Chapter 8 - The Attorney Who Knew Too MuchGerald was alive.
That was the first useful fact.
He had pulled into a motel parking lot outside Bowling Green, Kentucky.
He refused to give police his exact room number until Detective Bell called him directly.
By 2:00 a.m., Gerald finally agreed to return under escort.
The board vote was seven hours away.
Camryn couldn't wait.
“Tell me what Section Twelve says.”
Gerald's voice came through Rachel's phone.
“It creates a misconduct trigger.”
“What does that mean?”
“If any Vaughn board member attempts to manipulate Avery's custodial status for financial advantage, that member's voting rights over certain family shares are suspended pending investigation.”
Camryn looked at Rachel.
“Everett.”
“Yes.”
“How many shares does he lose?”
“His direct block is eighteen percent.”
Enough.
Without it, the merger couldn't pass.
“Why did you hide Section Twelve?”
Gerald went quiet.
Rachel answered for him.
“Lucille.”
Gerald sighed.
“She asked me to.”
Camryn laughed bitterly.
“So you helped her.”
“I provided her a copy of the guardianship provisions.”
“You let her file.”
“I told her it was a terrible idea.”
“But you didn't tell me.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Attorney-client privilege.”
Rachel snapped:
“You represented the family trust too.”
Gerald fell silent.
Conflict.
Serious conflict.
“Why help Nolan in the first place?” Camryn asked.
Gerald's voice softened.
“Because he was scared.”
“Of Everett?”
“Yes.”
“Of Lucille?”
Gerald hesitated.
“In a different way.”
Camryn looked toward Avery’s room.
“What did Nolan think his mother would do?”
“Whatever she believed preserved the Vaughn name.”
That was exactly what happened.
“Did Nolan know she was capable of hurting Avery?”
“No.”
Gerald sounded genuinely horrified.
“I don't think any of us knew that.”
Camryn believed him.
Lucille's cruelty was hers.
Everett may have exploited her obsession, but he didn't force her hand against a child.
“Who tried to run you off the road?”
“I didn't see.”
“Everett?”
“Probably someone working for him.”
“Do you have proof?”
“No.”
Rachel asked:
“Do you have the original Section Twelve?”
“Yes.”
“And Nolan's supporting memo?”
“Yes.”
“Bring both.”
“I will.”
Camryn ended the call.
Then noticed Avery standing behind her.
Again.
“You have to sleep.”
“I can't.”
Camryn softened.
“Come here.”
Avery climbed into her lap.
“Is Grandma going to take me?”
“No.”
“You promise?”
Camryn stopped.
She wanted to promise.
Instead:
“I promise I will fight every possible way to keep you safe.”
Avery accepted that.
“Did Grandma know Dad was my real dad?”
Camryn thought.
“I don't know.”
“She said I wasn't family.”
“I know.”
“Was she lying?”
“Yes.”
Avery looked toward the dark window.
“What if she still doesn't like me?”
Camryn's throat tightened.
“That's her problem.”
“Not mine?”
“Never yours.”
Avery leaned against her.
After several minutes, she whispered:
“Grandma talked to Uncle Everett a lot.”
Camryn looked down.
“When?”
“When you weren't home.”
“What did they say?”
“I wasn't supposed to listen.”
“You're not in trouble.”
Avery thought.
“One time Grandma said, ‘Camryn would never sign.’”
“What did Everett say?”
“He said, ‘Then make sure she can't vote.’”
Camryn's heart pounded.
“Anything else?”
“Grandma said she wouldn't hurt you.”
Camryn froze.
“And Uncle Everett said…”
Avery closed her eyes, remembering.
“He said, ‘No one needs to hurt her. She just needs to look unstable for forty-eight hours.’”
Rachel slowly raised her eyes.
Direct evidence of intent.
Avery continued.
“I thought he meant tired.”
Camryn kissed her forehead.
“You did exactly right telling me.”
Avery yawned.
Camryn carried her upstairs.
After she fell asleep, Camryn stood beside the bed for a long time.
Nolan's photograph sat on Avery's dresser.
He held her when she was four.
Both laughing.
Camryn whispered:
“You knew they were coming.”
Not the abuse.
But the attack on Avery's rights.
The company.
The family.
Nolan had prepared.
Then why hadn't he simply told Camryn everything?
Maybe he believed he had time.
People always did.
Rachel entered quietly.
“Gerald sent us a scan.”
“Section Twelve?”
“Yes.”
Camryn read it.
The language was complex.
The meaning wasn't.
Everett's attempt to use a custody proceeding to affect Avery's shares automatically disqualified him from exercising certain proxy rights.
“We can stop the merger.”
“Probably.”
“Probably?”
“We still need to authenticate the document.”
“Gerald has the original.”
“Yes.”
“And the video?”
“Helps.”
Camryn exhaled.
Then Rachel scrolled.
“There’s a handwritten note from Nolan.”
“What?”
Attached to Section Twelve.
If Everett invokes emergency review, check the consulting payments from CBR Advisory.
Rachel searched the files on the blue drive.
CBR Advisory.
Payments totaling $4.7 million.
Recipient hidden through shell companies.
Camryn stared.
“Can we trace it?”
“With time.”
“We have six hours.”
Rachel started working.
At 4:12 a.m., she found the first connection.
CBR Advisory sent money to Latham Management.
Latham transferred funds to a personal investment account.
Account holder:
Everett Vaughn.
Camryn felt cold.
“Bribe.”
“Looks like it.”
Then another line appeared.
A second recipient.
Smaller payments.
$620,000 over eighteen months.
Rachel stared at the name.
Camryn followed her eyes.
Lucille Vaughn.
Camryn stopped breathing.
May you like
Lucille hadn't simply been manipulated into supporting the merger.
She had been paid.
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