Chapter 14 - The Last Mole
Vincent hit Officer Price before he cleared the holster.
The weapon slid across the floor.
Detective Cole drew hers.
“Hands!”
Price tried to run.
Michael blocked the doorway.
Adrian tackled him.
Within seconds, Price was restrained.
Cole looked furious.
“He’s one of mine.”
Vincent replied, “Apparently not anymore.”
Lily stayed behind Grace.
Adrian crouched in front of Price.
“You were in my house.”
Price laughed.
“No proof.”
Lily pointed.
“You had that same blue scratch.”
Everyone looked at Price’s hand.
A thin blue tattoo line crossed his thumb.
Lily had noticed it.
Cole stared at the child.
Then at Price.
“What were you doing there?”
Price remained silent.
Cole searched him.
One phone.
One wallet.
One tiny electronic device.
Vincent recognized it.
“RF credential cloner.”
Adrian understood.
“That’s how they copied access.”
Vincent nodded.
Price had copied Celeste’s card.
Maybe others.
Cole looked sick.
“How long?”
Price smiled.
“Long enough.”
“Who hired you?”
No answer.
Michael stepped closer.
“Evelyn?”
Price laughed.
“Evelyn thought she was important.”
Adrian’s stomach tightened.
“Alexander?”
Price’s smile widened.
“Closer.”
Adrian looked around.
Then toward Victor.
Victor shook his head.
“Not me.”
Price whispered, “You’re all still looking at blood.”
“What does that mean?”
“The person who wanted Adrian dead didn’t care about inheritance.”
Michael frowned.
“Then why poison him?”
“Because Adrian was about to cancel something.”
Adrian thought.
Business deals.
Acquisitions.
Contracts.
Then remembered.
Three weeks earlier, he had ordered a forensic audit of Moretti Security Holdings.
The audit was supposed to begin Monday.
His security company.
Vincent looked at him.
“You were auditing us?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Expenses increased twenty-eight percent.”
Price smiled.
“There.”
Adrian turned.
“Who’s stealing from the security division?”
Price said nothing.
Vincent suddenly looked pale.
“Chief Financial Officer.”
Adrian stared.
“Julian Cross.”
Vincent nodded.
Julian had managed Moretti corporate finances for eleven years.
Adrian trusted him enough to sign documents without rereading every page.
Another man standing beside him.
Another man Michael’s warning could fit.
Adrian called corporate security.
No answer.
Called Julian.
Voicemail.
Cole ordered officers to his home.
Empty.
His private jet had departed ninety minutes earlier.
Destination filed as Toronto.
Michael laughed bitterly.
“He’s running.”
Adrian shook his head.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Julian hates flying.”
Vincent understood.
“The flight is a distraction.”
Adrian checked his watch.
“Where would he go?”
Lily spoke.
“The picture room.”
Everyone looked at her.
“What?”
“The man in police clothes went upstairs that night.”
Price stared at Lily with hatred.
Grace pulled her back.
Adrian asked, “Where?”
“Where your picture disappeared.”
The safe.
They rushed upstairs.
Behind the removed portrait, Adrian inspected the hidden compartment again.
The safe appeared empty.
Then Lily pointed.
“The wall is different.”
Adrian almost smiled.
Again.
A detail.
He pressed the side panel.
A second cavity opened.
Inside was a hard drive.
Vincent removed it.
“Did you know?”
“No.”
Michael stared.
“I did.”
Adrian looked at him.
“Of course.”
Michael ignored the sarcasm.
“I hid it there seven years ago.”
“What’s on it?”
“Moretti corporate ledgers.”
They connected the drive.
Encrypted.
Michael entered a password.
Access opened.
Julian Cross’s name appeared hundreds of times.
Payments to Elias.
Price.
Damian’s shell company.
Even Evelyn.
Julian had not been one pawn.
He had been paying every faction.
Adrian stared.
“He played them against each other.”
Michael nodded.
“While everyone chased the inheritance.”
Julian had stolen nearly two hundred million from operating companies while the family fought over trust assets.
Adrian asked, “Why kill me now?”
Samuel pointed at a transaction.
“The audit.”
Once Adrian’s audit began, Julian’s theft would surface.
So Julian exploited the existing family war.
He used Evelyn’s poison plan.
Damian’s kidnapping.
Victor’s history.
Michael’s disappearance.
He did not create the chaos.
He hid inside it.
Cole’s phone rang.
She listened.
Then turned toward Adrian.
“Julian’s vehicle was spotted.”
“Where?”
Cole looked toward the windows.
“Here.”
All estate lights went out.
Again.
Adrian whispered, “Not this time.”
Vincent had prepared backup power.
Emergency lights activated immediately.
Security shutters closed.
The front door alarm sounded.
Julian’s voice came through the house intercom.
“Adrian.”
Adrian looked up.
Julian continued.
“You should have taken the first glass.”
Michael moved toward the control room.
Vincent stopped him.
“Could be wired.”
Julian laughed over the speaker.
“You have something that belongs to me.”
Adrian looked at the hard drive.
“You mean evidence.”
“I mean twenty years of work.”
“You stole it.”
“I built your company.”
“You embezzled from it.”
“I kept it alive while you played king.”
Adrian said, “Come inside.”
Julian laughed.
“I already am.”
A gunshot sounded from the kitchen.
Grace screamed.
Adrian ran.
One guard was down.
Julian had entered through the old wine tunnel.
He grabbed Grace from behind.
Gun against her throat.
Lily stood six feet away.
Frozen.
Adrian stopped.
“Let her go.”
Julian smiled.
“I only need the drive.”
Adrian held it up.
“Take it.”
Michael whispered, “Adrian—”
“Quiet.”
Julian looked at Lily.
“She’s the reason everything failed.”
Lily’s eyes filled.
Adrian said, “Look at me.”
Julian did.
“She’s eight.”
“She’s observant.”
“She’s a child.”
“She identified the glass.”
“Yes.”
“The card.”
“Yes.”
“Price.”
“Yes.”
Julian almost laughed.
“Remarkable little thing.”
Adrian’s voice became deadly.
“You don’t speak about her.”
Julian pressed the gun harder against Grace.
“Drive.”
Adrian placed it on the floor.
Kicked it forward.
Julian released Grace and grabbed it.
Then Lily spoke.
“That’s not the real one.”
Julian froze.
Adrian didn’t know what she meant.
Neither did Michael.
Lily pointed.
“Mr. Vincent made another one.”
Julian looked toward Vincent.
That half-second distraction was enough.
Grace drove her elbow backward.
Adrian lunged.
Vincent fired.
Julian’s gun flew away.
Michael tackled him.
Cole cuffed him.
Julian screamed as officers dragged him out.
Adrian turned to Lily.
“There’s another drive?”
She shook her head.
“No.”
Everyone stared.
“You lied?”
Lily looked worried.
“Was that bad?”
Adrian laughed.
For the first time in years, truly laughed.
“No.”
Grace hugged her.
“No, sweetheart.”
Adrian looked through the doorway as Julian disappeared into a police vehicle.
The conspiracy was finally collapsing.
Evelyn.
Damian.
Victor.
Price.
Julian.
All exposed.
But Michael stood quietly near the dining table.
Adrian knew immediately.
“What now?”
Michael looked toward Lily.
“I have to leave.”
Grace stared.
“What?”
Michael’s face filled with pain.
“The federal government has wanted me for seven years.”
Adrian frowned.
“For what?”
May you like
Michael looked at his brother.
“Because disappearing wasn’t the only crime I committed to stay alive.”
