Chapter 6 - The Brother Who Knew
Victor found Adrian outside a seafood warehouse near the pier.
He did not hit him.
He wanted to.
Instead he threw Darlene Bennett’s closing statement onto the hood of Adrian’s car.
“You sold her building for thirty percent under value.”
Adrian looked down.
“Move.”
“You told her it was worthless.”
“I said it needed repairs.”
“You took commission from Northgate.”
“I’m a broker.”
“You joined their committee.”
Adrian looked toward the warehouse.
“Keep your voice down.”
Victor laughed.
“That’s what everybody keeps telling me.”
Adrian finally met his eyes.
“You want the truth?”
“Yes.”
“No, you don’t.”
Victor stepped closer.
“Try me.”
Adrian told him.
Northgate’s private waterfront project had stalled because several Harbor Street owners refused to sell.
Then the district considered expanding the school.
Graham Voss saw an opportunity.
If the school expansion required roadway changes and infrastructure improvements, the city might condemn or pressure selected parcels.
Northgate could benefit from the same redevelopment.
“They wanted voluntary sales first,” Adrian said.
“And Mrs. Harper?”
“I never asked anyone to hurt Jayden.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Adrian looked away.
“Harper helped convince families the neighborhood was changing.”
“How?”
“School trouble. Safety concerns. Transfer recommendations.”
Victor felt sick.
“You knew.”
“I knew she was difficult with kids.”
“You knew.”
Adrian slammed his hand against the car.
“You think I wanted this?”
“You took money.”
“I was drowning too!”
Victor stared at him.
Adrian’s face crumpled for a second.
Their father had left both brothers the seafood company.
Victor got operational control.
Adrian believed Victor had spent years treating him like dead weight.
“You made every decision,” Adrian said. “You acted like working the counter made you Dad and made me some idiot who should be grateful.”
“So you sold out families?”
“I found another way to make money.”
“You found Graham Voss.”
“He found me.”
Adrian opened his car door.
Victor blocked it.
“What did Sloan know?”
Adrian froze.
That was the answer.
Victor lowered his voice.
“What did the principal know?”
“I’m done talking.”
Victor grabbed the door frame.
“Did she know Harper was targeting students?”
Adrian’s eyes hardened.
“She knew complaints disappeared.”
Victor stepped back.
“What does that mean?”
But Adrian got into the car.
Before closing the door, he said one final thing.
“Ask Grant why three incident reports from Harper’s classroom were rewritten.”
Then he drove away.
Victor stood alone beside the warehouse.
His anger shifted.
Officer Grant had been helping them.
May you like
But if reports had been altered inside the school, either Grant had failed to stop it—
or somebody had used his name.
