Chapter 4 - The Detective Bradley Was Never Supposed to Know)
Detective Lena Morris had met Bradley Carter seventeen months earlier.
Not socially.
Not officially.
According to Lena, Bradley had contacted her privately after one of his cousins was arrested for possession of stolen prescription medication.
Bradley wanted the charge reduced.
Lena refused.
Two weeks later, the evidence in the case disappeared.
An internal investigation followed.
Nothing was proven.
Lena transferred divisions.
Bradley apparently believed the problem had vanished.
It had not.
Standing beside the pool, Lena looked at him with open contempt.
"You should have taken my advice last year."
Bradley said nothing.
Barbara stepped forward.
"My son is not speaking without counsel."
Lena glanced at her.
"I didn't ask him to."
Maddie folded her arms against the cold.
"What exactly is happening?"
Lena turned toward her.
"Your attorney submitted preliminary financial documentation six weeks ago."
Maddie nodded.
"We began examining several transfers."
"Several?"
"Thirty-eight."
Maddie stared.
Her own investigation had found nineteen.
Lena opened the folder.
"Some involve shell companies you hadn't identified."
Bradley found his voice.
"This is insane."
Lena ignored him.
"One company is called Greyshore Consulting."
Maddie knew the name.
It had received nearly two million dollars from Carter Holdings.
She assumed it belonged to one of Bradley's gambling associates.
Lena continued.
"Greyshore paid a private intelligence firm."
Maddie felt something cold move through her.
"What intelligence firm?"
"Harbor Strategic."
She had never heard of it.
"What did they investigate?"
Lena looked at Bradley.
Then back at Maddie.
"You."
Bradley stepped away.
Barbara said, "That's absurd."
Lena removed photographs.
Maddie standing outside Blue Meridian headquarters.
Maddie entering Nora's law office.
Maddie meeting Daniel Harlow.
Maddie having lunch with her brother Ethan.
More photographs followed.
Months of surveillance.
Someone had been following her.
Maddie looked at Bradley.
"You had me watched?"
He shook his head.
"I was protecting myself."
"From your wife?"
"You were hiding millions of dollars."
"They were mine before I met you."
"We were married."
"You were stealing from me."
Barbara interrupted.
"Enough."
Maddie turned.
Barbara's expression was no longer frightened.
It was calculating.
"This family matter has gone far enough."
Lena laughed.
"Mrs. Carter, the moment money crossed state lines through false corporate entities, it stopped being a family matter."
Barbara's eyes narrowed.
"You don't understand who you're dealing with."
"I understand exactly who I'm dealing with."
Lena signaled toward another investigator.
He approached with a tablet.
"There is another issue."
Maddie looked at him.
"What?"
"At eight fifty-seven tonight, someone attempted to liquidate three Blue Meridian investment accounts."
Maddie's heart stopped.
"How?"
"Executive credentials."
"Whose?"
The investigator hesitated.
Then turned the tablet toward her.
AUTHORIZED USER: ETHAN MADDOX.
Maddie stared at her brother's name.
"No."
Bradley laughed softly.
Maddie turned on him.
"What did you do?"
"Nothing."
"You contacted Ethan."
"I barely know Ethan."
"Don't lie to me."
Bradley smiled.
"Maybe your perfect little brother isn't as loyal as you think."
Maddie stepped toward him.
Barbara suddenly said, "Bradley."
He stopped.
That was all Maddie needed.
A glance.
A warning.
A secret shared between mother and son.
"You both know something."
Barbara looked away.
Maddie pulled out her phone and called Ethan.
Straight to voicemail.
Again.
Voicemail.
A third time.
Nothing.
Lena watched her.
"When did you last speak to him?"
"Yesterday."
"Anything unusual?"
Maddie remembered Ethan's voice.
Distracted.
Rushed.
He had asked whether she planned to attend Bradley's party.
At the time, she thought he was worried about her.
Now she wondered whether he had been checking where she would be.
Then a message arrived.
From Ethan.
Maddie opened it.
I'm sorry.
She stared.
A second message appeared.
I didn't have a choice.
Then a third.
Don't trust anyone at Blue Meridian.
Maddie's breathing stopped.
A fourth message began to load.
Before it arrived, Lena's phone rang.
She answered.
Her expression changed.
"When?"
She listened.
"Is he alive?"
Maddie's stomach turned.
Lena looked directly at her.
"Where?"
She ended the call.
Maddie stepped forward.
"What happened?"
Lena hesitated.
"Ethan's car was found twenty minutes ago."
"Where?"
"Near the north service road."
"And Ethan?"
May you like
The detective's silence answered before her words did.
"The car was empty."
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