Tessa continued.
“There’s another payment.”
Hayes leaned forward.
“What?”
“Same company. Same month.”
She paused.
“But this one was made from an account associated with the Mercer family trust.”
I stared at the phone.
The trust.
The money Arthur had set aside to protect victims.
Someone might have been using it to pay for a hidden relative’s care.
Or to keep him somewhere nobody could find him.
I wrote:
WHO AUTHORIZED IT?
Tessa hesitated.
“The approval credentials belong to Martin Shaw.”
Hayes frowned.
“Again?”
“Yes.”
The investor representative who had warned us about Orson.
The man whose credentials appeared on suspicious financial transactions.
The man who claimed to be helping minority shareholders.
Every road seemed to lead back to the same people.
At four thirty, Detective Brooks called.
Her voice was serious.
“We have a development regarding the steel ball.”
I sat straighter.
Hayes placed the phone on speaker.
“What did you find?”
“The forensic examination identified biological material consistent with Marin’s injuries.”
My heart pounded.
The weapon.
Number seventeen.
The ball Kale had thrown.
The object Vesta hid.
The object someone wearing an old Ironline jacket removed.
It had finally been connected to me through physical evidence.
Brooks continued.
“We also recovered trace material from the storage container.”
Hayes leaned forward.
“What kind?”
“Fibers and residue. The analysis is ongoing.”
I reached for my notepad.
CAN VESTA STILL SAY IT WAS AN ACCIDENT?
Hayes read it aloud.
Brooks replied carefully.
“She can make that claim. But the video and physical evidence will be evaluated together.”
I nodded.
Then Brooks added, “There’s another development.”
My heartbeat quickened.
“We’ve identified the man who removed the ball from behind the fern.”
Hayes stood.
“Who?”
Brooks paused.
“His name is Nathan Cole.”
I frowned.
The name meant nothing to me.
Hayes looked confused.
“Who is he?”
“A former contractor who worked for Mercer Holdings.”
I stared at the phone.
Brooks continued.
“He also had temporary access to uniforms and equipment associated with Ironline Freight Solutions.”
My stomach tightened.
Someone had deliberately used my company’s identity to remove evidence.
Hayes asked, “Has he been arrested?”
“He’s being interviewed.”
I reached for my notepad.
WHO TOLD HIM TO TAKE IT?
Brooks read the question.
“We’re working to establish that.”
Then she said something that made my blood run cold.
“Mr. Cole claims he was instructed to retrieve the ball before police arrived.”
Hayes’s jaw tightened.
“By whom?”
Brooks hesitated.
“He says the instruction came from Vesta Mercer.”
That evening, Rebecca called again.
This time, she sounded frightened.
“Hayes, the meeting has started.”
He looked at the clock.
Seven fifteen.
“Rebecca, I told you I’m not coming.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you calling?”
She lowered her voice.
“Because your father is showing everyone a video.”
My stomach tightened.
“What video?” Hayes asked.
“Something he says proves Marin planned the attack.”
Hayes stared at me.
“That’s impossible.”
Rebecca sounded close to tears.
“I know.”
“Then what is it?”
“It’s a recording of Marin talking to someone outside the house before the barbecue.”
I froze.
I remembered stepping onto the patio before dinner.
I remembered speaking with Tessa on the phone.
We had discussed a delayed shipment.
Nothing more.
Hayes leaned forward.
“Who is she supposedly talking to?”
Rebecca hesitated.
“Your father says it’s a private investigator.”
I felt sick.
A private investigator.
The same kind of person Vesta had tried to hire to investigate my business.
The family was trying to turn their own actions into accusations against me.
Hayes shook his head.
“Rebecca, the police have the actual footage.”
“I know.”
She whispered, “But people are shouting. They’re saying Marin manipulated you.”
Hayes looked toward me.
His expression hardened.
Then he said, “Put me on speaker.”
Rebecca hesitated.
“Hayes—”
“Do it.”
A moment later, the background noise grew louder.
I heard several voices.
Orson.
Vesta.
Kale.
Others I couldn’t identify.
Then Hayes spoke.
“This is Hayes Mercer.”
The room on the other end went quiet.
Orson’s voice came through.
“Well. The prodigal son finally calls.”
Hayes didn’t react.
“I understand you’re discussing my wife.”
Orson laughed.
“We’re discussing the future of this family.”
Hayes looked at me.
“Then you should hear something.”
He took a breath.
“Marin was attacked. Kale threw the ball. Vesta hid the evidence. The police have video footage.”
Someone gasped.
Vesta shouted, “That’s a lie!”
Hayes continued.
“The recovered weapon contains evidence connected to Marin’s injuries.”
Orson snapped, “Enough.”
But Hayes wasn’t finished.
“And the financial records show serious irregularities in Mercer Holdings.”
The room erupted.
Several relatives began shouting.
Orson’s voice rose above them.
“You’re destroying your grandfather’s legacy!”
Hayes closed his eyes.
Then said quietly, “No, Dad.”
A pause.
“You already did.”
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Kale’s voice came through.
“You think you’re better than me?”
