Chapter 18 - THE MAN BESIDE HIM
Vincent didn't reach for his weapon.
Dominic noticed that first.
"Say it," Dominic told Nathan.
Nathan opened another file.
Payments from Black Harbor shells had gone to a security administrator for five years.
Not Vincent.
His deputy.
Michael Crane.
Vincent shut his eyes.
"Mike controls overnight access."
The deleted footage.
Gate Three.
The gas room.
Ellie's disappearance.
All possible without Vincent knowing.
Dominic called the estate.
No answer from Crane.
Then a guard finally picked up.
"Mr. Vale, Crane left ten minutes ago."
"With what?"
A pause.
"Evidence boxes."
Vincent cursed.
They raced back.
Crane had emptied the copied Black Harbor files from the secure room.
But he missed the cloud backup Vincent had created the moment Dominic ordered copies.
Crane's car was stopped at the estate gate by state police.
He surrendered without a fight.
In questioning, he admitted Adrian paid him for access and Peter ordered the gas-room attack.
"Did you know Ellie would be inside?" Dominic asked through the glass.
Crane looked away.
That was enough.
Dominic left before anger made the decision for him.
Outside, Clare waited.
"You didn't hit him."
"No."
"Good."
"I wanted to."
"I know."
Dominic looked through the window at Crane.
"Wanting isn't the same as doing."
Clare nodded.
That sentence felt like the first clean rule anyone in Dominic's family had followed.
Vincent joined them.
"We have enough to dismantle every active Black Harbor account."
Dominic looked at the estate.
"Do it."
"Even the ones connected to legitimate companies?"
"Especially those."
Vincent hesitated.
"Board won't like it."
Dominic looked at him.
"Then the board can leave."
His phone buzzed.
A message from the hospital.
Arthur was awake.
And asking for Ellie.
Clare stiffened.
Dominic asked, "Why?"
The nurse answered.
May you like
"He says he has something that belonged to Caleb."
Clare went pale.
