Chapter 14 - The Man Thomas Trusted
Police surrounded Martin’s office.
Sarah stayed home because Detective Brooks ordered her to.
She hated every minute.
At 4:17 p.m., Brooks received confirmation.
Martin was alive.
Raymond was gone.
He had escaped through a private garage before officers arrived.
Inside Martin’s conference room, police found a second burner phone.
Messages connected Raymond to several shell companies.
The structure finally began to make sense.
Julian had stolen money.
Victoria had helped him conceal it.
But Raymond had been taking a percentage from both of them.
For years.
Thomas had discovered the theft.
Nathan had documented it.
Then Nathan died.
Sarah looked at Brooks.
“Did Raymond kill Nathan?”
“We don’t know.”
Sarah’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
Brooks motioned for her to answer.
Sarah put it on speaker.
“Hello?”
Claire’s voice came through.
“Mom.”
Sarah nearly collapsed.
“Claire.”
“Don’t say anything.”
“Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay.”
A man’s voice sounded faintly in the background.
Claire hurried.
“Raymond has me.”
Sarah closed her eyes.
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
Raymond took the phone.
“Merry Christmas, Sarah.”
Sarah’s hands tightened.
“You touch my daughter and there won’t be anywhere on earth you can hide.”
Raymond laughed.
“That sounds like Thomas.”
“What do you want?”
“The Nathan files.”
Sarah looked at Brooks.
“And?”
“The original trust records.”
“What do those have to do with you?”
Raymond paused.
Then his voice changed.
“Everything.”
Sarah understood.
Raymond wasn’t after the house.
The house had merely been collateral.
The real target had always been the trust.
Mercer Development.
Hundreds of millions in assets.
“You told Julian to take my house.”
“I suggested it.”
“Why?”
“Because desperate men are easy to control.”
Raymond explained that Mercer Development’s missing cash had pushed Julian toward collapse.
Raymond offered a solution.
Use Sarah’s home as collateral.
Keep the company liquid.
Continue hiding the losses.
But Sarah refused.
So Julian escalated.
And everything started unraveling.
Sarah whispered.
“Victoria shaved my head because of your plan.”
Raymond laughed.
“Victoria always enjoyed improvising.”
Brooks signaled that technicians were tracing the call.
Sarah needed time.
“What happened to Nathan?”
Silence.
Then Raymond spoke softly.
“Nathan should have minded his own business.”
Sarah felt cold.
“Did you kill him?”
Raymond didn’t answer.
He didn’t need to.
Brooks held up two fingers.
Almost there.
Sarah continued.
“Thomas knew.”
“Thomas suspected.”
“And you knew he suspected you.”
Raymond’s voice hardened.
“Bring the files to the old Mercer warehouse at eleven.”
“Alone?”
“Yes.”
“No police.”
Sarah looked at Brooks.
Raymond continued.
“If I see one patrol car, Claire dies.”
The call ended.
Brooks checked the trace.
Partial location.
Industrial district.
Near the old Mercer warehouse.
Sarah stood.
“I’m going.”
Brooks shook her head.
May you like
“No.”
“That wasn’t a request.”
