Chapter 9 - THE HOUSE WITHOUT POWER
Nathan did not want to believe the reflection.
That made him believe it more.
Charles Benton had known Evelyn.
Charles knew the company.
Charles knew the trust structure.
Charles knew Nathan's travel schedule.
Charles had called the emergency board meeting.
Charles had known about Hartwell's demand before anyone else.
Most importantly, Charles had been one of six people who once possessed administrative access to the private records room.
Marcus replayed the image on the warehouse monitor.
"Facial match is not perfect."
Nathan stared at the reflection.
"It is him."
Detective Ward remained cautious.
"A reflection in a video is not enough to accuse a public company chairman of abduction."
"Then do not accuse him."
Nathan picked up his phone.
"Follow him."
Ward's eyes narrowed.
"Do not interfere with my investigation."
Nathan looked at her.
"Then keep up with mine."
Margaret stepped between them with a tired sigh.
"Ruth would tell both of you to stop behaving like children."
Ward almost smiled.
Nathan did not.
They returned to the Whitmore house with the ledger secured in a locked evidence case.
Arthur Sloan took the cassette copy with him.
James Mercer began preparing an emergency petition to protect Margaret's voting rights.
Marcus placed Charles under discreet surveillance.
Nathan did something harder.
He called Charles.
The chairman answered on the second ring.
"Nathan."
His voice sounded normal.
Nathan hated that.
"Where are you?"
"Home."
Marcus, standing across the library, checked a live location report and shook his head.
Charles's phone was at home.
That did not mean Charles was.
"We found the winter ledger," Nathan said.
Silence.
Only half a second.
Still enough.
"I do not know what that is," Charles replied.
Nathan looked at Margaret.
She heard the lie too.
"Good."
Nathan kept his voice relaxed.
"Then I will explain it tomorrow."
"At the board?"
"Before the board."
Another pause.
"Nathan, be careful."
"Of what?"
"Old stories."
Nathan's eyes narrowed.
"Why?"
Charles sighed.
"Because dead people cannot correct them."
Nathan ended the call.
Marcus spoke quietly.
"His car left his residence twenty minutes ago."
"Who is driving?"
"Unknown."
"Follow it."
The first sign that something else was wrong came from Caleb.
He walked into the library holding a small screwdriver.
"Mr. Whitmore?"
Nathan looked at him.
"The new security relay in the basement is warm."
Marcus frowned.
"It should be."
Caleb shook his head.
"Not like this."
He had worked maintenance long enough to know when machinery felt wrong.
Marcus went downstairs with him.
Two minutes later, every light in the house went out.
The darkness was immediate and absolute.
The backup system should have activated within three seconds.
It did not.
Nathan heard Margaret inhale sharply.
"Stay where you are."
He switched on his phone flashlight.
The screen showed no service.
A jammer.
Nathan's pulse accelerated.
Somewhere downstairs, glass broke.
Then a door slammed.
Margaret reached for the ring.
Nathan grabbed her wrist.
"Do not leave this room."
"The staff wing."
"Marcus is there."
"Ruth is not the only person in this house."
Nathan knew arguing would waste time.
They moved into the hallway together.
Emergency lights flickered weakly and died.
A shadow crossed the far end of the corridor.
Nathan stopped.
"Who is there?"
No answer.
Margaret whispered.
"That was not Marcus."
Nathan pulled her behind a marble column.
He heard footsteps on the main staircase.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Then a woman's voice floated through the dark.
"Nathan?"
Victoria.
He froze.
Victoria was supposed to be at Elaine Foster's office.
Margaret's fingers closed around his sleeve.
"Do not answer."
Victoria called again.
"Nathan, please."
The voice came from the upper gallery.
A flashlight beam appeared.
Nathan stepped out.
"How did you get in?"
Victoria stood at the top of the stairs.
Her cream dress had been replaced by dark trousers and a coat.
She looked frightened.
"The service tunnel."
Nathan stared at her.
"You knew about it."
Victoria shook her head.
"Dominic told me."
"Where is he?"
"I do not know."
Nathan almost laughed.
"You expect me to believe you broke into my house to warn me?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Victoria came down one step.
"Because Dominic is going to kill everything I was supposed to inherit."
Margaret spoke from the shadows.
"Inherit from whom?"
Victoria saw her.
Then she saw the signet ring.
Her expression twisted.
"Still wearing it."
Nathan stepped between them.
"Answer the question."
Victoria descended slowly.
"Dominic told me the truth about my father two years ago."
Nathan's voice was flat.
"Victor Rainer was your father."
Victoria stopped.
"You found the ledger."
"And the tape."
For the first time, Victoria looked genuinely shaken.
"Then you know Lawrence lied to me my entire life."
"Lawrence raised you."
"He stole my name."
Margaret's voice was quiet.
"He protected you."
Victoria turned on her.
"You do not get to tell me what my father did."
"Which father?"
Victoria took a step toward her.
Nathan blocked her again.
"Enough."
A loud crash came from the east corridor.
Victoria flinched.
"They are already inside."
Nathan looked at her.
"Who?"
"Charles's people."
Nathan felt cold anger.
"You knew Charles was involved."
"I knew someone on your board was helping Dominic."
"That is not what I asked."
Victoria looked toward the dark hallway.
"Dominic told me this morning."
"Why would he tell you?"
Her voice broke.
"Because he was done pretending I was his partner."
The confession sounded real.
Nathan did not trust it.
Victoria continued quickly.
"He promised me the family trust would be split after the shareholder vote."
"He said Margaret's block was stolen from the Rainers."
"He said Evelyn built Whitmore with money Victor should have controlled."
Margaret shook her head.
"Victor tried to steal Whitmore."
Victoria laughed bitterly.
"That is your version."
"It is in his own payment records."
Victoria looked away.
Then a scream came from downstairs.
Caleb.
Margaret ran before Nathan could stop her.
They reached the basement stairs and found Marcus kneeling beside Caleb.
Caleb was conscious but dazed.
A cut marked his forehead.
The security relay had been torn open.
The jammer sat beside it.
The intruder was gone.
"What did he take?" Nathan asked.
Marcus looked toward the secure evidence cabinet.
Its door stood open.
The winter ledger case was missing.
Nathan turned toward Victoria.
She had followed them downstairs.
Her face showed horror.
"I told you."
Nathan stepped close to her.
"Who knew it was here?"
"Dominic."
"How?"
Victoria swallowed.
"Because your phone is compromised."
Nathan stared at her.
"Since when?"
"Since before New York."
Marcus looked at Nathan's phone.
Victoria pointed toward it.
"Every call."
"Every message."
"Every location."
Nathan felt sick.
"You helped him install it."
Victoria looked at him.
"Yes."
The word was almost a whisper.
Nathan had expected denial.
The truth struck harder.
"Why?"
Victoria's eyes filled.
"Because I thought I would be your wife before he used it against you."
Nathan stared at her.
"That does not make sense."
"It did when I believed he needed me."
She stepped closer.
"He does not need me anymore."
"He has Charles."
"And he has the ledger."
Nathan's hand tightened.
A voice came from the basement doorway.
"No, he does not."
Everyone turned.
Ruth Bell stood there soaked from the rain, one shoe missing, her hair tangled around her face.
Margaret gasped.
Nathan crossed the room in three steps.
"Ruth."
She lifted one shaking hand.
"Do not hug me yet."
Nathan stopped.
Ruth looked at Victoria.
"I might hit somebody first."
Even Marcus laughed from relief.
Margaret reached her and pulled her into her arms.
Ruth trembled violently.
Nathan looked past her.
"How did you get back?"
"Carriage road."
"Who had you?"
Ruth's eyes moved to Victoria.
Then to Nathan.
"Dominic's men took me."
"Charles came later."
Nathan's face hardened.
"Was he giving orders?"
Ruth shook her head.
"No."
Everyone went still.
"He was a prisoner too."
Nathan stared at her.
Ruth held up a leather book wrapped beneath her coat.
The winter ledger.
"And before we escaped, Charles told me who has really been giving Dominic orders."
Victoria stopped breathing.
Nathan looked at Ruth.
"Who?"
Ruth's answer made Victoria stagger backward.
"Helen Caldwell."
May you like
Victoria's mother.
