Chapter 7 - project june)
Nathan demanded to see the files immediately.
Within an hour he was inside a police cybercrime office staring at documents recovered from Anna's encrypted drive.
Project June appeared hundreds of times.
Most pages were financial records.
Payments.
Shell companies.
Medical research grants.
Private laboratories.
Nathan understood enough accounting to recognize deliberate concealment.
"What does Lily have to do with this?"
Bennett scrolled.
"We're still determining that."
Nathan pointed at the screen.
"Her name is there."
"Yes."
"Why?"
A forensic analyst opened another document.
A medical consent form appeared.
Nathan leaned closer.
Patient L.C.
Date of birth matched Lily.
Guardian signature.
Anna Cole.
Nathan stepped back.
"No."
Bennett looked at him.
"Do you recognize the clinic?"
"Never heard of it."
Nathan read the page.
Brighton Pediatric Research Center.
The procedure description was partially redacted.
"No."
His voice became louder.
"Anna would never enroll Lily in medical research without telling me."
Bennett remained calm.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Then he remembered.
During Lily's infancy, Anna had taken her to several specialist appointments.
Lily had suffered unexplained fevers.
Nathan had been traveling constantly for work.
Anna handled the appointments.
He had trusted her completely.
"What was Project June?"
The analyst answered.
"We don't know yet."
Nathan turned.
"Then find out."
Bennett stepped closer.
"We will."
Nathan looked again at the document.
Anna's signature.
He knew it.
But something was wrong.
"The A."
"What?"
Nathan pointed.
"Anna didn't write her A like that."
Bennett leaned closer.
"You're saying it's forged?"
"I'm saying I signed birthday cards beside that woman for eleven years. That's not her signature."
The analyst enlarged it.
Nathan became certain.
Someone had signed Anna's name.
Maybe the same person Rachel mentioned after opening the cabinet? Different story memory, ignore.
Bennett requested handwriting comparison.
Nathan's phone rang.
Marcus.
"They found Caleb."
Nathan stood.
"Where?"
"Hotel parking garage."
"Alive?"
Silence.
"Marcus."
"Yes."
Nathan arrived at the Aurelia twenty five minutes later.
Police had sealed the underground garage.
Caleb Rourke sat handcuffed beside a black SUV.
Alive.
Very angry.
He had apparently returned to retrieve something hidden in the vehicle.
Nathan moved toward him.
An officer blocked his path.
Caleb looked up.
Their eyes met.
Recognition appeared immediately.
"You."
Caleb smiled.
"Hello, Nathan."
Nathan's blood turned cold.
"You know me."
"I knew your wife."
Nathan lunged.
Two officers stopped him.
"What did you do to Anna?"
Caleb's smile vanished.
"Not here."
"You poisoned my sister."
"No."
"You touched the cake."
"No."
"My daughter saw you."
Caleb looked toward the elevator.
"Your daughter sees too much."
Nathan struggled against the officers.
Bennett arrived.
"Enough."
She stepped between them.
"Mr. Rourke, you are being detained in connection with attempted poisoning."
Caleb laughed.
"You think I poisoned that cake?"
"You were seen tampering with it."
"I was trying to remove something."
Nathan stared.
"What?"
Caleb looked at him.
"Ask the fake inspector."
"Owen?"
"That isn't his name."
"Who is he?"
Caleb shook his head.
"Not until I have protection."
Bennett folded her arms.
"From whom?"
For the first time Caleb looked genuinely afraid.
"Harrison Vale."
Nathan stepped closer.
"What happened to Anna?"
Caleb lowered his eyes.
"I followed her the night she died."
Nathan stopped breathing.
"Why?"
"Harrison ordered me to."
"Did you kill her?"
Caleb looked up.
"No."
"Then who did?"
"I don't know."
Nathan nearly hit him.
Caleb continued quickly.
"She knew about Project June. She stole files. Harrison wanted them back."
"And the crash?"
"I lost her car before the bridge."
Nathan stared.
"You expect me to believe that?"
"I saw the explosion from a mile away."
"Explosion?"
Bennett looked sharply at him.
"The official report says the vehicle caught fire after impact."
Caleb shook his head.
"No."
"What are you saying?"
"The fire started before the car hit the barrier."
Nathan felt sick.
Anna's death was not an accident.
Caleb looked directly at him.
"And here's the part you won't like."
Nathan said nothing.
"Anna knew someone was following her."
"How?"
"She called me."
Nathan frowned.
"What?"
"She called my phone."
"Why would she call you?"
Caleb's eyes narrowed.
"To offer me money."
"For what?"
"To help her disappear."
Nathan stared.
Caleb leaned forward as far as the handcuffs allowed.
"Your wife wasn't trying to get home that night, Nathan."
May you like
His voice lowered.
"She was trying to vanish."
