Caldwell Urban Holdings.
Dad's eyes narrowed.
“Harrison.””
Harrison remained silent.
Dad opened the latest audit.
He read.
Then his face went completely still.
“Martin.””
Martin stepped closer.
Dad showed him the screen.
Martin's mouth fell open.
“What?”” I asked.
Nobody answered.
“Dad?””
He looked at Harrison.
“You knew.””
Harrison said nothing.
“You knew before you offered to buy this hotel.””
Ryan moved toward his father.
“Knew what?””
Dad turned the tablet toward me.
The report contained pages of transactions I didn't understand.
But one number stood out.
$86,400,000.
Beneath it was a company name.
And beside that name was a red warning:
*UNDISCLOSED LIABILITY — POTENTIAL FRAUD INVESTIGATION.*
My stomach dropped.
Dad looked at Harrison.
“You weren't buying this hotel.””
Harrison's expression became cold.
“You should speak to counsel before making accusations.””
“You were trying to bury something.””
Kevin suddenly shook his head.
“No. It's worse.””
Everyone looked at him.
Kevin's eyes met mine.
“The eighty-six million isn't the secret.””
Harrison shouted.
“Kevin!””
But Kevin kept talking.
He pointed at the tablet in my father's hands.
“Open the ownership attachment.””
Dad tapped the file.
A document appeared.
I watched his eyes move across the page.
Then stop.
My father looked at me.
Not Harrison.
Not Kevin.
Me.
“What?”” I whispered.
His face had lost all color.
“Emily…”
I stepped closer.
“What is it?””
He turned the screen around.
At the top was a corporate ownership declaration dated twenty-three years earlier.
My birth year.
At the bottom was a signature I recognized instantly.
My mother's.
And beneath her name was a sentence that made the entire room disappear around me:
*Sole beneficial interest transfers irrevocably to Emily Bennett upon her twenty-fifth birthday.*
My twenty-fifth birthday had been three weeks ago.
I looked up at Dad.
“What does this mean?””
May you like
Before he could answer, Harrison spoke from behind me.
“It means, Emily, that your father hasn't told you who actually owns this hotel.””
