Chapter 10 - THE WRONG MAN
Charlotte stared at Marcus.
“Run it again.”
“I did.”
“Harrison?”
“Yes.”
“That makes no sense.”
“I know.”
Jonathan Harrison had been her father’s attorney.
He had helped build the trust protecting Bennett Global.
He had stood beside Charlotte when Elias Bennett died.
He had defended her appointment as Chairwoman when older executives questioned her age.
Charlotte trusted very few people completely.
Jonathan was one.
“Call him.”
Marcus hesitated.
“Charlotte.”
“Call him.”
Jonathan answered immediately.
Charlotte put him on speaker.
“Where are you?”
“Manhattan.”
“Is your Bennett laptop with you?”
“Yes.”
“Has anyone else used it?”
Silence.
“Jonathan?”
“My executive laptop was replaced eight months ago.”
Marcus straightened.
“Why?”
“It disappeared during the Geneva hospitality summit.”
Charlotte looked at Marcus.
“Was it reported?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“Internal security.”
Marcus started typing.
No report appeared.
Jonathan heard the keyboard.
“You don’t have it?”
“No.”
Another silence.
Jonathan’s voice changed.
“Then someone deleted it.”
Charlotte felt the investigation widening again.
“Who handled the report?”
“I submitted it through Victor’s office.”
Of course.
Victor had intercepted the stolen-device report.
The computer itself had probably never left Bennett Global’s orbit.
Marcus searched archival backups.
Ten minutes later, he found the deleted ticket.
Reported lost.
Then marked FOUND.
Authorized by Victor Hale.
Charlotte whispered.
“He had Harrison’s laptop.”
Marcus nodded.
“And Ryan had your security key.”
Put together, Victor had everything he needed.
Charlotte’s digital authorization.
A trusted executive device.
Ryan’s access.
Sabrina’s shell company.
The entire scheme had been constructed from small pieces stolen from people who never compared notes.
Charlotte called Ryan again.
He answered immediately.
“Was Victor present when you copied my key?”
“No.”
“Sabrina?”
“Yes.”
“What happened afterward?”
“She said she needed the computer for a few minutes.”
“What computer?”
Ryan paused.
“A Bennett laptop.”
“Whose name was on it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Think.”
Ryan went quiet.
Then his breath caught.
“Harrison.”
Charlotte looked at Marcus.
Everything fit.
Then Ryan added something.
“There was another person.”
Charlotte froze.
“Who?”
“I never saw their face.”
“What do you mean?”
“They came into the hotel suite after I left.”
“How do you know?”
“I forgot my watch.”
“I went back.”
“I heard Sabrina talking to someone.”
“What did they say?”
Ryan swallowed.
“One sentence.”
Charlotte waited.
“She said, ‘Once Charlotte is removed, you get the company.’”
Charlotte’s heart started beating faster.
May you like
Victor wanted money.
But apparently someone else wanted Bennett Global itself.
