Chapter 6: The Voice Behind the Door
Jared ran toward the server room, but security blocked the hallway.
“The suppression system is active,” an officer said.
“Nobody enters.”
“Can you stop it?”
“Only from the control panel.
Your CFO’s credentials locked us out.”
Martin stepped from the conference room with Lauren behind him.
“Then perhaps you should have treated your CFO with more respect.”
I held up Rebecca’s second drive.
“The evidence isn’t in that room.”
Martin’s smile faded.
Lauren seized his arm.
“You said all the copies were inside.”
“I said I would handle it.”
“You promised me.”
Jared looked from one to the other.
“Keep talking.
You’re finally being honest.”
Lauren turned on him.
“You think you built this company alone?
Martin found the investors.
I entertained their wives, remembered their children, and smiled while your father looked at me as if I were an intruder.”
“I barely knew you,” I said.
“You never tried.”
“You visited me twice in three years.”
“Because every visit reminded me that Jared would always choose you.”
I stepped closer.
“He trusted you with my food, my heat, and my home.
How much more did you need?”
“All of it,” she said.
The alarm stopped.
Helen entered with two security officers.
“The remote command was blocked before discharge.
Martin’s access has been revoked.”
Martin stared at Rebecca.
“You changed the control key.”
“She did more than that,” Helen said.
“She sent the evidence to our outside counsel before the meeting.”
Lauren grabbed her handbag.
“We’re leaving.”
“No,” Jared said.
“Investigators are downstairs.”
Her hand froze on the strap.
Martin moved toward the emergency exit, but an officer blocked him.
“You cannot detain me without authority.”
“We can deny you access to private offices.”
Lauren’s phone rang.
She answered before noticing the caller’s name.
“Hello?”
A man’s voice came through loudly enough for us to hear.
“Mrs.
Blake, this is Dr.
Aaron Wells.
I will not sign the capacity statement you requested for Oscar Blake.”
Jared stared at her.
“What capacity statement?”
Lauren ended the call.
“It was a precaution.”
“You tried to have Dad declared incapable?”
“He was keeping financial records in drawers and accusing people of conspiracy.”
“He was right.”
Lauren’s eyes fixed on me.
“You forget things, Oscar.
You repeat yourself.
A judge may still decide you cannot manage your affairs.”
I raised my phone.
“Dr.
Wells, are you still there?”
The call had not ended.
“Yes, Mr.
Blake.”
“Am I your patient?”
“No.
Mrs.
Blake contacted my office and offered a generous consulting fee.
I refused.”
Lauren lunged for the phone.
Jared stepped between us.
“Don’t touch him.”
“You’re choosing a confused old man over your wife.”
“I’m choosing the man you left without heat.”
The elevator doors opened.
Two investigators entered with a bank compliance officer.
“Lauren Blake?” one asked.
She took a step backward.
Before anyone could speak again, Martin pointed at her.
“She designed the trust transfers.
I can prove it.”
Lauren slowly turned toward him.
“You said we were partners.”
“We were never partners.”
Her face changed.
Then she reached into her handbag and pulled out a folded envelope.
“You want proof?” she said.
“Ask Jared why his signature was already stored on Martin’s private server before I ever touched the trust.”
Jared’s eyes moved to Martin.
The investigator opened the envelope.
May you like
Inside was a contract signed two years before the trust had been created.
At the bottom of the page were Jared’s signature—and my own.
