Chapter 11 - The Founder
Charles Morgan had been dead for sixteen years.
To Claire, he had been Grandpa Charlie.
He taught her to fish.
He attended her school plays.
He gave her the first ten shares of Morgan Industrial on her eighteenth birthday.
Robert remembered someone different.
"A ruthless man," he said.
They sat inside a secure federal office.
"Your grandfather built Morgan Industrial from nothing. And when he thought someone threatened it, he did whatever was necessary."
"Did he steal?"
Robert looked down.
"I think so."
"Did he kill Thomas Vale?"
"I don't know."
Claire's patience snapped.
"You've said that for twenty-eight years."
Robert looked at her.
"I was a coward."
The admission silenced the room.
"I knew Thomas had discovered something. I knew Martin was involved. I knew Gerald Cross had helped create shell companies. But my father told me the company would collapse if the truth came out."
"So you stayed quiet."
"Yes."
"And Thomas died."
Robert closed his eyes.
"Yes."
"And Daniel spent twenty-eight years believing the Morgans killed his father."
"Yes."
Claire stood.
"Then why target Julian?"
Robert didn't know.
Ethan did.
He entered carrying newly recovered accounting records.
"Because Julian found the old scheme."
Claire turned.
"When?"
"About two years ago."
"Before the current transfers."
"Yes."
Ethan placed documents on the table.
Julian had accessed archived accounting records repeatedly.
"He discovered what Charles, Martin, and Gerald had done," Ethan said.
"And?"
"Then he started copying it."
Claire stared.
Julian hadn't been paying blackmail initially.
He had found an old theft system and resurrected it.
Fake vendors.
Shell corporations.
Inflated contracts.
Chloe had helped approve vendors.
Julian controlled payments.
Daniel discovered them.
Then blackmail began.
Claire almost admired the terrible symmetry.
Julian had found a family crime.
Instead of exposing it, he'd repeated it.
"How much did Julian personally steal?"
Ethan answered.
"At least six million."
"Where is it?"
"We don't know."
"And the returned eleven?"
"Probably moved temporarily through his accounts, but some of it may have belonged to someone else."
Sloan's phone rang.
She listened.
Then stood.
"We found Julian."
Chloe rushed forward.
"Where?"
"Warehouse near Joliet."
"Is he alive?"
Sloan paused.
"Yes."
Chloe cried with relief.
Claire watched Sloan's face.
Something was wrong.
"What?"
Sloan looked at Claire.
"Julian wasn't kidnapped."
Silence.
"What do you mean?"
"The warehouse was staged."
Claire felt cold.
Sloan continued.
"Blood was real. Restraints were real. But surveillance footage shows Julian entered voluntarily."
Chloe stopped crying.
Claire understood before anyone said it.
"The kidnapping was fake."
May you like
Sloan nodded.
"Julian staged the entire thing."
