Chapter 7 - THE LAWYER'S WARNING
Ethan answered without revealing what Daniel had just discovered.
“Samuel.”
“Thank God.”
The lawyer sounded frightened.
“Where are you?”
“Why?”
“Richard called me.”
Ethan exchanged a glance with Daniel.
“What did he say?”
“He said Sophie had been kidnapped.”
Celeste whispered a curse.
Ethan’s voice remained calm.
“By who?”
“By you.”
For several seconds, Ethan said nothing.
Samuel continued.
“He told the police you had some kind of breakdown.”
“He said you attacked him and fled with Sophie.”
Ethan almost admired how quickly Richard had built the story.
“Did you believe him?”
“No.”
The answer came too fast.
Daniel silently shook his head.
Ethan walked toward the window.
“Samuel, do you remember the trust you drafted for Claire?”
Silence.
Then a slow breath.
“Yes.”
“She left records.”
Another silence.
“I figured she might.”
Ethan’s voice hardened.
“You have five seconds to tell me whose side you’re on.”
Samuel sounded exhausted.
“I was on Claire’s.”
“Was?”
“Ethan, things changed.”
“Money changes things?”
“It wasn’t money.”
“What was it?”
“Richard had something on me.”
Daniel leaned closer to the phone.
Samuel continued.
“Years ago, I approved transfers without checking the supporting documentation.”
“I thought they were legitimate acquisitions.”
“By the time Claire discovered what had happened, Richard could make it look like I was part of the theft.”
“So you helped him.”
“I helped him delay things.”
“Freeze paperwork.”
“Change dates.”
“Nothing involving Sophie.”
Ethan looked at Celeste.
“She had a plane ticket tonight.”
Samuel went silent.
Then he whispered, “Oh, God.”
“You didn’t know?”
“No.”
“Richard told me he was moving assets.”
“He never said anything about the child.”
Daniel wrote something on a piece of paper and pushed it toward Ethan.
ASK ABOUT THE LAKE HOUSE.
Ethan did.
Samuel’s voice changed immediately.
“You know about that?”
“I know Claire warned me to keep Richard away from it.”
Samuel hesitated.
“Claire stored the originals there.”
“Originals of what?”
“Everything.”
“The contracts.”
“The bank records.”
“And something else.”
Ethan waited.
“What?”
“A recording.”
“What recording?”
Samuel lowered his voice.
“The last conversation Claire ever had with Richard.”
Ethan felt cold.
“Samuel.”
“Was Richard with my wife the night she died?”
Samuel’s answer came after several painful seconds.
“Yes.”
Before Ethan could ask another question, the line went dead.
Daniel looked at him.
“That wasn’t a dropped call.”
Ethan stared at the phone.
May you like
Someone had ended it from Samuel’s side.
And when Ethan called back, Samuel’s number no longer connected.
