Chapter 15 - THE MAN BEHIND SOUTHGATE
Ethan called from the lake house.
Grace answered immediately.
"Are you hurt?"
"My shoulder."
"What happened?"
"Victor hit me."
His breathing was rough.
"He wants the wall panel in your father's study."
Grace looked at Nathan.
He nodded.
They were listening on speaker.
"Do not tell him anything," Nathan whispered.
Ethan heard.
"Nathan?"
Grace ignored it.
"What does Victor have?"
"Martin is here."
Grace froze.
Martin had left the hospital against medical advice.
Lauren lowered her head.
"He worked for Victor before I did."
Grace felt the betrayal deepen.
Martin had helped build Walker Development from the beginning.
He had also helped weaken it.
Ethan whispered, "Grace, I'm sorry."
"Not now."
"I need you to know."
"No."
"If you survive, you can spend the rest of your life deciding what sorry means."
Silence.
Then Ethan said, "He found something."
A metal sound echoed through the phone.
Victor shouted.
Ethan whispered, "A case."
Grace stood.
Gunfire exploded.
The call dropped.
For six minutes, no one spoke.
Then Detective Medina called.
Victor was in custody.
Martin was wounded.
Ethan had been shot in the shoulder but was alive.
Police recovered Samuel's metal case.
Inside were bank ledgers, photographs, recordings, and the maintenance invoice proving Victor's employee sabotaged the boat.
Grace sank into a chair.
Nathan knelt beside her.
"It's over."
Caleb was already reading.
Then his face changed.
"No."
Grace looked up.
"What?"
Caleb turned another file from the case.
Samuel's investigation had continued for years.
Arthur, his former CFO, had updated the risk reports after Samuel's death.
One recent folder carried a familiar name.
Ethan Walker.
May you like
Grace stared.
"What did my father know about my husband?"
