Chapter 5 - The Family Business
Claire had spent nine years believing Martin Cole tolerated her because she made his son look stable.
Now, sitting in Arthur’s car while Madison stared at her, Claire heard something else in Martin’s voice.
Not anger.
Alarm.
“What started before Ethan met me?” she asked.
Martin exhaled. “Come to the house tomorrow morning. Alone.”
“No.”
“Claire, you don’t understand what you opened.”
“Then explain it now.”
“I won’t do this over the phone.”
Arthur mouthed, Keep him talking.
Claire said, “Did you know about the shell companies?”
Martin went silent.
“Did you know Ethan was using my signature?”
Still nothing.
“Martin?”
“I told him never to involve you.”
The call ended.
Madison covered her mouth.
Arthur immediately asked Nora to preserve the call log and message details.
Claire felt something inside her settle.
For months she had wondered whether she was imagining the strange withdrawals, the missing board packets, Ethan’s late-night calls from the garage. She had wondered whether she had become suspicious because the marriage was dying.
Now suspicion had a voice.
Martin knew.
They spent the night at a discreet hotel used by Arthur’s firm for protected witnesses and high-profile clients. Claire refused to call herself either.
At 2:08 a.m., she finally slept.
At 5:36, someone pounded on Madison’s door across the hall.
Claire woke instantly.
Arthur was already in the corridor when she opened her door.
Nora stood beside him, phone in hand.
“Hotel security,” she said. “Someone tried to access Madison’s room with a cloned staff key.”
Madison appeared behind the chain on her door, pale and shaking.
“Was it Ethan?”
“No camera angle on the face,” Nora said. “Hood, baseball cap.”
Arthur looked at Claire. “We move now.”
By seven fifteen they were at his office.
Madison finally explained where she had hidden the second drive.
“On the executive floor,” she said.
Claire almost laughed. “You just said Ethan wouldn’t search there.”
“He wouldn’t search the women’s restroom.”
Arthur rubbed his forehead.
Madison continued, “There’s a maintenance panel behind the third mirror. I taped a micro drive inside it.”
Nora said, “Building access is probably locked down.”
Claire reached into her purse and set an old keycard on the table.
“I’m still vice chair.”
Arthur stared at her. “Absolutely not.”
Claire looked back at him.
“Then send someone else.”
May you like
Before he could answer, his office receptionist called.
“Mr. Hale? There are two federal agents downstairs asking for Mrs. Cole.”
