Chapter 13 - Lucille’s Last Lie About NolanCamryn confronted Lucille at the police station.
No screaming.
No threats.
She simply placed headphones on the table.
“Listen.”
Lucille did.
Her own voice filled her ears.
“Don't let him call Camryn.”
She closed her eyes.
Camryn waited.
When the recording ended, Lucille removed the headphones.
“I can explain.”
“I know.”
“You do?”
“Yes.”
“You will tell me you were protecting Nolan.”
Lucille looked down.
Camryn continued.
“You will say he was emotional.”
Silence.
“You will say Everett only wanted to delay him.”
Silence.
“You will say nobody knew the road would be wet.”
Lucille began crying.
Camryn sat back.
“Go ahead.”
Lucille whispered:
“We were trying to stop him from destroying the merger.”
“There was no merger yet.”
“Negotiations.”
“He found evidence Crestline was hiding safety failures.”
“I didn't know.”
“You keep saying that like ignorance excuses everything.”
Lucille wiped tears.
“Nolan sounded paranoid.”
“Because Everett was taking millions from Crestline.”
“I didn't know that either.”
“Did you want to know?”
No answer.
Camryn looked at her.
“Did Nolan try to call me that night?”
“Yes.”
“How many times?”
“Three.”
Camryn's chest tightened.
Her phone had shown no missed calls.
“Where was I?”
“At the fundraiser.”
“I remember.”
Lucille had been there too.
Camryn left her phone in her clutch during dinner.
“What happened?”
Lucille’s voice broke.
“I took your phone.”
Camryn stared.
“What?”
“It was on the table.”
“You stole my phone?”
“I put it in my purse.”
“Why?”
“Everett said Nolan was overreacting.”
Camryn couldn't believe the simplicity.
“You stopped my husband from reaching me.”
“For an hour.”
“He died in that hour.”
Lucille sobbed.
“I know.”
Camryn's rage became something colder.
“Did you delete the calls?”
“Yes.”
“Messages?”
Lucille nodded.
“What did they say?”
“I don't remember.”
“Try.”
“Nolan said he needed you.”
Camryn closed her eyes.
“Anything else?”
“He said…”
Lucille struggled.
“Tell Avery I fixed it.”
Camryn looked up.
“Fixed what?”
“I didn't know.”
The DNA.
The trust.
Maybe both.
Nolan knew Avery was his.
He wanted Camryn to know.
Lucille deleted it.
Camryn stood.
“I thought he didn't call me.”
Lucille cried.
“I know.”
“For eleven months I wondered why my husband didn't call me when he was scared.”
“I know.”
“I thought maybe we weren't as close as I believed.”
Lucille covered her face.
Camryn’s voice broke.
“You stole his last chance to speak to me.”
“I am sorry.”
“No.”
Camryn stepped away.
“That word is too small.”
She walked toward the door.
Lucille called:
“Camryn.”
She stopped.
“I didn't want him dead.”
Camryn turned.
“I believe you.”
Lucille looked surprised.
“That doesn't save you.”
Camryn left.
Outside, Rachel waited.
“Are you okay?”
“No.”
They sat in Rachel's car.
For several minutes, Camryn cried.
Not for the marriage.
Nolan had loved her.
That was clearer now than ever.
She cried for the phone call she never received.
Then Rachel's phone rang.
Board investigators had finished tracing Crestline payments.
Everett received $4.7 million.
Lucille received $620,000.
Caleb received $180,000 labeled “security consulting.”
Caleb claimed Everett told him the payments were bonuses.
Nobody believed him.
But another transfer appeared.
$900,000.
Recipient:
Gerald Dempsey.
Camryn stared.
“No.”
Rachel looked equally stunned.
Gerald had helped Nolan.
Had preserved Section Twelve.
Had risked his life bringing it to the board.
Why was Crestline paying him?
Gerald agreed to meet.
He looked ashamed before they asked.
“They paid my firm.”
“For what?”
“Trust restructuring.”
“You helped Crestline?”
“At first.”
Camryn's stomach sank.
Gerald had drafted early versions reducing Avery's future control.
He told himself it was ordinary estate planning.
Then Nolan discovered what he was doing.
“He confronted me.”
“What happened?”
“I realized Everett had lied.”
“About what?”
“He told me Nolan wanted to reduce Avery's shares because she wasn't biological.”
Camryn felt rage.
“So you wrote it.”
“Yes.”
“Then Nolan showed you the DNA plan?”
“Yes.”
“And the payments?”
“Yes.”
Gerald switched sides.
Quietly.
He helped Nolan rewrite protections.
Section Twelve.
The lineage memorandum.
The misconduct trigger.
“Why didn't you tell me after Nolan died?”
Gerald looked down.
“Because I'd committed malpractice.”
“And taken money.”
“Yes.”
“You protected yourself.”
“Yes.”
Camryn almost appreciated the honesty.
Gerald continued.
“There is one thing I never told Nolan.”
“What?”
“Everett had another strategy if the merger failed.”
Camryn's stomach tightened.
“What?”
“Sell the intellectual property instead.”
“What intellectual property?”
“The pediatric cardiac sensor Nolan developed.”
Camryn knew it.
Nolan's proudest project.
A wearable sensor designed for children with heart conditions.
“Why?”
“Crestline wants the patent.”
“Who owns it?”
“Vaughn Technologies.”
Gerald shook his head.
“No.”
“Then who?”
“Nolan transferred it personally before he died.”
“To who?”
Gerald looked at Camryn.
“Not you.”
Her pulse accelerated.
“Avery.”
At eight years old, Avery owned the patent rights to a medical technology potentially worth hundreds of millions.
Camryn closed her eyes.
Of course.
May you like
Another reason everyone wanted control of the child.
And Everett had known all along.
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