Chapter 10 - The Name Above Richard
The next morning, Emily met Daniel's former attorney.
His name was Thomas Reed.
He had been silent for almost a year.
Until Emily showed him the documents.
Then his face changed.
“You found it.”
“You knew about this?”
“I knew part of it.”
“Who is at the top?”
Thomas hesitated.
“I can't tell you.”
Emily placed the document on the desk.
“People have threatened my family.”
Thomas looked at her.
“That is why I stayed silent.”
“Then help me break the silence.”
Thomas opened a drawer.
He removed an old file.
“This belonged to Daniel.”
Inside was a corporate chart.
At the very top was a company Emily had never heard of.
Northbridge Capital.
Under it were several subsidiaries.
One was Coleman Holdings.
Another was Hale Advisory.
Another was Brooks Financial.
Emily looked at Marcus.
“You knew?”
Marcus shook his head.
“No.”
Thomas continued.
“Daniel discovered that Northbridge controlled everything.”
“Who owns it?”
Thomas stared at the file.
“That is the question Daniel spent the last year answering.”
Emily turned the page.
There was no name.
Only a symbol.
A black circle with a silver line through it.
Emily recognized it.
She had seen the symbol before.
On the back of Daniel's wedding photograph.
On the hotel key.
On the black envelope.
“What is that?”
Thomas looked frightened.
“It means Daniel was right.”
“About what?”
“That the person behind everything was never Richard.”
Emily's phone rang.
Unknown number.
She answered.
A familiar voice said,
“You finally found Northbridge.”
Emily froze.
“Daniel?”
Silence.
Then the voice said,
“Don't trust Marcus.”
The call ended.
Emily looked at Marcus.
He stared back.
Thomas slowly closed the file.
“Who was that?”
Emily whispered,
“My husband.”
Marcus's face changed.
“That wasn't Daniel.”
Emily turned.
“How do you know?”
Marcus said nothing.
Thomas stood.
“Because Daniel is the only person who knows the answer to the question I'm about to ask.”
“What question?”
Thomas looked at Marcus.
“Where did you get the first photograph?”
Marcus went pale.
Emily realized something was wrong.
Marcus stepped backward.
“I need to go.”
Emily blocked the door.
“You're not leaving.”
Marcus looked at her.
“I was trying to protect you.”
“From what?”
May you like
He finally answered.
“From Daniel.”
