Chapter 9 - THE WOMAN WHO CALLED HER DAUGHTER
Judith Lane had been Evelyn's best friend for thirty years.
She had held Emily at her baptism.
She had spoken at Emily's father's funeral.
She called Emily "the daughter I never had."
And her voice was on Grant's recorder.
"Either way, Emily never controls Hart Design again."
"Why?"
"We may have an answer."
He found board minutes Emily had never seen.
Judith had proposed an emergency restructuring six months earlier.
If Emily were removed as CEO for incapacity, board control would temporarily pass to Judith.
Grant would become executive liaison.
"They weren't just stealing."
"They were preparing to break up the company," Daniel said.
Hart Design owned waterfront property, patents, and long-term contracts worth far more than its twelve-million-dollar book value.
Sold separately, the pieces could bring almost twice that.
Evelyn's phone rang.
Judith.
"Answer."
"Hello?"
Judith sounded breathless.
"Evelyn, thank God. I just heard about the funeral."
Emily's face hardened.
"What did you hear?"
Silence.
Then Judith said, "Emily?"
"Surprise."
"Oh my God. You're alive."
"You don't sound happy."
"Don't be ridiculous."
"Then explain the recording."
"What recording?"
Emily smiled without humor.
"Wrong answer."
Judith hung up.
Within seconds, Daniel received an alert from the corporate registry.
An emergency board meeting had been called for that evening.
"On what grounds?" Evelyn asked.
"Mental incapacity and reckless conduct."
"Because I faked my funeral?"
"Because they're calling it evidence of a psychiatric break."
Grant's plan had survived his escape.
Judith was executing it for him.
Emily looked at the time.
"When is the meeting?"
"Six o'clock."
"Good."
Evelyn stood.
"You are not going."
"They want to prove I can't run my company."
"I'm going to walk into that boardroom and prove exactly who can't."
She listened.
Her eyes moved to Emily.
"We found Evan."
"Where?"
"In his car outside the old Hart warehouse."
Emily waited.
May you like
Velez's voice lowered.
"He's dead."
