Chapter 7: What Whitfield Came to Say
James Whitfield arrived on Wednesday at nine-fifteen in a charcoal suit that Ethan recognized as expensive and well-maintained.
He had always been careful with appearances.
That had not changed.
His attorney — a younger man named Pryce — carried a leather portfolio and sat slightly behind and to the right of his client, the way attorneys do when they are there as witnesses more than advocates.
Ethan sat across from them.
Patricia was present.
Raymond stood by the door.
"James," Ethan said.
"It's been a while."
"Three years." Whitfield settled into his chair with the ease of a man who was choosing to appear unbothered.
"You look well."
"Tell me why you're here."
Whitfield glanced at Pryce, then back.
"I think there may be some misunderstanding about the nature of Vela Advisory's work.
We're a consulting firm.
We provide analysis for clients in the acquisition space.
If some of that analysis happened to involve publicly available information about Carter House—"
"Your credentials accessed a non-public server partition nine weeks ago," Ethan said.
"The same credentials that were deactivated when you left this company.
They were reactivated from inside.
That's not publicly available information, James.
That's unauthorized access to a private system."
Whitfield's composure held.
"I'm not aware of any such access."
"Then someone used your credentials without your knowledge."
"That's possible."
"Then you won't mind signing a statement to that effect, so that when we report the breach to the relevant authorities, the investigation focuses elsewhere."
Pryce leaned forward and said something quietly into Whitfield's ear.
Whitfield's expression did not change, but he sat very slightly straighter.
"I think," Whitfield said carefully, "that there may be a more productive conversation to have here.
About the future.
About what Carter House could look like with the right strategic partnership."
"I'm not interested in a partnership with you."
"You were once."
"I was wrong."
Whitfield let that land, then tried a different angle.
"Marcus Hale is going to have a difficult time explaining his position.
When this becomes a legal matter — and I suspect it will — he'll be looking for arrangements of his own.
Whatever he's told you, Ethan, you should consider that his perspective is not entirely objective."
"What Marcus told me is documented.
What you did is documented." Ethan set both hands on the table.
"Here is what I want from you, James.
I want to know who told you about the trust partition.
It wasn't Marcus — he didn't have access.
It wasn't anyone inside the Reed Group.
Someone with specific knowledge of my father's estate structure pointed you toward that file." He paused.
"Who was it?"
Whitfield looked at him for a long moment.
"I'm not in a position to share that," he said.
"Then we're finished."
Whitfield didn't move.
"If I give you the name, what happens to Vela?"
"If the name is accurate, and if you cooperate fully with the documentation request Patricia sends this afternoon, I won't pursue the credential breach through criminal channels.
Vela can dissolve or reposition — that's your business.
But the Reed Group arrangement ends."
"Daniel already agreed to your terms."
"I know.
I'm asking about yours."
A long pause.
Whitfield reached into his jacket pocket, removed a business card, and wrote a name on the back.
He slid it across the table face-down.
Ethan picked it up and looked at it.
May you like
He recognized the name immediately.
It was his father's estate attorney.
