Chapter 10 - THE WITNESS THEY THOUGHT THEY OWNED
James Talbot did not answer his phone.
He did not answer Fiona's messages.
He did not report for his shift at the O'Connor Grand in Phoenix.
By the end of the day, his supervisor said James had requested emergency leave and left without explaining why.
Fiona looked stricken.
"He has two children."
Damian nodded.
"I know."
"No, you don't."
He looked at her.
"His daughter is ten."
Fiona continued.
"His son is seven."
"Their mother left three years ago."
"The apartment fire destroyed everything they had."
"I know about the fire."
"You know there was a fire."
She corrected him quietly.
"You do not know what it did to them."
Damian let the distinction stand.
Fiona paced Evelyn's conference room.
"James would not steal from the foundation."
Evelyn said, "People do surprising things for a hundred thousand dollars."
"Not him."
"You trust him?"
"Yes."
Damian watched Fiona.
"Then maybe the money wasn't payment."
Evelyn looked at him.
"What else?"
"Leverage."
Fiona stopped pacing.
"Explain."
"Someone puts a hundred thousand dollars in James's account."
Damian leaned forward.
"Then they tell him if he speaks, he looks like part of the theft."
Evelyn nodded slowly.
"A planted bribe."
Fiona's face went pale.
"Then he's scared."
"Probably."
She grabbed her bag.
"Where are you going?" Damian asked.
"To find him."
"Fiona."
"Do not tell me to stay here."
"I wasn't going to."
She paused.
Damian picked up his jacket.
"I'm coming with you."
"Why?"
"Because if someone is threatening him, you shouldn't walk into that alone."
Fiona opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
"Fine."
It was the first thing she had allowed him to do beside her instead of for her.
Damian noticed.
He did not mention it.
Before driving to James's apartment, Fiona insisted they stop at his hotel.
His locker was still locked.
Human resources opened it with a witness present.
Inside were two children's drawings taped to the metal door.
One showed James in a hotel uniform holding hands with Maya and Eli.
The second showed a building on fire beneath a giant rain cloud.
Across the bottom, a child had written WE GOT OUT.
Fiona stared at the picture.
Damian stood beside her.
"You knew about this?"
"The kids made it for him after the fire."
"Why keep it at work?"
"He said it reminded him bad days end."
Damian swallowed.
They searched the locker with security.
No money.
No suspicious documents.
Only a spare uniform, medication for migraines, a church bulletin, and a stack of thank-you notes from guests.
At the bottom was an envelope addressed to Fiona.
She opened it.
Inside was a note James had written after the foundation helped with his temporary housing.
Mrs. O'Connor, I don't know how to repay you.
Fiona had written across the bottom in blue ink.
You don't. Help someone else when you can.
Damian read the exchange.
"That is why he trusts you."
Fiona folded the note carefully.
"That is why I am afraid for him."
A security guard approached.
"Mr. O'Connor, one more thing."
He handed Damian a visitor log.
Two days before James disappeared, Brenda had visited the hotel.
She signed in under her married name.
Purpose of visit: family business.
Time on property: forty-eight minutes.
James's supervisor confirmed Brenda had asked to speak with him privately.
The timeline was no longer theoretical.
She had come to his workplace before the threat call and before the money appeared.
They drove to James's apartment.
On the way, Fiona called James's sister and left a message that contained no accusation.
"Tell him I believe him," she said.
"Tell him the money does not change that."
Damian glanced at her.
"You don't even know what he is going to say."
"I know the man who carried two sleeping children out of a burning apartment before going back for an elderly neighbor."
Damian looked back at the road.
"I read the incident report this morning."
Fiona nodded.
"Then you know why a hundred thousand dollars does not make sense."
The difference between them was becoming painfully clear.
Damian had data.
Fiona had relationships.
Both mattered.
The company had spent too long pretending only the first kind counted.
The door was unlocked.
Inside, the living room looked as though someone had packed quickly.
Two drawers were open.
A backpack lay on the floor.
A child's stuffed bear was missing one eye.
Fiona picked it up.
"This is Maya's."
Damian looked around.
"Any relatives?"
"His sister lives in Mesa."
They drove there next.
No one answered.
A neighbor said James had arrived that morning with the children, stayed less than an hour, then left in a gray pickup truck.
"Did he say where he was going?" Fiona asked.
The neighbor shook her head.
"He looked scared."
Damian exchanged a glance with Fiona.
Back in the car, Fiona said, "He knows something."
"Yes."
"And someone knows he knows."
"Yes."
Her phone rang.
Unknown number.
She answered.
"Hello?"
Silence.
Then James whispered, "Mrs. O'Connor?"
Fiona sat upright.
"James."
Damian looked at her.
She put the call on speaker.
"Where are you?"
"I can't tell you."
"Are the children with you?"
"Yes."
"Are you safe?"
James breathed heavily.
"I don't know."
Fiona's voice softened.
"James, money was transferred into your account."
A broken sound came through the phone.
"I didn't take it."
"I know."
"You don't understand."
"Then help me understand."
"They called me three nights ago."
Damian leaned closer to the phone.
"Who?"
James went silent.
"James," Fiona said, "Damian is here."
"Mr. O'Connor?"
"Yes."
Damian kept his voice calm.
"No one is angry with you."
James laughed bitterly.
"Somebody is."
"Who called?"
"A woman first."
Fiona asked, "Brenda?"
James did not answer.
That was answer enough.
"What did she want?" Fiona asked.
"She said there was going to be an investigation."
"Into me?"
"Yes."
"And?"
"She said I should tell the truth."
Damian's jaw tightened.
"What truth?"
"That Mrs. O'Connor offered me money to sign papers giving her voting rights in the company."
Fiona stared at Damian.
"That never happened."
James's voice shook.
"I know."
"Then why would she ask you to say it?"
"Because she said if I didn't, my children would lose the apartment assistance."
Fiona closed her eyes.
"James."
"I told her no."
"What happened next?"
"A man called."
Damian asked, "Who?"
"He didn't give a name."
"What did he say?"
James's breathing became ragged.
"He knew where my daughter goes to school."
Fiona went white.
Damian's voice became dangerously quiet.
"Exact words."
"He said good fathers make smart choices."
Fiona covered her mouth.
"Then this morning I saw the hundred thousand in my account."
James continued.
"Five minutes later, someone emailed me a screenshot of it and said now nobody would believe me anyway."
Damian looked at Fiona.
His theory had been right.
"Did you save the email?"
"Yes."
"Forward it to Evelyn Shaw."
James hesitated.
"Can she protect my kids?"
Damian said, "Yes."
Fiona looked at him sharply.
He corrected himself.
"We will get law enforcement involved and let them protect your kids."
Fiona's expression softened slightly.
James exhaled.
"There's more."
"What?" Fiona asked.
"I recorded the second call."
Damian sat very still.
"The man's call?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"After the fire, Mrs. O'Connor told me to document everything with the insurance company."
Despite everything, Fiona almost smiled.
James continued.
"So when the man called, I hit record."
"Can you send it?"
"I already did."
Damian's phone buzzed.
Evelyn.
He answered.
"Did you get a recording?"
"I did."
Her voice sounded different.
"You need to come back now."
"Why?"
"Because I recognize the voice."
Damian looked at Fiona.
"Who is it?"
Evelyn hesitated.
"Vincent Hale."
Damian closed his eyes.
Fiona whispered, "The chairman?"
Evelyn continued.
"And Damian, he says something else on the call."
"What?"
"He tells James the board vote is already arranged."
Damian's eyes opened.
"What board vote?"
May you like
"To remove you as chief executive."
