Chapter 11 - HARBOR CROWN
Rain began falling over San Diego at 12:42 a.m.
By the time Gavin reached Harbor Crown, the abandoned development looked like the skeleton of a city that had never been born.
Three unfinished towers stood beside the dark Pacific.
Concrete floors.
Empty window openings.
Rusting cranes.
Temporary fencing bent by years of coastal wind.
Construction had stopped three years earlier.
The place had cost Gavin nearly two hundred million dollars in losses.
Now he wondered whether the failure had been engineered deliberately.
Detective Ortega was furious.
“You were told to stay at the bank.”
“I ignored you.”
“I noticed.”
Ortega sat inside an unmarked SUV parked three blocks away.
Nora sat beside him.
Gavin turned.
“I told you to stay with Taylor.”
“She’s with Evelyn and Marlene.”
“She’s safe.”
“You shouldn’t be here.”
Nora stared at him.
“Daniel died here.”
“Not physically.”
“But this is where it started.”
“I’m coming.”
Ortega sighed.
“I dislike both of you.”
Gavin opened the door.
“You’ll recover.”
The plan was simple.
Gavin would enter Building C.
Nora and Ortega would remain outside.
Federal agents were on their way but could not move until Ortega confirmed immediate danger.
Gavin carried a concealed microphone.
No corporate phone.
No device Marcus could shut down remotely.
He entered through a broken ground-level opening.
Rain blew through unfinished walls.
He climbed concrete stairs.
Second floor.
Third.
A portable light glowed ahead.
Priscilla stood near the edge of the empty floor.
Her white engagement dress was dirty now.
Hair wet.
Red rabbit in one hand.
Flash drive in the other.
Gavin stopped ten feet away.
“Where is Arthur?”
“I don’t know.”
“Marcus?”
“I don’t know.”
“Your father?”
She laughed bitterly.
“I wish I didn’t know.”
“Where?”
“Running.”
Gavin stared at her.
“Why should I believe anything you say?”
“You shouldn’t.”
That answer surprised him.
Priscilla lowered the rabbit.
“I lied to you.”
“I manipulated your relationship with Evelyn.”
“I gave Marcus access codes.”
“I copied emails.”
“I helped create documents.”
“I told myself it was temporary.”
“For what?”
“My father said your mother was trying to sabotage you.”
Gavin laughed once.
“You expect sympathy?”
“No.”
“I expect prison.”
He stared at her.
She meant it.
That frightened him more than denial would have.
Priscilla held out the flash drive.
“This contains everything I had access to.”
“Why give it to me?”
“Because Arthur tried to kill me tonight.”
Gavin’s eyes narrowed.
“When?”
“In the garage.”
“Henry was told to drive me out.”
“He received another message ordering him to crash the vehicle near the freeway.”
“How do you know?”
“I saw it on his phone.”
“He didn’t.”
“No.”
“Henry is corrupt.”
“He isn’t suicidal.”
Gavin almost smiled.
“Comforting.”
Priscilla’s eyes filled.
“I thought we were stealing information.”
“Influencing contracts.”
“Helping my father.”
“I knew it was wrong.”
“But I didn’t know people died.”
“Daniel.”
“Your father.”
“Who else?”
Gavin stepped closer.
“That’s what I’m trying to find out.”
Priscilla handed him the drive.
Then she whispered.
“I’m sorry about Evelyn.”
Gavin did not respond.
“I hated that she saw through me.”
“She asked questions you never asked.”
“So you made me hate her.”
Priscilla nodded.
“Yes.”
Gavin’s face remained cold.
“That may be the cruelest thing you did.”
“I know.”
Noise came from below.
Priscilla froze.
“Did you bring police?”
“No.”
“Someone is here.”
Footsteps on concrete.
Slow.
More than one person.
Gavin moved toward a column.
Priscilla followed.
Arthur Vance emerged from the stairwell.
Two men behind him.
He looked almost disappointed.
“Priscilla.”
“You were always impatient.”
She backed away.
“You tried to have Henry kill me.”
Arthur smiled.
“No.”
“I told Henry to prevent you from reaching Gavin.”
“Your interpretation is dramatic.”
Gavin stepped into view.
Arthur sighed.
“Of course.”
“You came.”
“I found Dad’s letter.”
“I assumed you would.”
“You killed him.”
Arthur’s face became sad.
“I made a mistake.”
“You poisoned his medication.”
“I altered a dose.”
“You murdered him.”
“I was trying to buy time.”
William had given Arthur until morning to confess.
Arthur had panicked.
He needed William confused.
Weak.
Unable to attend the board meeting.
Instead, William died.
Arthur had spent five years hiding the truth.
Gavin stepped forward.
“Why Daniel?”
Arthur’s expression hardened.
“Daniel found records he was not supposed to find.”
“So you killed him too.”
“No.”
Arthur looked toward Priscilla.
“Her aunt did.”
Priscilla froze.
“What?”
Arthur smiled.
“You didn’t know that either?”
Gavin stared.
“Which aunt?”
“Her mother’s sister.”
“Rebecca Ashford.”
Priscilla’s face went white.
“Aunt Rebecca died six years ago.”
“No.”
Arthur said.
“She disappeared.”
Gavin almost laughed from disbelief.
Another hidden person.
Another fake disappearance.
Arthur continued.
“Rebecca has worked for Helena for seventeen years.”
“She arranged Daniel’s accident.”
Priscilla shook her head.
“No.”
“You’re lying.”
Arthur looked almost compassionate.
“Your family lies professionally, sweetheart.”
The words hit her.
Footsteps came from another stairwell.
Arthur looked annoyed.
Then Helena Voss emerged.
Alone.
Black coat.
Umbrella.
As though she had arrived for a meeting rather than a confrontation inside an abandoned construction site.
“Arthur.”
He turned.
“You.”
Helena smiled.
“Disappointed?”
“You were supposed to leave California.”
“You were supposed to follow instructions.”
Gavin watched them.
There it was.
The hierarchy.
Helena above Arthur.
Or once above him.
Arthur’s two men shifted nervously.
Helena looked at Gavin.
“Your father underestimated Arthur.”
“I did too.”
Arthur laughed.
“You used me for twenty years.”
“I paid you.”
“You promised me control of Roberson.”
“I promised you compensation.”
“You promised me his chair.”
Helena looked disgusted.
“And that is why you were never worthy of it.”
Arthur reached into his jacket.
Ortega’s voice exploded from the stairwell.
“Hands where I can see them!”
Agents entered.
Arthur’s men froze.
Priscilla raised her hands.
Helena did not move.
Arthur looked toward Gavin.
“You wore a wire.”
Gavin almost smiled.
“My father taught me eventually.”
Ortega approached.
Arthur suddenly laughed.
Not nervous laughter.
Real amusement.
“You think this is over?”
Gavin stared.
Arthur nodded toward the flash drive.
“That drive implicates Priscilla.”
“Marcus.”
“Charles.”
“Me.”
“Helena.”
“Everyone.”
“Yes.”
“But it does not contain the authorization ledger.”
Gavin frowned.
“What ledger?”
“The record that proves who ultimately controlled Pacific Meridian.”
Helena’s face changed.
That was the first time Gavin had seen genuine concern from her.
Arthur smiled.
“You didn’t tell him?”
Gavin looked at Helena.
“Tell me what?”
Arthur began laughing.
“The money never belonged to Helena.”
“It never belonged to the Ashfords.”
“It never belonged to me.”
He looked directly at Gavin.
“It came from a Roberson family account.”
Gavin felt cold.
“What?”
Arthur smiled.
“Your father wasn’t investigating an outsider.”
“He was investigating someone inside his own house.”
Evelyn.
The thought came instantly.
Gavin rejected it just as fast.
“No.”
Arthur saw his face.
“Yes.”
Gavin stepped toward him.
“Say it.”
Arthur’s smile widened.
“The original account was opened in Evelyn Roberson’s name.”
And miles away, inside First Pacific Bank, Evelyn was staring at that exact account number on William’s hard drive.
Because she recognized it.
It belonged to a trust she had created thirty years earlier.
May you like
A trust Gavin had never been told existed.
And the beneficiary was not Gavin.
