Chapter 11 - Julian's Escape
The red notebook changed everything.
Thomas's death was no longer treated solely as a private medical event.
Investigators obtained the medication bottles.
His medical records were released.
Dr. Steven Cole hired a criminal defense attorney.
Cassandra stopped speaking publicly.
Julian disappeared.
For almost eighteen hours nobody knew where he was.
Then Nathaniel's team discovered that Julian had boarded a private flight to the Bahamas.
"He ran," Amelia said.
Martin nodded.
"Which usually indicates confidence."
Nathaniel looked at him.
"Is that lawyer sarcasm?"
"It's all we have."
Julian did not get far.
Authorities questioned him when the aircraft landed.
He returned voluntarily the following day after being advised that leaving the country during an active estate fraud investigation would worsen his position.
Cassandra was furious.
"She thought he'd stay beside her," Nathaniel said.
Amelia stood beside the window in his hotel suite.
"Julian stays beside whoever he thinks is winning."
"Did you always know that?"
"No."
"Does it bother you?"
"That I almost married him?"
Nathaniel nodded.
Amelia considered the question.
"It used to."
"And now?"
"Now I think I needed to become the person who could see him clearly."
Nathaniel wrapped an arm around her.
Her phone rang.
Martin.
"We found account 4412."
Thomas mentioned it in his notebook.
It belonged to Hart Maritime's emergency procurement division.
Over eleven months, nearly four million dollars had been routed through fictitious vendors.
The money eventually reached three shell companies.
One connected to Cassandra.
One connected to Julian's law partner.
The third belonged to Dr. Cole's brother.
Amelia closed her eyes.
"So that's the motive."
"Part of it," Martin said.
The fraud began before Thomas's first cardiac episode.
When Thomas started asking questions, Cassandra accelerated efforts to declare him incompetent.
But another surprise emerged.
Victor Dane had not authorized the payments.
Someone forged his internal approval.
Nathaniel's forensic team identified the source.
Julian.
He had accessed the procurement system using credentials obtained from Cassandra.
"How did Cassandra get them?" Amelia asked.
Martin hesitated.
"From Thomas."
"No."
"Not intentionally."
During Thomas's first hospitalization Cassandra photographed a password card stored in his wallet.
Amelia remembered Cassandra visiting every day.
Flowers.
Food.
Concern.
All while gathering access.
Nathaniel said, "They thought he was an old man they could confuse."
Amelia looked at Thomas's notebook.
"He let them."
"What?"
"Toward the end."
She opened an earlier entry.
March 12.
Pretended not to remember Cassandra's birthday. She relaxed afterward.
March 13.
Asked Julian same question twice. He started speaking openly around me.
Nathaniel almost smiled.
"Thomas was playing them."
Amelia's eyes filled.
"Even sick, he was investigating."
Martin called again later.
This time the news was worse.
Toxicology found abnormal levels of a sedative in Thomas's stored blood samples.
Not enough to prove poisoning.
Enough to explain confusion, weakness, and memory problems.
Cole had prescribed the medication.
But the dosage recorded in Thomas's chart was far lower.
Investigators searched Cole's office.
Several files were missing.
Cassandra's attorney blamed medical error.
Julian's attorney blamed Cassandra.
The alliance began cracking.
Then Julian contacted Amelia directly.
One message.
I can tell you what happened the night Thomas died.
Meet me alone.
Amelia showed Nathaniel.
"No."
She looked at him.
Nathaniel added, "That wasn't a husband command. That was a person-with-basic-survival-instinct response."
"I need to hear him."
"Then we arrange it safely."
Julian chose an old waterfront restaurant.
Nathaniel's security team occupied nearby tables.
Amelia sat opposite Julian.
He looked terrible.
Unshaven.
Eyes red.
Suit wrinkled.
"You married Kane."
"Yes."
"When?"
"That isn't why we're here."
Julian laughed bitterly.
"You really never change."
"Neither do you."
His expression hardened.
Then collapsed.
"Cassandra said Thomas would never be hurt."
Amelia went still.
"What did she say?"
"That Cole was only keeping him calm."
"Calm with what?"
"I didn't know."
"You're lying."
Julian looked away.
"She said Thomas was becoming impossible."
"Impossible because he discovered you were stealing."
"I didn't steal."
"You created shell contracts."
"Cassandra told me they were temporary transfers."
"Four million dollars?"
"I was going to put it back."
Amelia almost laughed.
"Of course you were."
Julian leaned forward.
"The night Thomas died, Cassandra called me."
"What time?"
"Eleven thirty."
"What did she say?"
"That Thomas had chest pain."
"Why didn't she call emergency services?"
"She said Cole told her to wait."
"Why?"
Julian's voice lowered.
"Because Thomas had found the red notebook."
Amelia stared.
"Cassandra was trying to find it before the ambulance came."
Everything inside Amelia became cold.
"How long did they wait?"
Julian looked at the table.
"Julian."
"Thirty-seven minutes."
Amelia stopped breathing.
Thirty-seven minutes.
Her father had been experiencing chest pain.
And Cassandra searched for a notebook.
"Why are you telling me?"
Julian looked up.
"Because Cassandra is going to blame everything on me."
"You helped her."
"I didn't kill your father."
"No."
Amelia stood.
"But you helped create the situation that trapped him in that house."
Julian reached for her wrist.
"Amelia."
Nathaniel was beside them instantly.
Julian released her.
Nathaniel looked at him.
"Touch my wife again and this meeting ends."
Julian stared at Nathaniel.
Then at Amelia.
"There's one more thing."
Amelia stopped.
"What?"
"Thomas made a video."
"What video?"
"That night."
"Where?"
"I don't know."
May you like
Julian swallowed.
"But Cassandra does."
