Chapter 7 - Claire’s Ledger
Claire finally spoke to me two days later.
Evelyn was still hospitalized.
Police had arrested Graham Pike on charges related to unlawful confinement, evidence tampering, and obstruction.
Claire had not been arrested yet.
Not because she was innocent.
Because she was cooperating.
We met with lawyers present.
“Where is the ledger?”
“Hello to you too.”
“Daniel, wait.”
A storage unit registered under our mother’s maiden name.
Detective Brooks recovered it that afternoon.
Inside was a blue ledger, three flash drives, and copies of bank transfers.
The amounts were worse than Evelyn knew.
Forty-two million dollars was only the foundation money.
Victor and Graham had also moved another nineteen million through real-estate projects controlled by Mercer Strategic Holdings.
The company in my name.
I asked Claire:
“Why save the ledger?”
“Insurance.”
“Against Dad?”
“Against everyone.”
That answer sounded like our family.
Claire explained she had wanted to expose Victor after Evelyn disappeared.
She even met a federal investigator.
He sent her a file containing every document with her signature.
A note on top:
YOU GO DOWN FIRST.
“Coward,” I said.
“Yes.”
She said:
“I told myself keeping Evelyn alive mattered more than going public.”
“You kept her imprisoned.”
“I know.”
“You brought me coffee while she was under our house.”
“I know.”
“You watched me think she left me.”
“I know.”
Because part of me still recognized my sister.
Then she said:
“There’s something Evelyn doesn’t know.”
“What?”
“Dad planned to move her six months ago.”
My father died six months ago.
“Move her where?”
Claire looked at her attorney.
“He never said.”
“But you stopped him?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Claire whispered:
“I changed his medication schedule so he would be hospitalized that night.”
May you like
The room went silent.
My father died three weeks later.
