Chapter 9 - Thomas's Last Defense
Nathaniel's envelope contained instructions.
Martin's contained legal authorizations.
Amelia's remained sealed until after the funeral.
They opened it in a private conference room at Kane Strategic Systems' Charleston office.
Amelia sat beside Nathaniel.
Martin faced them.
Thomas's handwriting appeared on the first page.
Amelia,
If you're reading this, I failed to fix the problem before it reached you.
I'm sorry.
Do not waste time feeling guilty about where you were.
I spent your entire life teaching you to serve something larger than yourself. I do not get to resent you for listening.
Amelia stopped reading.
Nathaniel placed his hand over hers.
She continued.
Cassandra believes she understands what I value.
She doesn't.
Julian believes money makes him safe.
It won't.
Most importantly, neither of them knows the document they are fighting over has no authority.
Amelia looked up.
Martin nodded slowly.
"Keep reading."
The Hart Family Trust had been restructured four months earlier.
The electronic version accessible through Hart Maritime's system was a decoy.
The legal trust existed physically through a separate fiduciary institution.
Thomas had transferred the controlling shares before Cassandra's final amendment.
"To whom?" Amelia asked.
Martin handed her another document.
She read.
Forty percent belonged to the Hart Employee Stewardship Trust.
Twenty percent remained in a charitable foundation.
Twenty percent passed to Amelia.
Ten percent had been placed in a long-term fund for families of injured maritime workers.
The remaining ten percent was held in reserve by an independent trustee.
Cassandra had inherited nothing.
Julian had authority over nothing.
Amelia exhaled.
"So it's over."
Nathaniel shook his head.
"No."
Martin agreed.
"The forged amendment may not control the company, but Cassandra has possession of Hart House and access to several personal accounts."
"Then we show the trust."
"Eventually."
Amelia frowned.
"Why eventually?"
Nathaniel opened his envelope.
"Because your father wanted to know who else was involved."
Thomas had predicted that once Cassandra believed she controlled Hart Maritime, anyone secretly working with her would surface.
The decoy amendment was bait.
Cassandra thought Thomas had signed it.
She thought she had won.
Thomas wanted the audit to continue long enough to identify every participant.
Amelia stared at the documents.
"He planned this."
Martin nodded.
"He planned most of it."
"He didn't plan to die."
"No."
Silence filled the room.
Nathaniel opened the flash drive.
It contained forty-seven audio recordings.
Thomas had recorded conversations in his study after discovering the first forged amendment.
In one, Cassandra pressured him to sign medical authority documents.
In another, Julian discussed moving assets before Amelia returned.
Then came a recording made eight days before Thomas's death.
Cassandra's voice.
"You don't understand how bad this will look if the board finds out you're confused."
Thomas replied, "I'm not confused."
"Yesterday you forgot the meeting."
"I canceled the meeting."
"No. You forgot."
Thomas's voice hardened.
"Get out of my house."
Then another voice entered.
A man.
"Thomas, calm down."
Amelia leaned toward the speaker.
Victor Dane.
But Victor had already confessed.
The recording continued.
Thomas said, "You told me you were finished helping her."
Victor answered.
"I am. I came because she called me."
Cassandra interrupted.
"Everyone is trying to help you."
Thomas laughed.
"No. Everyone is trying to convince me I'm dying before I have."
The recording ended.
Amelia felt cold.
"Why didn't he leave?"
Martin looked down.
"He tried."
"What stopped him?"
"His physician."
"Which physician?"
Martin opened another file.
"Dr. Steven Cole."
Nathaniel's security team had already begun investigating.
Cole had treated Thomas after the first cardiac episode.
Three months later Cassandra hired him privately as Thomas's in-home physician.
Amelia remembered the police visit.
"They spoke to Cole instead of Dad."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Cole claimed Thomas was resting and medically fragile."
Nathaniel leaned back.
"We need Thomas's medical records."
Martin nodded.
"I requested them."
"When do we get them?"
"If no one objects, soon."
Amelia laughed bitterly.
"Cassandra will object."
She did.
That afternoon Julian filed an emergency petition preventing release of Thomas's final medical records, arguing that Amelia was harassing caregivers and attempting to manipulate the estate.
Nathaniel read the filing.
"He's panicking."
Amelia looked through the office window.
"Good."
Her phone rang.
Unknown number.
She answered.
A woman's voice whispered, "Major Hart?"
"Yes."
"My name is Elena Ruiz. I was one of your father's night nurses."
Amelia stood.
"Where are you?"
"I can't say."
"Are you safe?"
A pause.
"For now."
"What happened to my father?"
The woman began crying.
"He kept asking me to call you."
Amelia's knees weakened.
Elena continued.
"Cassandra took his phone."
Nathaniel moved closer.
Amelia whispered, "Why?"
"Because your father found something."
"What?"
"I don't know. But the night before he died, he made me promise something."
"What?"
May you like
Elena's voice dropped.
"He told me if anything happened to him, I had to find the red book."
