Chapter 7 - The Man Who Left
Security found Thomas's car still in the lot.
His driver was gone too.
Vanessa demanded to know why her brother mattered.
For the first time, she stopped defending her family.
"Thomas doesn't handle charity accounts," she said.
Grant laughed once.
"You know nothing about your brother's work."
Vanessa spun on him.
"Apparently I know nothing about yours either."
"This happened because you couldn't control yourself for one evening."
No concern about the stolen money.
No concern about the people being questioned.
Only anger that Vanessa had exposed the room.
Then Lily knocked on the office door.
She held a small black flash drive.
"I found this in coat check."
Daniel took it carefully.
"Where?"
"Inside Mr. Thomas Carlisle's coat pocket."
Vanessa stared.
"You searched his coat?"
Lily shrank back.
"She was retrieving a claim ticket."
Lily nodded.
"The drive fell out when I lifted the coat. I put it on the counter, but then everything happened."
Daniel bagged it.
Grant stood abruptly.
"That belongs to my son."
Detective Brooks blocked him.
"Then he can ask for it himself."
Grant's eyes moved to the evidence bag.
"What's on it?" I asked.
Grant said nothing.
"Dad?" Vanessa asked.
Daniel took the drive to a clean laptop.
It was encrypted.
But one unprotected text file sat in the root directory.
He opened it.
There were only four lines.
CARLISLE REVIEW - IF ACCESS IS LOST
CONTACT AMELIA CROSS DIRECTLY
DO NOT TRUST PETER LANG
THE FOUNTAIN CAMERAS ARE NOT THE IMPORTANT ONES
I read the last line twice.
"Then which cameras are?"
Daniel looked up.
A security guard appeared in the doorway.
"Mr. Cross? We found Mr. Thomas Carlisle."
"Where?"
May you like
The guard swallowed.
"In the old greenhouse. He's unconscious."
