Chapter 4
I did not understand why Caleb was afraid of Martin Voss.
My father did.
He stepped toward the door.
“Do not let him up.”
The guard nodded.
Rachel grabbed Caleb.
“We’re leaving.”
Mom blocked her gently.
“Not through the lobby.”
“I don’t care.”
“Rachel, your son is terrified.”
“I know exactly why.”
Dad turned.
“What does Caleb know about Martin?”
Rachel stared at him.
“Enough.”
Caleb buried his face against her side.
I touched his arm.
“What happened?”
Rachel said, “Elliot, don’t.”
Caleb whispered, “He came to our motel.”
Dad’s expression hardened.
“When?”
“Last week.”
Rachel closed her eyes.
“I didn’t want him involved.”
“What did Martin want?”
“My files.”
Dad stared.
“What files?”
“The copies I kept.”
“Copies of what?”
“The fraudulent vendor payments.”
Everything became quiet.
Mom looked at Dad.
“You said the evidence disappeared.”
“That’s what I was told.”
Rachel laughed without humor.
“Martin told you.”
Dad’s face hardened.
Rachel continued.
“I kept backups.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere safe.”
“Martin knows?”
“He knows they exist.”
Dad went to the wall phone.
“Call the police.”
Rachel grabbed his wrist.
“No.”
He looked at her.
“He threatened you.”
“And what happens after police arrive?”
“They investigate.”
She laughed.
“Like your company did?”
Dad flinched.
Mom stepped closer.
“Rachel, if Martin is dangerous—”
“He hasn’t technically done anything.”
Caleb spoke.
“He yelled.”
Rachel looked at him.
“He grabbed Mom.”
My stomach twisted.
Dad’s voice became quiet.
“Where?”
Caleb pointed toward Rachel’s arm.
She pulled her sleeve down.
Too late.
Mom saw the bruise.
“So he assaulted you.”
Rachel looked away.
Dad’s jaw tightened.
“Security will hold him downstairs until police arrive.”
“You can’t detain him.”
“We can refuse access to private property.”
Dad called anyway.
I sat beside Caleb.
“You okay?”
He shook his head.
“What did he say?”
“He said Mom ruined his life.”
I looked toward Rachel.
She heard.
Her face went white.
“What else?”
Caleb swallowed.
“He said if she gave him the drive, everything could go away.”
Dad stepped forward.
“What drive?”
Rachel said nothing.
Mom looked at her.
“You have the evidence on a drive?”
Rachel slowly nodded.
“Where?”
She looked at Caleb.
He reached inside his olive jacket.
My heart stopped.
He pulled out a small black flash drive on a string.
It had been hanging around his neck beneath his shirt.
Dad stared.
“You gave that to him?”
Rachel nodded.
“When I was arrested.”
“You left evidence of financial fraud with a seven-year-old sleeping outside?”
Her face crumpled.
“I panicked.”
Dad looked furious.
Then he stopped.
Maybe he realized anger would not help.
He crouched beside Caleb.
“Can I see it?”
Caleb immediately closed his fist.
“No.”
Dad nodded.
“Okay.”
That surprised everyone.
“I won’t touch it.”
Caleb looked at him suspiciously.
Dad said, “Your mother gave it to you because she trusted you.”
Rachel began crying again.
“I’m sorry.”
Caleb leaned against her.
“It’s okay.”
“No, baby.”
She kissed his head.
“It’s not.”
Dad stood.
“Rachel, we need a lawyer.”
“I can’t afford one.”
“I can.”
She laughed bitterly.
“You think I want your money?”
“No.”
Dad’s voice softened.
“But I owe you more than money.”
She stared.
Before she could answer, the door opened again.
The security officer returned.
“Mr. Hart, Voss says he’s here for a scheduled executive meeting.”
Dad frowned.
“With who?”
“You.”
Dad went still.
“I have no meeting with him.”
The guard held out a tablet.
“It’s on your calendar.”
Dad looked.
Mom came closer.
“Daniel?”
Dad’s eyes narrowed.
“He added it himself.”
“How?”
“He still has executive access.”
Rachel stared at him.
“You never fired him?”
Dad looked ashamed.
“No.”
The silence became heavy.
“You fired me.”
“Yes.”
“But not him.”
Dad said nothing.
Rachel laughed.
Her eyes filled.
“Of course.”
Mom looked furious now.
“Daniel, why does Martin still work here?”
“He’s CFO.”
“He was Rachel’s supervisor.”
“Yes.”
“And after seventy thousand dollars disappeared, you fired the person reporting to him instead of the man responsible for oversight?”
Dad rubbed his forehead.
“At the time, all system records traced activity to Rachel.”
“According to who?”
Rachel asked.
Dad looked toward the door.
“Martin.”
There it was.
The room changed.
Even I understood.
Dad had trusted the person who benefited most from blaming Rachel.
The police arrived fifteen minutes later.
Martin was asked to remain in the lobby.
He refused.
Then he tried to leave.
That was when Detective Elena Ruiz stopped him.
She came upstairs afterward.
She wore a dark coat and carried a small notebook.
She sat across from Rachel.
“Tell me everything.”
Rachel did.
This time nobody interrupted.
She explained the fake vendors.
The payments.
The missing funds.
Martin’s threats.
The drive.
Detective Ruiz listened carefully.
Then she looked at Caleb.
“You protected that drive?”
He nodded.
“That was brave.”
His shoulders straightened slightly.
“But now I need your mom to decide whether we can copy what’s on it.”
Caleb immediately handed it to Rachel.
She stared at Dad.
“If this proves I was innocent…”
Dad answered immediately.
“I will say so publicly.”
“Not quietly?”
“No.”
“In front of the board?”
“Yes.”
“The press?”
Dad hesitated only a second.
“Yes.”
Rachel’s eyes filled.
“Three years.”
“I know.”
“No, you don’t.”
Her voice trembled.
“You went home every night.”
Dad lowered his eyes.
“You tucked your child into bed.”
He looked at me.
Rachel continued.
“I stood outside shelters wondering whether my son was going to eat.”
Nobody moved.
“My reputation was destroyed by your company.”
“I know.”
“My apartment disappeared.”
“I know.”
“My car.”
“I know.”
“My life.”
Dad looked at her.
“I know I cannot give those years back.”
Rachel started crying.
“Then what are you going to do?”
Dad looked at Caleb.
Then me.
“Everything I can.”
Detective Ruiz returned an hour later after technicians copied the drive.
Her expression was serious.
“The files appear genuine.”
Rachel closed her eyes.
Dad asked, “What do they show?”
“Payments totaling more than two million dollars over six years.”
My mother gasped.
“Two million?”
Ruiz nodded.
“Multiple shell vendors.”
Dad looked sick.
“And Rachel?”
“Her login was used.”
Rachel shook her head.
“I told you.”
“But there’s something else.”
Everyone looked at the detective.
“Access logs show another credential authorizing each transfer.”
Dad frowned.
“Whose?”
Ruiz looked directly at him.
“Martin Voss.”
Rachel covered her mouth.
Dad stood very still.
Then Ruiz continued.
“And if these documents are accurate, he wasn’t working alone.”
My father’s face changed.
“Who else?”
Ruiz glanced down at her notes.
“Someone from the Hart family.”
I felt my stomach drop.
My mother whispered, “Who?”
The detective answered.
“Daniel’s brother.”
May you like
My uncle.
Thomas Hart.
