Chapter 15 - The Man Who Opened the Safe
Evan Price admitted Patricia had ordered him to remove the original flash drive from the bridal suite.
“She told me it contained confidential company data Elena had taken without permission.”
“And the note?” I asked.
His face tightened.
“That was Daniel.”
YOU SHOULD HAVE SERVED THE WHISKEY.
The words felt even uglier now.
“Why are you confessing?”
“Because I saw what was on the drive after I copied it.”
Evan had been Mercer Construction’s outside controller for six years. He said Patricia kept him close by reminding him that his firm depended on Mercer contracts.
“What did you find?” Maya asked.
“Enough to know the refinancing was not rescue financing.”
He handed us a memory card.
On it were PDF scans from the archive box Daniel had removed from Commerce Street.
Evan had copied them before Daniel took the box.
The reserve account had once held $4.2 million.
Over five years, most of it had been moved into related-party vendors.
Blue Alder.
Redline.
West Ridge.
And one company I had never seen before.
PJM Advisory.
The initials made Howard close his eyes.
Patricia Jane Mercer.
Evan pointed to a line near the bottom of the last statement.
A transfer of $730,000 had been approved six months earlier.
The beneficiary account belonged to a trust.
Not Daniel’s.
Not Patricia’s.
Mark’s.
Everyone looked at him.
Mark stepped back.
“I have never seen that account.”
Howard whispered, “Patricia used your name.”
Mark’s face went gray.
Then my phone rang.
Daniel.
I answered on speaker.
He did not say hello.
“Do not trust Mark.”
Mark stared at the phone.
May you like
Daniel continued.
“Ask him where he was Friday night when your guaranty was submitted.”
