Chapter 10 - Cousin ThomasThomas Mercer arrived angry.
That was his first mistake.
An innocent man would have arrived confused.
Thomas entered Daniel's temporary office and threw the accounting report onto the desk.
“You had no right to audit me without notice.”
Daniel remained seated.
“It's my company.”
“It's our family company.”
“No. That's exactly the problem.”
Thomas paced.
Daniel had known him for thirty-five years.
They had attended the same schools.
Shared summers at the mansion.
Worked under Henry together.
Thomas had always been easier to like than Daniel.
Funny.
Relaxed.
Unthreatening.
Now Daniel noticed his expensive watch.
His tailored jacket.
The desperation around his eyes.
“Did you approve payments to Amber Shore?”
Thomas stopped.
“It was a consulting vendor.”
“Owned by my mother.”
“I didn't know that.”
“Six million dollars.”
“Over five years.”
“So you approved more than a million dollars a year without knowing who received it?”
Thomas's face hardened.
“You think CEOs examine every vendor?”
“No. CFOs do.”
Thomas said nothing.
Daniel leaned forward.
“What did she promise you?”
“Nothing.”
“What did Evelyn promise you?”
“Don't call her Evelyn like she's some stranger.”
“What did my mother promise you?”
Thomas looked toward the window.
“That when she regained control, we'd fix the company.”
Daniel almost laughed.
“There it is.”
“You've been selling off Henry's legacy.”
“I've been selling unprofitable assets.”
“You fired people who worked for this family for decades.”
“I fired people who didn't perform.”
Thomas turned.
“Exactly. That's what you don't understand. Your father built loyalty.”
“My father built a business.”
“He built a family.”
Daniel stood.
“And somehow that family stole six million dollars.”
Thomas's jaw tightened.
Daniel continued.
“Did you know about Nora's trust?”
Thomas went silent.
That was enough.
“How much did you know?”
“I knew Evelyn believed Henry cheated her.”
“Did you know the shares transferred to her if Nora died?”
“No.”
The answer came too fast.
Daniel stepped closer.
“Thomas.”
“I said no.”
“Did you know about the forged amendment?”
“No.”
“Charles?”
“No.”
“Marwick?”
Thomas hesitated.
Daniel saw it.
“You knew.”
Thomas swore quietly.
“Victor was financing her investments.”
“And you helped.”
“I approved consulting payments.”
“Kickbacks.”
“I didn't know where the money came from.”
Daniel shook his head.
“You always know just enough to collect the benefits and never enough to take responsibility.”
Thomas slammed both hands onto the desk.
“Do you think Evelyn planned to kill Nora?”
Daniel said nothing.
Thomas stared.
“She wouldn't.”
“Nora says she removed the ladder.”
“She's three.”
Daniel's expression changed.
Thomas realized his mistake.
Same phrase.
Same defense.
Exactly.
Daniel said quietly, “Why does everyone protecting my mother keep saying that?”
Thomas stepped back.
“I didn't mean—”
“Yes, you did.”
Daniel walked around the desk.
“Did she talk to you yesterday?”
Thomas shook his head.
“Show me your phone.”
“What?”
“Show me your call log.”
“No.”
“Then you're suspended effective immediately.”
“You can't—”
“I just did.”
Thomas's face drained.
“You suspend me, the board hears about this.”
“Good.”
“You'll destroy the company.”
“No. I'm trying to find out who already did.”
Thomas left.
But twenty minutes later, Daniel's forensic team recovered something from company email backups.
Thomas had deleted a message the previous week.
It was from Evelyn.
Daniel is moving sooner than expected. We may only have until Monday.
Thomas replied:
Do not do anything reckless.
Evelyn answered:
Then give me another option.
Thomas wrote:
There isn't one.
Daniel stared at those words.
There isn't one.
Not proof that Thomas knew about the pool.
But close enough to make Daniel's stomach turn.
Then another deleted email appeared.
Sent by Thomas the morning after Nora's birthday.
If the child provision activates, we're finished.
May you like
Evelyn replied with only four words.
Leave that to me.
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