Chapter 6 - THE STORAGE UNIT
Rain fell over Brooklyn when Mary arrived at the storage facility.
Daniel came with her.
So did Olivia and two private investigators.
Unit 317 contained no furniture.
No boxes of family photographs.
No forgotten possessions.
Only a steel cabinet bolted to the floor.
The key opened it.
Inside were thirty-eight folders and an old laptop.
Daniel stared at them.
“Peter Hart built an archive.”
Mary opened the first folder.
Invoices.
Transfer orders.
Shell corporations.
Bank statements.
Thomas Bennett’s signatures appeared everywhere.
Then another signature appeared.
Eleanor Bennett.
Mary’s mother.
Mary stopped breathing.
“No.”
Daniel took the page.
“It could be forged.”
Mary reached for another file.
Eleanor’s name appeared again.
And again.
Olivia whispered, “Mary.”
Mary stepped back.
“My mother doesn’t understand corporate finance.”
“She may have signed without knowing.”
Mary wanted to believe that.
Then they found the video.
The laptop contained one file dated eight years earlier.
Peter Hart appeared on screen.
He looked terrified.
“If Richard is watching this, I failed to reach you.”
Mary sat down.
Peter continued.
“Thomas is moving money through Northstar Capital.”
“He is using Eleanor Bennett’s signature because her family trust has authorization over several legacy accounts.”
Mary covered her mouth.
“Eleanor does not know what she is signing.”
Relief came quickly.
Then Peter said something worse.
“Thomas has another partner.”
The video glitched.
Static filled the screen.
The next seven seconds were corrupted.
Peter returned.
“If anything happens to me, find the original Northstar incorporation documents.”
The video ended.
Daniel looked at Mary.
“We need those incorporation documents.”
Olivia searched the cabinet.
Nothing.
Mary’s phone rang.
Her mother.
Mary answered.
“Mom.”
Eleanor sounded frightened.
“Mary, Thomas is here.”
Mary stood.
“Where?”
“At the house.”
“Do not tell him where I am.”
“He says you’re destroying the company.”
“He’s lying.”
“I know.”
Mary froze.
Eleanor’s voice trembled.
“Your father warned me about him before the stroke.”
Mary closed her eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because Richard made me promise.”
“Why?”
“He believed Thomas had someone close to you.”
Mary looked at Daniel.
“How close?”
Eleanor began to answer.
Then a man’s voice came through the phone.
Thomas.
“Good morning, Mary.”
Mary’s blood ran cold.
“Where is my mother?”
“She’s perfectly safe.”
“Put her back on.”
“You have something that belongs to me.”
Mary looked at the cabinet.
“You mean evidence?”
Thomas laughed softly.
“You always were Richard’s daughter.”
“What do you want?”
“The storage records.”
“And if I refuse?”
Silence.
Then Thomas spoke.
“Ask yourself why your father’s stroke happened the morning before he planned to remove me from the company.”
The call ended.
Mary stood perfectly still.
May you like
For five years, she had believed her father’s stroke was natural.
Now she was no longer certain.
