Chapter 14 - The Fourth Name
The message included a document.
A scanned contract.
At the bottom were four signatures.
Margaret Hale.
Peter Merritt.
Daniel Hale.
And a fourth name.
Lauren Hale.
Claire stared at Ethan’s sister.
Lauren was still at the hospital with Susan.
“No.”
Ethan took the phone.
“That signature could be forged.”
Richard looked away.
Claire noticed.
“You know something.”
He said nothing.
“Richard.”
He closed his eyes.
“Lauren worked for Margaret during college.”
Ethan frowned.
“In the family office.”
“She had access to account systems.”
“That was ten years ago.”
Richard nodded.
“She stayed involved longer than you knew.”
Claire called Lauren.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
Ethan called.
Straight to voicemail.
They drove to the hospital.
Susan’s room was empty.
A nurse said she had been transferred for imaging.
Lauren had left fifteen minutes earlier.
With Susan’s personal bag.
Morales ordered officers to locate her.
Claire felt sick.
Lauren had been the one helping them all night.
Finding company records.
Opening files.
Playing the recorder.
What if that was the point?
Control the evidence by pretending to expose it.
Ethan refused to believe it.
“My sister is not part of this.”
Claire looked at him.
“I hope you’re right.”
He flinched.
She hated hurting him.
But denial had already cost too much.
At 9:18 a.m., Lauren called.
Ethan answered immediately.
“Where are you?”
Lauren was crying.
“Don’t believe the contract.”
“Where are you?”
“At Grandma Eleanor’s church.”
“Why?”
“Because Mom told me years ago that if anything happened to her, there was a second set of records hidden there.”
Claire and Ethan exchanged a look.
Morales put the call on speaker.
Lauren continued.
“I found them.”
“What kind of records?”
“Bank authorization forms. Trust amendments. And a letter from Grandma.”
Claire asked, “Why didn’t you tell us you worked with Margaret?”
Silence.
Then Lauren whispered, “Because I did something terrible.”
Ethan shut his eyes.
“What?”
“I signed papers for her.”
“What papers?”
“I didn’t read them. I was twenty. She said Dad was sick and we needed to move money. I signed where she told me.”
“Lauren.”
“I know.”
“Did you move our money this morning?”
“No.”
“Did you freeze the company accounts?”
“No.”
“Then who did?”
Lauren’s breathing became uneven.
“I think I know.”
A church bell rang in the background.
Then another sound.
A door opening.
Lauren stopped talking.
“Lauren?” Ethan said.
She whispered, “Someone’s here.”
A man’s voice came faintly through the phone.
“Put it down.”
Claire recognized the voice.
Not Peter.
Not Daniel.
Not Richard.
A voice she had heard at Christmas dinner.
May you like
Uncle Peter’s adult son, Mason.
Then the call cut off.
