Chapter 8 - Charles Finally Tells the Whole TruthEthan drove to Charles Whitmore’s townhouse without calling first.
Margaret went with him.
Rebecca followed in another car.
Charles opened the door wearing no jacket, tie loosened, face drawn.
He took one look at Ethan.
“You heard it.”
Ethan walked inside.
“You transferred money into my father’s account.”
Charles shut the door.
“Yes.”
Margaret felt something inside her go numb.
“Why?”
Charles looked at her.
“To protect him.”
Ethan laughed once.
“Try again.”
“It’s true.”
“Three hundred thousand dollars appeared in Dad’s account.”
“Yes.”
“Then disappeared.”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
Charles sat.
“I moved it.”
Margaret stared.
“You used Daniel’s company to move money?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Arthur was testing people.”
Ethan frowned.
Charles explained.
By the final years of Arthur Vale’s leadership, corruption had become paranoid.
Arthur no longer trusted his executives.
He demanded loyalty through participation.
If someone approved a questionable vendor payment, they became compromised.
If someone moved money, they became vulnerable.
If everyone had dirt on everyone else, no one could safely expose the system.
“Arthur wanted Daniel compromised.”
Margaret whispered, “Why?”
“Because Daniel was asking questions.”
“So you put money into his account?”
“Yes.”
“Without telling him?”
“Yes.”
Ethan stepped toward Charles.
“You framed him.”
“I moved it back out.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“I was trying to make Arthur believe Daniel had accepted.”
Margaret understood.
“You were buying Daniel time.”
Charles nodded.
“I told Arthur Daniel had agreed to cooperate.”
“Did Daniel know?”
“No.”
“Then why did the money disappear?”
“I controlled the destination account.”
Ethan stared.
“Where did it go?”
“Back into Halcyon through another entity.”
“So Dad didn’t steal anything.”
“No.”
Margaret closed her eyes.
Relief came mixed with rage.
Daniel had died believing people might think he was corrupt.
“Why didn’t you tell him?”
“I planned to.”
“When?”
“After he was safe.”
“He died first.”
Charles nodded.
Margaret looked at him.
“Because he found out.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
“Victoria?”
“Maybe.”
Ethan replayed the audio.
Daniel’s voice filled Charles’s living room.
“You used me.”
Victoria: “Daniel, listen to me. You need to leave.”
“Not until you tell me who transferred the money into my account.”
Then:
“Charles.”
Ethan stopped the recording.
“What happened after this?”
Charles’s face tightened.
“I don’t know.”
“You arrived minutes later.”
“Yes.”
“What did Victoria tell you?”
“That Daniel was furious.”
“Anything else?”
Charles hesitated.
Ethan noticed.
“What?”
“She said he had threatened Arthur.”
“How?”
“Said he was going public.”
Margaret frowned.
“Daniel was already planning that.”
“Yes.”
“Then why does it matter?”
Charles looked at Ethan.
“Because Arthur was there.”
Silence.
Ethan’s voice dropped.
“In the garage?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Before me.”
Margaret stood.
“You said you found Daniel alone.”
“I did.”
“You lied.”
“Yes.”
“Again.”
Charles’s eyes filled.
“Arthur was leaving when I arrived.”
Ethan’s body went rigid.
“Did you see him?”
“Yes.”
“Did he say anything?”
“He told me Daniel was having some kind of medical episode.”
“And you let him leave?”
“I didn’t understand.”
“Did you ask why he was there?”
“He said Daniel called him.”
Margaret shook her head.
“Daniel hated Arthur.”
“I know.”
“He would never call him.”
“I know that now.”
Ethan leaned closer.
“What was Arthur carrying?”
Charles stared.
Ethan repeated.
“What was he carrying?”
Charles swallowed.
“Daniel’s briefcase.”
Margaret covered her mouth.
There it was.
Arthur had taken the evidence.
“Why did you never tell police?”
“Because by then I had already hidden the papers I found.”
“You were afraid of going to prison.”
“Yes.”
Margaret turned away.
Charles continued.
“I spent years trying to recover the briefcase.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Where did Arthur keep things?”
“A private archive.”
Ethan frowned.
“What archive?”
Charles stood.
“Arthur kept records outside Halcyon.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then why mention it?”
“Because Victoria knew.”
Ethan’s jaw tightened.
“How?”
“She was closer to Arthur than people realized.”
Margaret looked at him.
“What does that mean?”
Charles seemed uncomfortable.
“Arthur mentored her.”
Victoria had been twenty-seven.
Ambitious.
Fast-rising.
Arthur had been nearly seventy.
“She became useful to him.”
“For the fraud?”
“Eventually.”
Margaret stared.
“So she was involved.”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“I don’t know.”
Ethan paced.
“If Victoria has Daniel’s recording, she may also know where Arthur’s archive is.”
Charles nodded.
“And now she’s missing.”
Rebecca entered from the hallway.
She had been speaking on the phone.
“Not anymore.”
Everyone looked at her.
“Victoria just contacted the board.”
Ethan frowned.
“From where?”
“Unknown.”
“What did she say?”
Rebecca’s face was pale.
“She demanded twenty million dollars.”
Margaret stared.
“For what?”
May you like
Rebecca looked at Ethan.
“For the full Daniel Cole archive.”
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