Chapter 6 - THE MAN WHO INTRODUCED SERAPHINA TO EVERETT KNEW HER ALL ALONGNolan Pierce had been Everett’s business partner for sixteen years.
They started Whitmore Capital together.
Shared office space before they could afford employees.
Survived the financial crisis together.
Nolan was best man at Everett and Laurel’s wedding.
Godfather to Hadley.
And three years after Laurel died, Nolan had invited Everett to a charity dinner.
That was where Everett “met” Seraphina.
Everett remembered Nolan smiling.
You two would get along.
Now Everett watched footage proving Nolan had interacted with Laurel during her secret investigation.
And apparently knew Seraphina before Everett married her.
He called Nolan.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Graham said:
“Don’t warn him.”
Everett glared.
“You’ve hidden enough from me.”
“I’m telling you not to give him time to destroy evidence.”
Detective Ellison agreed.
“We’ll locate him.”
Everett hated not acting.
But Laurel had apparently predicted exactly that flaw.
He forced himself to listen.
Julian recovered another thirty seconds.
Laurel and Nolan.
Laurel:
“You told me Fiona was only gathering information.”
Nolan:
“She was.”
Laurel:
“She came near Hadley.”
Nolan:
“That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
Everett’s chest tightened.
Fiona.
Seraphina.
Nolan knew.
Laurel continued:
“Who controls the archive?”
Nolan looked toward the camera.
Directly at it.
For one strange second, Everett felt like Nolan was looking through time at him.
Then:
“Not who you think.”
Laurel:
“Give me a name.”
Nolan:
“I can’t.”
“Then you’re part of it.”
“I’m trying to get you out.”
“I don’t need out.”
She raised the recorder.
“I need this stopped.”
Nolan:
“You don’t understand what you copied.”
“What?”
“Private feeds from hundreds of homes.”
Laurel’s face changed.
Nolan continued:
“Judges. CEOs. Prosecutors. People with enough influence to bury everyone involved.”
Laurel:
“Then that’s more reason to expose it.”
Nolan stepped closer.
“No. It’s reason to keep Everett and Hadley alive.”
The clip ended.
Everett sat down.
For the first time, fear exceeded anger.
This wasn’t merely marital deception.
This sounded like organized surveillance.
Graham said:
“That matches what Laurel told me.”
Everett looked at him.
“She believed footage was being collected from Northstar systems installed in high-net-worth homes.”
“For blackmail.”
“And corporate intelligence.”
“What did Whitmore Capital have to do with it?”
Graham hesitated.
“We financed Northstar’s expansion.”
Everett knew that.
Seven years earlier.
A $140 million investment.
One of Whitmore Capital’s most profitable deals.
“You’re saying our money funded it.”
“Indirectly.”
Everett’s stomach turned.
“Did Nolan know?”
“I suspected he did.”
“You suspected?”
“I never proved it.”
Detective Ellison asked:
“What did Laurel copy?”
Graham shook his head.
“Probably the master index.”
“What is that?”
“A list linking camera feeds to target files.”
Everett felt sick.
People catalogued.
Homes catalogued.
Secrets catalogued.
And somewhere, Laurel had copied the evidence.
Then died.
Seraphina searched for the recorder.
Years later married Everett.
Gained admin control over the mansion system.
Pretended cameras were broken.
Abused Hadley.
Why?
Because Hadley noticed camera lights.
Because maybe Hadley knew something Seraphina needed.
Everett stood.
“I’m talking to my daughter.”
Detective Ellison nodded.
“Don’t interrogate.”
“I know.”
Hadley sat at Doreen’s kitchen table eating toast.
Everett took the chair across from her.
“Can I ask about Mom’s room?”
Hadley nodded.
“Do you go in there?”
“Sometimes.”
“Why?”
“It smells like her.”
Everett’s throat tightened.
He hadn’t known.
“What did Seraphina ask you about the room?”
Hadley looked uncomfortable.
“She wanted me to show her where Mom hid things.”
“What things?”
“I said I didn’t know.”
“Did you?”
Hadley’s fingers tightened around the toast.
Everett softened his voice.
“You’re not in trouble.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you scared to tell me?”
“Because Mom said not to.”
Everett stopped breathing.
“Laurel told you?”
Hadley nodded.
He reminded himself she had been four when Laurel died.
Memories at that age could be fragments.
“What did she say?”
“She made a game.”
“Who watches the watcher?”
Hadley nodded.
“Moonlight.”
“What happens after moonlight?”
Hadley thought.
“You find the stars.”
Everett frowned.
“What stars?”
“In her room.”
He stood too quickly.
Hadley flinched.
Everett immediately sat again.
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“No. I moved too fast.”
Hadley relaxed.
“Can you show me?”
She hesitated.
Then nodded.
They went to Laurel’s old dressing room.
Dustless because Doreen cleaned it.
Laurel’s perfume bottles remained.
Jewelry case.
Vanity mirror.
Hadley walked toward the ceiling.
Tiny glow-in-the-dark stars still dotted the molding from when the room had doubled as a play area.
Everett had forgotten them.
Hadley pointed.
“Mom said moonlight finds stars.”
She counted.
One.
Two.
Three.
Then pressed the third wooden star.
A small section of molding released.
Everett stared.
Inside was a memory card.
Not the recorder.
But something.
Hadley looked at him.
“Mom said only use it if the green eyes wake up.”
Everett’s pulse stopped.
Green eyes.
The cameras.
Laurel had prepared this years ago.
He took the card downstairs.
Julian inserted it into an isolated laptop.
One encrypted folder appeared.
Password request.
Everett tried:
MOONLIGHT.
Denied.
Hadley stood behind him.
“Dad.”
“What?”
“You forgot the question.”
Everett looked at her.
“Who watches the watcher?”
She smiled faintly.
He typed:
WHO WATCHES THE WATCHER?
Password accepted.
Inside was one video.
Laurel sat in front of the camera.
Alive.
Serious.
“If Everett is watching this, the surveillance network is still active.”
Everett’s chest tightened.
May you like
Laurel continued:
“And if Seraphina West is inside our home, Nolan failed me.”
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