Chapter 6: The Morning He Almost Won
At nine o’clock, twelve Rhodes Capital directors sat around a glass table.
Marcus and Daniel occupied one side; Julian, Grace, Chloe, and I sat opposite them.
The chairwoman, Margaret Bell, looked at Julian.
“As Evelyn’s husband, you will not vote.”
“I understand.”
She turned to me.
“Did you remove records from Mercer Financial?”
“I copied records I lawfully reviewed during an audit.”
Marcus opened his folder.
“She copied them after her access expired.”
“That is false.”
He slid a printed email across the table.
“This came from Evelyn’s account.”
I read the first line aloud.
“‘Use temporary vendors and split each transfer below the review threshold.’ I did not write this.”
Daniel tapped the page.
“The message originated from the Mercer home.”
“Marcus lived there too.”
Marcus leaned back.
“But the login was yours.”
Grace placed a report beside the email.
“The message was created three months after Evelyn moved out.”
Daniel smiled.
“She still possessed a key.”
“I never returned to that house,” I said.
“Can anyone confirm that?”
Chloe raised her hand.
“I was living there by then.”
Every face turned toward her.
Marcus laughed once.
“Thank you for confirming your affair.”
“I’m confirming that Evelyn wasn’t there.”
“You cannot account for every hour.”
“No,” Chloe said, “but your alarm records can.”
Marcus’s fingers stopped moving.
Chloe continued, “You changed the entry code the morning Evelyn left.
Every door opening was logged.”
Daniel whispered to Marcus.
Margaret raised one hand.
“Ms.
Vance, do you have those records?”
“Marcus deleted them from the company server.”
“So you have no proof.”
“Not yet.”
Marcus pushed another document forward.
“The transfers benefited a consulting structure designed by Evelyn’s former firm.”
I looked at the company names.
“These pages have been altered.”
“Again, prove it.”
Margaret removed her glasses.
“Mrs.
Rhodes, your drive could resolve this.”
I set it on the table.
Marcus shook his head.
“Anything on that drive could have been changed.”
Grace connected it to an isolated laptop.
The folder opened, but every financial file displayed the same warning.
CORRUPTED.
UNREADABLE.
Marcus let out a slow breath.
Julian looked at me.
“When did you last open it?”
“Five years ago.”
Daniel stood.
“The only usable evidence is the email trail, and it identifies Evelyn.”
Margaret folded her hands.
“Until the investigation is complete, Julian will step away from acquisition decisions.
Evelyn will have no contact with Rhodes Capital employees.”
Marcus buttoned his jacket.
“A sensible decision.”
“You forged those emails,” I said.
He paused beside my chair.
“That accusation may cost you your license.”
Chloe stood.
“Tell them about the memory card.”
“What memory card?”
“The one you took last night.”
Marcus spread his hands.
“The officers searched me.”
A quiet man at the far end of the table rose.
He had said nothing throughout the meeting.
“My name is Samuel Pike,” he said.
“I maintained the original Mercer alarm and email servers.”
Marcus stared at him.
“You retired.”
“You made sure of that.”
Samuel placed a sealed envelope before Margaret.
“What is this?” she asked.
“A preservation certificate and server backup created five years ago.”
Marcus’s attorney stood abruptly.
“You had no authority to retain that.”
Samuel faced him.
“I had a legal duty to preserve records after I discovered someone was using Evelyn Mercer’s credentials.”
Margaret opened the envelope.
Before she could remove the report, the lights went out.
May you like
A sharp crack came from the conference table.
When the emergency lamps flickered on, the envelope was gone—and Marcus was standing beside the open door.
