Chapter 6: What Claire Was Really Protecting
Nathan talked for forty minutes.
He talked about Foss's first approach, which had come through a third party eighteen months ago.
He talked about the meetings — three of them, all outside the state, all arranged around Dominic's existing travel schedule so that Nathan's absence would go unnoticed.
He talked about the structure of the arrangement: Nathan would provide Foss with advance notice of Dominic's key business movements, enough to give Foss a consistent edge, in exchange for a sum that would be transferred in four installments to the NRC Consulting account.
Two installments had already been paid.
"And Claire?" Dominic asked.
Nathan was quiet for a moment.
"Claire came to me six weeks ago," he said.
"She'd found something in Mia's room herself.
Not the photographs — she didn't know about those.
She found a notebook."
"What kind of notebook?"
"The kind Mia kept for the household.
Schedules, supply orders, guest preferences." He paused.
"And in the back, in Mia's handwriting, a list of dates and amounts.
Transfers from your personal account to a property fund."
"I know that fund.
It's legitimate."
"Claire didn't know that.
She thought Mia was documenting it to use against you somehow.
She came to me because she wanted to know if it was serious." Nathan looked at the floor.
"I told her it was.
I told her Mia had been gathering information for months.
I told her we needed to act before you got back."
"You used Claire."
"I used what she already believed.
She already didn't trust Mia.
I just confirmed it."
"And she locked Mia in the cellar based on what you told her."
"She didn't do it alone.
I arranged it.
I told her it was temporary.
I told her it was to protect you." He looked up.
"She believed me, Dom.
She genuinely believed she was protecting you."
Dominic stood.
He walked to the window.
Below, in the drive, Daniel stood near the front steps.
Marcus was visible at the corner of the property.
Nobody was going anywhere.
"So Claire is not part of the arrangement with Foss," Dominic said.
"No."
"She just did what you told her."
"Yes."
"And she has no idea why Mia was really a problem for you."
"No."
Dominic turned from the window.
"I want everything," he said.
"Account numbers.
Transfer records.
Dates of every communication with Foss or his people.
Names of anyone else who knew."
"There's no one else."
"Nathan."
"There is no one else.
I kept it contained.
I didn't want exposure."
"You'll write it all down.
Every detail.
Daniel will sit with you while you do it."
Nathan looked at him.
"And then what?"
"And then we'll see what you've written."
"Dom—"
"You put a woman in a cellar for three days," Dominic said.
"Her four-year-old daughter stood outside in bare feet on freezing stone and knocked on that door every night hoping her mother would knock back.
That child came to me because every adult in this house had failed her." He picked up the envelope from the desk.
"Whatever comes next, Nathan, you built it yourself."
He opened the study door.
Daniel was waiting in the hall.
"Sit with him," Dominic said.
"He's going to write something for me.
He doesn't make any calls.
He doesn't leave the room."
Daniel nodded and stepped inside.
Dominic walked down the hall toward the guest room.
He knocked twice.
The lock turned.
Mia opened the door.
Harper was still asleep on the bed behind her, curled around a pillow now instead of the coat.
"Nathan told me about the notebook," Dominic said.
"The household schedule book.
Claire found it and misread it."
Mia closed her eyes for a moment.
"I kept notes on everything.
It was just a habit."
"I know."
"She thought I was—"
"I know what she thought.
Nathan told her to think it." He leaned against the doorframe.
"Claire didn't know about Foss.
She didn't know about any of it.
She did what she did because Nathan convinced her you were a threat to me."
Mia was quiet for a moment.
"She still locked me in a cellar," she said.
"Yes.
She did."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
"No," Dominic said.
"It's supposed to make sure you have the full picture before I go talk to her."
Mia looked at him steadily.
"What are you going to say to her?"
"I don't know yet."
"Dominic." She held the door with one hand.
"Whatever she did — she did it because she loves you.
In her own way.
In a very wrong way." She paused.
"I'm not asking you to forgive her.
I'm asking you to be accurate about what she is."
He looked at her for a long moment.
"Get some rest," he said.
He walked back down the hall toward the main staircase.
He was halfway down when his phone buzzed.
A message from Caruso.
*Third installment from Foss account transferred this morning.
6:42 AM.
While you were in the cellar.*
Nathan had been standing in that doorway saying *My God, who did this* — and somewhere, a wire transfer was already moving.
May you like
Dominic pocketed the phone.
He kept walking.
