Chapter 13 - JULIAN'S SECOND NAME
Julian looked exhausted in the video.
"The person protecting Thomas is inside the Carter family office."
Everyone expected Preston Hale.
Julian shook his head as if answering the future.
"Not Preston."
Julian said the name.
Owen Blake.
Security chief.
The man standing beside Daniel now.
Owen reached for his weapon.
Ortiz's agents were faster.
"Owen?"
Owen did not resist.
Twenty years with the Carters.
Six years protecting Daniel.
Two years watching Lily grow up.
And before all of that, a young private security contractor paid by Thomas Whitmore.
Owen admitted placing a tracker on Julian's boat.
But he told Thomas where Julian was going.
That allowed someone else to reach the marina.
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"Preston."
Preston arranged the service call.
Thomas paid.
Owen tracked.
Three people each did a piece.
Nobody needed to hold the whole crime.
"Why stay with me?"
"Guilt."
"That isn't an answer."
"No."
He stayed because Arthur discovered his role after Julian died.
Arthur offered him a choice.
Go to police.
Or stay near Daniel and document every move Thomas made until they had enough evidence.
Owen chose the second.
Not noble.
Not clean.
But useful.
He had spent six years secretly copying Whitmore communications.
"You understand cooperation doesn't erase what you did."
"Yes."
Good.
Then Owen revealed why he had been so fast to recover the trash-bin footage.
He already suspected Thomas was preparing something.
He failed to protect Lily anyway.
"You knew danger was close and didn't warn me."
"I thought surveillance was enough."
Powerful men loved systems that let them believe watching was the same as protecting.
It was not.
Then Ortiz received the preliminary marina forensic review.
Julian's boat had been tampered with.
Fuel line cut.
Service records falsified.
One fingerprint survived inside the maintenance panel.
Preston Hale's.
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But beside it was a second print.
Margaret Carter's.
