Chapter 18 - Harold’s Confession

Police caught Harold behind the mill near the river fence.

By 1:20 a.m., he sat in an interview room with Detective Kim, Ethan, and Leonard watching through the glass.

At first, Harold denied everything.

Then Kim placed Rachel’s recovered files on the table.

Bank transfers.

Shell companies.

Northstar staffing records.

Payments from Vale Consulting.

And finally, an audio file.

Richard Cole’s voice filled the room.

“We protect Price. Martin takes the fall. That is the deal.”

Harold closed his eyes.

Ethan felt sick.

His father had protected Harold twenty years earlier.

Martin Vale had stolen money, but Harold had helped move it. Richard had buried Harold’s involvement to save the company from a larger scandal.

Years later, Harold restarted the same system.

“You used Claire’s anger at my family,” Ethan said through the interview-room speaker.

Harold looked toward the glass.

“You let her believe she was taking back what my father stole.”

Harold smiled weakly. “She was useful.”

Claire, held in another room, had already admitted she created false evidence against Ethan. She claimed Harold told her Ethan planned to steal Sophie’s trust and erase Rachel’s wishes.

Harold continued. “Rachel found the transfers. She was going to expose me.”

Ethan’s hand tightened into a fist.

“What happened in the SUV?”

Harold looked down.

“Elena picked Rachel up. I followed. I confronted them at a traffic light. Rachel got out. We argued. She tried to call you. I grabbed the phone. She hit her head against the door frame.”

Ethan’s face went cold.

“She was bleeding. Elena drove her away. I panicked.”

“So you stole Rachel’s car from the hotel garage.”

“Yes.”

“You staged the crash.”

Harold’s lips trembled. “I paid someone to do it. Rachel was supposed to be alive. I thought Elena had taken her to a hospital.”

Ethan leaned toward the microphone. “But she died.”

Harold looked confused.

“No.”

Everyone in the observation room froze.

Ethan pressed the button. “What did you say?”

Harold looked directly at the glass.

“Rachel did not die that night.”

Ethan felt the floor disappear beneath him.

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Harold continued.

“I saw her two days later.”