Chapter 13 - Unit 318
The storage facility sat near the river in an industrial stretch west of downtown.
Lauren wanted to call her mother first.
Oscar refused.
“If she’s running, every call gives Martin more time.”
Jared contacted his attorney, who advised them to photograph the envelope, preserve the note, and avoid removing anything that clearly belonged to someone else unless necessary for safety.
They drove to the facility.
Unit 318 opened with Evelyn’s key.
Inside were six banker’s boxes, two suitcases, a printer, and a folding table covered with financial records.
Oscar stood in the doorway.
“This isn’t storage,” he said. “It’s an office.”
They photographed everything before touching it.
The first box contained copies of Oscar’s old tax returns.
The second contained blank North Harbor letterhead.
The third contained bank statements for accounts in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana.
Jared stared at the balances.
Money had flowed from North Harbor into Mercer Residential Consulting, then into smaller companies.
Some were connected to Chase.
Some were connected to Martin.
One name appeared again and again: Blue Acre Holdings.
Lauren whispered, “I’ve never heard of that.”
Oscar examined the deposits.
Every time Jared sent eight thousand dollars, a matching amount moved within forty-eight hours.
Not to Evelyn.
To Blue Acre.
“That’s the real destination,” Oscar said.
Jared searched the company registration.
The owner was hidden behind another LLC.
Oscar kept digging.
In the fourth box, he found copies of checks signed by Evelyn.
In the fifth, copies of emails between Martin and someone identified only as C.M.
One message read: KEEP LAUREN CALM. SHE STILL THINKS THIS IS ABOUT HER MOTHER’S HOUSE.
Lauren sat down hard on one of the suitcases.
Another message read: JARED WILL KEEP PAYING AS LONG AS THE FATHER STORY HOLDS.
Jared’s hands shook.
Oscar’s face became still.
He had spent his career around financial deception. The most dangerous schemes were rarely built around money alone. They were built around trust.
Lauren looked sick.
“Martin used me.”
Oscar said, “Yes.”
She stared at him. “You believe me?”
“I believe he used you. That does not erase what you chose to do.”
At the bottom of the last box, Jared found a photograph.
It showed Martin standing beside a man at a golf outing.
The man wore a blue blazer and a familiar smile.
Lauren whispered, “No.”
Jared turned the photo over.
May you like
Written on the back were two words.
CHASE MERCER.
