Chapter 9 - The Brake Line
Claire's car was still at Morgan Industrial headquarters.
Federal investigators inspected it before sunrise.
At 8:40 a.m., Agent Sloan called.
"Don't drive it."
Claire's stomach tightened.
"Why?"
"The brake line has been partially cut."
She sat down.
Not damaged.
Cut.
"Could it have failed?"
"Eventually."
"When?"
"We can't know."
Claire stared across her living room.
Chloe was asleep on the sofa.
For the first time, the affair seemed almost irrelevant.
Someone had tampered with Claire's car.
Julian had asked whether she still drove herself to work.
And then he'd disappeared.
Sloan continued.
"We're locating him."
"Do you think Julian did it?"
"We don't know."
"Chloe says he asked about my driving."
"Do not tell your sister about the brake line yet."
Claire looked toward Chloe.
"Why?"
"Because we don't know whose side she's on."
Claire's gaze hardened.
"Understood."
Robert arrived with Diane shortly after nine.
Claire told them everything except the federal investigation details she had been asked to keep confidential.
Diane cried.
Robert became furious.
"I'll kill him."
"No, Dad."
"He tried to hurt you."
"We don't know that."
"He asked about your car."
"That isn't proof."
Robert paced.
Then Diane spoke.
"Julian borrowed my car."
Everyone turned.
"When?"
"Two weeks ago."
"Why?"
"He said his was being serviced."
Claire felt something shift.
"What did he do with it?"
"I don't know."
"How long?"
"One afternoon."
Claire called Sloan.
Investigators collected Diane's vehicle.
Two hours later, they found nothing.
Then Ethan called.
"Come to the office."
"What happened?"
"We found the eleven million."
Claire stood.
"Where?"
"That's the problem."
"Where, Ethan?"
He took a breath.
"It came back."
Every dollar.
At 9:03 that morning, four wire transfers returned the missing funds to Morgan Industrial.
Eleven million dollars.
No explanation.
Claire stared at the account screen.
"Someone is cleaning up."
Ethan nodded.
"Or panicking."
"Can we trace the transfers?"
"Federal investigators can."
Claire looked at the timing.
The money returned hours after authorities became involved.
Someone knew.
"Who knows the FBI is investigating?"
"Us. Samuel. Your parents."
"And Sloan."
Ethan understood.
"Someone inside knows."
Claire's phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
A photograph appeared.
Julian.
He was sitting inside what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse.
His hands were bound.
Blood ran from his forehead.
Below the photograph was a message.
YOUR HUSBAND STOLE FROM THE WRONG PEOPLE.
Then another.
HE HAS SIX HOURS.
Chloe walked into the office behind Claire.
May you like
She saw the photograph.
Her scream echoed through the room.
