Chapter 14 - Gregory’s Version
Nicole agreed to meet Gregory only with attorneys present.
He refused.
So she refused.
Two hours later he appeared outside Margaret’s office anyway.
Margaret called security.
Nicole stopped her.
“Five minutes.”
Gregory entered alone.
He looked older than he had at the funeral.
“You’ve made me into a murderer,” he said.
Nicole folded her arms.
“I haven’t accused you publicly of anything.”
“Raymond has.”
“Raymond told police what he suspects.”
“And you believe him.”
“I believe records.”
Gregory laughed.
“Records? Your family has spent fifteen years manufacturing records.”
Margaret stepped forward.
“Be careful.”
Gregory ignored her.
He placed a folder on the table.
Inside were copies of financial statements from the Harborview project.
Raymond’s signature appeared at the bottom.
“So?”
“Harborview lost nine million dollars.”
“I know.”
“Raymond knew too.”
Nicole looked at her brother’s signature.
“He said he relied on you.”
“Of course he did.”
Gregory produced emails.
Raymond to Gregory.
Keep the Harborview loss out of the annual presentation until refinancing closes.
Another.
Use reserve structure if necessary.
Another.
Dad built Northstar for situations exactly like this.
Nicole’s breath caught.
“Raymond said he didn’t know Northstar existed.”
Gregory’s eyes hardened.
“Raymond lies.”
Margaret examined the email headers.
“These could be fabricated.”
“They can be authenticated.”
Nicole felt dizzy.
“Why would Raymond investigate something he already knew about?”
“Because Northstar changed.”
“How?”
Gregory sat.
“For years it was an off-book reserve.”
“That sounds illegal.”
“It was aggressive accounting.”
Margaret almost laughed.
“Is that what we call it now?”
Gregory continued.
“When Harborview collapsed, we needed money. Banks were ready to call loans. Four hundred employees could have lost their jobs.”
“So you stole?”
“I moved funds.”
“To your own company?”
His face changed.
Nicole noticed.
“Three million dollars went to Hart Advisory.”
“It was owed.”
“For what?”
“Loans I made.”
“Show me.”
“I can.”
“Then why hide them?”
Gregory hesitated.
Because there was no clean answer.
Nicole pressed.
“And Alder Ridge?”
“That was different.”
“You planned to buy family land worth twenty-seven million for nine.”
“Northstar would buy it.”
“You own Northstar.”
“Not alone.”
Nicole stared.
“Who else?”
Gregory looked toward Margaret.
Then back to Nicole.
“Raymond.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“His attorney says no ownership records exist.”
“Because ownership wasn’t registered directly.”
“Then prove it.”
Gregory’s jaw tightened.
“The original participation agreement disappeared.”
“How convenient.”
“It disappeared after Elias began investigating.”
Nicole thought of the initials.
G.H.
C.S.
R.A.
Gregory leaned closer.
“Your brother realized our father’s old structure could destroy him. So he hired Elias to collect everything, then decided to pretend he was the victim.”
“He almost died.”
“According to Raymond.”
“Elias actually died.”
“That does not prove who started the fire.”
Nicole stopped.
Gregory had a point.
A horrible one.
He continued.
“Raymond wants you to think I stole from him. He has been using Northstar for years.”
“Then why were you terrified at the funeral?”
Gregory went still.
Nicole watched him.
“When Emma said Raymond was alive, you looked terrified.”
“Because I realized my wife had been lying to me.”
“You tried to cremate the body.”
“I wanted my brother-in-law buried with dignity.”
“Cremated.”
“He had told me years ago he preferred cremation.”
Nicole had not known that.
Maybe it was true.
Maybe another lie.
“Why did you ask Margaret to waive the thirty-day trust hold?”
Gregory’s frustration surfaced.
“Because Archer Properties cannot operate for a month without decisions.”
“It has an independent trustee.”
“Who is seventy-two years old and works three days a week.”
Margaret looked offended.
“I work four.”
For one absurd second nobody spoke.
Then Gregory’s expression softened.
“Nicole.”
She hated that tone.
The husband tone.
The man who had held Emma when she had pneumonia.
The man who made coffee every morning.
The man she had loved.
“Come home.”
“No.”
“Raymond is tearing us apart.”
“You did that when you used my credentials.”
“I never intended to hurt you.”
“Did you use them?”
Gregory looked at her.
“Yes.”
The truth hit harder than another denial.
“Why?”
“Because I knew you would refuse to sign.”
“That is exactly why signatures require consent.”
“I thought once the transaction succeeded, I could explain.”
Nicole laughed bitterly.
“The family motto.”
“What?”
“Lie first. Explain later.”
Gregory looked down.
Nicole took a breath.
“Did you order anyone to hurt Raymond?”
“No.”
“Did you ask Colin Sykes to recover Elias’s evidence?”
A pause.
“I asked Colin to find out what Raymond was doing.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Gregory looked at her.
“I never told anyone to kill your brother.”
Nicole believed he believed that sentence.
But there were many ways to cause a death without saying the word kill.
As Gregory left, Margaret handed Nicole one of his emails.
“Look at the date.”
It was sent two years earlier.
Raymond had mentioned Northstar.
Which meant Raymond had lied to Nicole again.
May you like
Not about one thing.
About the foundation of the entire investigation.
