Chapter 17 - The Boardroom Traitor

Victor Sloane had been my father’s best friend for thirty years.

He taught me to sail when I was ten.

He gave the toast at my college graduation.

He stood beside Dad at my mother’s funeral.

And his signature sat beside Richard Marsh’s on a payment tied to evidence stolen from her crash.

Dad refused to believe it.

Not at first.

“Victor signs hundreds of documents.”

Miriam shook her head. “This was a private disbursement authorization.”

We called an emergency board meeting at eight in the morning.

Victor arrived in a navy suit carrying coffee.

He smiled when he saw me.

“Claire. I heard about last night. Thank God you’re all right.”

I wanted to throw the coffee in his face.

Instead, Dad placed the old payment record on the table.

Victor’s smile vanished.

No one spoke.

Dad asked, “Did you know Richard Marsh?”

Victor slowly sat down.

“Yes.”

“Did you pay a deputy after Elena’s crash?”

“Yes.”

Dad gripped the table.

“Why?”

Victor looked at me.

“To recover something from her car before police cataloged it.”

“What?” I asked.

“A ledger.”

“My mother’s ledger?”

“Yes.”

Dad’s voice shook. “You helped Marsh destroy evidence.”

“No.” Victor’s eyes filled. “I helped Elena hide evidence.”

The room went silent.

He reached into his briefcase.

Security moved instantly.

Victor raised both hands. “It’s paper.”

He removed an envelope, yellow with age.

Inside was a letter in my mother’s handwriting.

Thomas,

If anything happens to me, do not trust Richard Marsh. Do not trust the police file. And please do not blame Victor. I asked him to protect the ledger until Claire is old enough to decide what to do with it.

Dad sat down hard.

I kept reading.

The final line made my hands shake.

The ledger proves Marsh was not acting alone. The second man is someone inside our family office.

I looked at Victor.

“Who?”

He closed his eyes.

“I never knew. Elena used a code name.”

“What code name?”

Victor answered.

“The Gardener.”

My phone buzzed.

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ASK YOUR FATHER WHO STILL TENDS YOUR MOTHER’S ROSES.