Chapter 13 - Forty-Eight Hours
My father’s death certificate said myocardial infarction.
No suspicious circumstances.
No autopsy beyond the hospital examination.
He had been seventy-one.
Everyone said his heart simply stopped.
Agent Cole reopened the file anyway.
“Do you think David killed him?”
Cole did not answer.
“We have no evidence of that.”
“Then why investigate?”
“Because Nolan believed there was something worth hiding.”
The board gave us forty-eight hours to stabilize Vance Biomedical.
Without access to certain frozen accounts, payroll was at risk.
Thousands of employees had nothing to do with David’s crimes.
Neither did patients relying on our medical-device programs.
I could not let David destroy them too.
Katherine and I worked through the night.
At three in the morning, we found a hidden obligation.
A merger agreement.
Blue Meridian Ventures had the right to acquire a controlling interest if the company defaulted on a private note.
The deadline was Friday.
Blue Meridian was one of David’s shell-linked entities.
“He was going to manufacture a default,” Katherine said.
“Then buy the company through another company he controlled.”
“Exactly.”
“Using money stolen from us.”
“Yes.”
I felt almost impressed by the ugliness of it.
David had planned to steal control of the company while appearing to lose it.
But one clause required authorization from the independent trustee.
Thomas.
That explained why Thomas had been threatened.
I called Agent Cole.
“We have forty-eight hours.”
“To do what?”
“Find whoever controls Blue Meridian.”
“We already know part of it.”
My pulse jumped.
“Who?”
“Julianne Cross owns twelve percent.”
I closed my eyes.
Of course she did.
The mistress was not merely enjoying David’s money.
She had been positioned inside his escape structure.
Julianne’s attorney insisted she signed documents without understanding them.
Maybe.
I no longer trusted ignorance when it came wrapped in luxury.
Then another name appeared in Blue Meridian’s formation papers.
Evelyn Vance.
David’s mother.
I stared at the page.
Evelyn had always treated David like a prince.
But even I could not believe she was involved.
My phone rang before I could call her.
It was Evelyn.
She was sobbing.
“Maya.”
“What?”
“I just learned about Lily.”
I said nothing.
“David told me you took her to your sister’s house.”
“I don’t have a sister.”
“I know.”
Her crying became harder.
“He lied to me.”
“Yes.”
Then she whispered.
“I need to show you something.”
“What?”
“A document David made me sign.”
My heart stopped.
“He said it was for estate planning.”
“What did it transfer?”
Evelyn answered.
May you like
“I think it gave him ownership of a company called Blue Meridian.”
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