Chapter 10 - THE NOTE IN HER HANDWRITING
The handwriting looked exactly like Emily's.
Even Evelyn stared at it too long.
"It's fake," Emily said.
Velez nodded.
"We know that."
"Do you?"
"Emily."
"Because Judith is about to tell a boardroom that I'm unstable, and now a dead finance director has a threat written in my handwriting."
Daniel examined the photocopy.
"Grant had samples."
"He had my whole life."
Evan had been shot once.
No weapon was found.
His phone contained three deleted messages recovered by digital forensics.
The last was from Judith.
The third came from an unregistered number.
BRING THE DRIVE OR YOU'RE NEXT.
Emily read them twice.
"They were turning on each other."
Daniel nodded.
"That makes people sloppy."
Her face was calm.
"Emily."
"Godmother."
Judith looked at Daniel.
"This is a confidential board session."
"So was the hidden room beneath my garage," Emily said.
Silence.
Judith's eyes changed.
"There it is."
"What?"
"The part of you that knows exactly what I'm talking about."
"You staged your own death while pregnant. You placed yourself and your child in danger. You are not well."
Grant's voice played.
Then Evan's.
Then Judith's.
Either way, Emily never controls Hart Design again.
"That recording is manipulated."
Daniel placed forensic authentication papers beside it.
"It is not."
Judith looked at Emily.
"You have no idea what your father did to build this company."
Emily frowned.
"Don't change the subject."
"It is the subject."
Judith's voice sharpened.
"Your father left behind liabilities that could destroy every employee in this building."
"What are you talking about?"
"You really never knew."
"Knew what?"
Judith reached into her briefcase and removed an old contract.
"Grant didn't begin stealing from Hart Design."
She slid it across the table.
May you like
"Your father did."
And at the bottom was Emily's father's signature beside a number larger than anything Grant had taken.
