Chapter 13 - the house without Graham
The morning after Graham’s arrest, the Hartwell estate felt unfamiliar.
The private guards were removed.
Rosa returned before breakfast, carrying the same suitcase she had been forced to pack. Evelyn met her in the entrance hall and held both of her hands.
“I am sorry,” Evelyn said.
“You have nothing to apologize for.”
“I allowed him to make you a stranger in your own home.”
Rosa looked at Claire.
“Then perhaps we should make the house a home again.”
By noon, every lock Graham had installed was replaced. Nolan restored the original security network and disconnected a private server hidden inside Graham’s study.
The server contained hundreds of audio files.
Graham had recorded Evelyn’s bedrooms, private meetings and medical appointments. He had also recorded Arthur and Miriam during their visits.
“He collected weaknesses,” Maya said.
Claire stood before the rows of files.
“He collected leverage.”
One folder was labeled Sparrow.
It contained photographs of Claire from the previous eight years.
Claire leaving her college apartment.
Claire attending her mother’s funeral.
Claire entering the forensic archives where she worked.
Claire meeting Leah for coffee.
Someone had followed her long before Evelyn’s invitation arrived.
A final photograph showed Claire opening the envelope with the brass key.
The picture had been taken through her apartment window on the day the invitation arrived.
“Graham sent the letter?” Nolan asked.
“No. Evelyn sent it.”
“Then Graham knew before you came.”
Claire examined the file information.
The photograph had been uploaded to the server by a device registered to Northbridge Security Solutions.
“Northbridge was watching me.”
“And Graham had access to their surveillance,” Maya said.
“Or Northbridge had access to his.”
They searched the server for Daniel.
One folder contained the video played during the gala, along with six earlier recordings.
In the first, Daniel sat in the same dark room and refused to speak.
In the second, someone off camera threatened Claire.
In the third, Daniel read a statement declaring that the Hartwell trust should be dissolved.
In every video, he used the tapping code.
Do not believe what you hear.
The newest recording had been created two months earlier.
Daniel was alive recently.
Evelyn watched the videos in silence. When the final one ended, she pressed both hands over her mouth.
Claire put an arm around her.
“We will find him.”
“I lost sixteen years.”
“You protected me.”
“I stayed silent.”
“You stayed alive. That matters.”
Evelyn turned toward her.
“Graham was right about one thing. Alexander hid you from someone more powerful.”
“Who?”
“I do not know.”
“Another Hartwell?”
Evelyn looked toward the portrait gallery.
“Alexander had a brother.”
Claire had never heard that before.
“What was his name?”
“Julian.”
“Why isn’t he in the family portraits?”
“Because Alexander had every image of him removed.”
“What happened between them?”
“They built the first Hartwell company together. Julian believed power should belong to whoever was willing to take it. Alexander believed wealth created responsibility.”
“And then?”
“Julian disappeared after a company employee died during an illegal experiment.”
“What kind of experiment?”
Evelyn shook her head.
“Alexander never told me the details. He said Julian had become involved with private intelligence contractors and foreign holding companies.”
“Northbridge?”
“Perhaps.”
“Is Julian still alive?”
“He would be eighty-five.”
“That does not answer the question.”
“No. It does not.”
Maya called from Graham’s study.
“We found something.”
Behind a false panel in the desk was a set of passports, bank cards and a photograph of Graham with an older man.
The photograph had been taken recently.
The older man stood with his back partly turned, but a silver ring was visible on his hand.
The ring bore the Hartwell crest.
On the reverse, Graham had written a date and location.
December 19.
Pier 14.
That was three nights away.
May you like
Beneath the location was a single initial.
J.
