Chapter 10 - The Recording
Claire put in one earbud.
She pressed play.
Her father’s voice came first.
“Say it again.”
Daniel answered.
Younger.
Angrier.
“I moved the money.”
“How much?”
“Four million.”
Claire stopped breathing.
Her father said, “From the foundation?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To cover losses.”
“What losses?”
Silence.
Then Daniel:
“I made bad trades.”
Harold’s voice hardened.
“You stole charitable funds to cover gambling in private investments.”
“I was going to put it back.”
“You always say that.”
Claire felt sick.
The recording continued.
Harold said, “Vanessa knows?”
“No.”
“You’re lying.”
“She knows some.”
“And her father?”
A long pause.
Then Daniel said, “He helped once.”
Claire’s hand went cold.
Her father:
“With what?”
The audio crackled.
Then Daniel’s voice became low.
“With the medical report.”
Claire stopped the recording.
Owen stared at her.
“What?”
She handed him the earbud.
He listened.
His face changed.
Nathan looked toward the stairs.
“We need to leave.”
“Why?”
“Because Daniel now knows exactly what was hidden down here.”
Claire put the drives into her sweater pocket.
Owen grabbed the ledger.
They climbed.
At the top of the stairs, the house was strangely quiet.
Too quiet.
Vanessa stood in the foyer.
Alone.
Her mascara had streaked.
“Where is Daniel?” Claire asked.
Vanessa pointed toward the garage.
“He took Maria.”
Claire’s blood turned to ice.
“What?”
“He grabbed her phone and pulled her outside.”
Owen ran for the garage door.
Nathan caught his arm.
“Wait.”
Claire looked at the security monitor.
The SUV was gone.
So was Daniel’s car.
Maria’s coat lay on the garage floor.
The next minutes moved fast, and every answer only exposed a deeper part of Daniel’s plan.
“Your mother.”
Claire stared at him.
Then her phone rang.
Maria’s number.
Claire answered.
No one spoke at first.
Then Daniel’s voice came through.
“Bring me the recorder and the ledger.”
Claire gripped the phone.
“Where is Maria?”
A muffled sound.
Then Maria whispered, “Don’t come.”
Daniel said, “Midnight. Whitmore Foundation parking garage.”
Claire looked at the clock.
11:46.
May you like
Fourteen minutes.
Then Daniel added, “Come alone, or Maria pays for your father’s mistake.”
