Chapter 9 β The Boardroom Trap
By Monday morning, the news had spread across the city.
Carter Industries was holding an emergency board meeting.
Officially, the agenda was to reassure investors after rumors about the attack on Evelyn Carter.
Unofficially, Detective Sarah Brooks believed it was something else.
"It isn't a meeting," she said as she adjusted the microphone hidden beneath Daniel's tie.
"It's bait."
Daniel nodded.
"And I'm the bait."
Brooks looked him in the eye.
"No matter what happens in there, don't accuse your father until he incriminates himself."
Daniel slipped the tiny transmitter into his jacket pocket.
"For Evelyn."
Brooks smiled.
"For the truth."
The executive boardroom overlooked the city skyline through forty-foot windows.
Every board member was already seated.
William Carter sat confidently at the head of the table.
To his right sat Victor Hale.
The family attorney.
Calm.
Perfectly composed.
As Daniel entered, every conversation stopped.
William smiled.
"Son."
Daniel took his seat without returning the smile.
"We're missing one board member."
William folded his hands.
"Evelyn should be resting."
Daniel looked around the room.
"That's not who I meant."
William's expression barely changed.
"Who?"
"Thomas Bennett."
Silence.
Several directors exchanged confused glances.
Victor Hale shifted in his chair.
William chuckled softly.
"Thomas has been dead for thirty years."
Daniel placed the faded photograph Monica had given him onto the polished table.
It slid across the wood until it stopped directly in front of William.
"I know."
William stared at the picture.
For the first time in decades...
His smile disappeared.
"You've been told a very imaginative story."
Daniel leaned forward.
"No."
"I've been told the truth."
Victor cleared his throat.
"This meeting isn't the place for family disputes."
Daniel ignored him.
"My wife inherited Thomas Bennett's shares."
William remained silent.
"My daughter inherited them after she was born."
Still silence.
"So if both of them died..."
Daniel's voice became ice.
"...control of Carter Industries would return to you."
One elderly board member frowned.
"William..."
Another director slowly looked at the company bylaws lying open before him.
His eyes widened.
"My God..."
He turned another page.
"The succession clause..."
The room erupted in whispers.
William calmly stood.
"You all know me."
"I built this company."
A woman's voice interrupted him from the doorway.
"No."
Everyone turned.
Evelyn walked into the room.
Weak.
Still recovering.
But standing.
Beside her stood Detective Brooks.
Behind them came two uniformed officers.
Evelyn held a thick folder.
"You stole it."
She laid decades-old partnership contracts onto the conference table.
Thomas Bennett's signature.
William Carter's signature.
Equal ownership.
Brooks added another document.
The DNA report linking William to the staircase attack.
Then another.
The audio transcript from Evelyn's recorder.
Finally...
Monica entered.
The room fell completely silent.
William's eyes narrowed.
"I see you survived."
Monica looked at him without fear.
"I finally decided to."
She handed Brooks a small leather ledger.
"I kept copies."
Brooks opened it.
Inside were handwritten payment records spanning twenty-eight years.
Bribes.
Offshore accounts.
Witness payments.
One name appeared again and again.
Victor Hale.
The attorney's face turned ghost white.
William slowly looked toward Victor.
"You kept records?"
Victor's voice shook.
"You told me to destroy them."
"You failed."
Brooks stepped forward.
"William Carter."
She reached for her handcuffs.
"You're under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, fraud, obstruction of justice, and multiple counts of financial corruption."
William didn't resist.
Instead...
He laughed.
Quietly.
Then louder.
Finally, he looked directly at Daniel.
"You think this ends today?"
Daniel frowned.
William smiled.
"You still don't know who ordered Thomas Bennett's death."
The room froze.
Brooks lowered the handcuffs.
"What did you say?"
William's smile widened.
"I wasn't the one who gave that order."
Silence.
Every person in the room stared at him.
"If I go down..."
He looked toward the skyline.
"...the person above me comes down too."
Before anyone could ask another question...
A deafening gunshot shattered the boardroom windows.
Glass exploded inward.
William collapsed to the floor.
A crimson stain spread across his white shirt.
Outside, nearly half a mile away on a neighboring rooftop...
A sniper disappeared behind the edge of the building.
William Carter was still alive.
Barely.
He reached toward Daniel with blood-covered fingers.
May you like
And whispered three final words before losing consciousness.
"Trust... no... one..."
