Chapter 12 - The Chairman
Robert Klein denied everything.
The voice recording was "taken out of context."
The payments to Alder Ridge were "complex financing."
The forged signature was "an administrative misunderstanding."
Mark listened until he could not.
"You discussed my daughter."
Robert looked past him.
"I told Vanessa not to do anything."
"That is not the defense you think it is."
Ruiz stepped between them.
Robert's phone records showed dozens of calls with Vanessa and Nolan Price.
Then Price finally called police.
His statement filled in the missing pieces.
Vanessa hired him to track Mark because she wanted to know the best moment to trigger the emergency control clause.
"She first asked me to create a harmless incident," Price said through his attorney. "Something that would keep Mark away from the office."
"What kind?" Ruiz asked.
"A minor car accident. A false medical scare. Something."
"And Chloe?"
Price looked sick.
"Later she asked me to arrange a near miss near the school."
I gripped Mark's arm.
Price continued.
"I refused."
"Why?"
"Because she said if the girl got hurt, Mark would be easier to control."
Mark stood.
The interview ended for us there.
Outside, he punched the concrete wall once.
Not hard enough to injure himself.
Hard enough to hate himself for not seeing it.
I took his hand.
"This is not on you."
"She is my sister."
"She made the choices."
He looked at me.
"And Mom covered them."
"Yes."
Ruiz came outside.
"There's a problem."
Vanessa had disappeared.
Her attorney claimed he had not seen her since morning.
Her phone was off.
Her car was found near the river.
Inside was a note.
MARK TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME.
No body.
No witnesses.
Dave read the message twice.
"She wants you to think she jumped."
Mark shook his head.
"No."
"How do you know?"
"Because Vanessa never leaves without an exit."
At that exact moment, my phone rang from Chloe's school.
The principal sounded panicked.
"Mrs. Bennett, someone tried to sign Chloe out fifteen minutes ago."
My knees weakened.
May you like
"Who?"
"A woman using your name."
