Chapter 7 - The Blue Folder
The blue folder did not exist in Serena’s apartment when police searched it.
According to Julian, it had been on the kitchen counter before he collapsed.
Inside were printed bank transfers, property records and internal authorization forms.
Enough documents, he believed, to prove somebody had been moving millions through Vance Development.
Clara expected Arthur to deny everything.
Instead, he laughed.
“My son reads one spreadsheet and suddenly thinks he understands a company worth nine hundred million dollars.”
They were inside Arthur’s office on the forty-second floor of Vance Tower.
Detective Cole had insisted on coming.
Arthur had insisted on allowing them in.
Clara understood why.
Powerful men often preferred questioning on their own ground.
Arthur poured himself a drink.
“Those payments are legitimate.”
“To whom?” Clara asked.
“Consultants.”
“Which consultants?”
“My attorneys will answer.”
“Was Dr. Reeve one of them?”
Arthur stopped pouring.
Just long enough.
“No.”
Cole placed the garage photograph on the desk.
Arthur glanced at it.
“So?”
“Why were you meeting Reeve?”
“He’s my doctor.”
“In a parking garage?”
Arthur smiled.
“Maybe I enjoy concrete architecture.”
Cole did not smile.
“Where is he?”
“No idea.”
“Why were you with Serena?”
“She works for me.”
Clara studied the photograph.
Something had bothered her.
Now she saw it.
Arthur was not looking at Reeve.
He was looking toward the camera.
As if he knew it was there.
“Who took this?”
Cole glanced toward her.
“We don’t know.”
“The angle is too clean.”
Arthur’s expression remained neutral.
Clara continued.
“Somebody wanted us to see all three of them together.”
Arthur’s smile disappeared.
Cole turned.
“You think it’s staged?”
“I think whoever sent it wants me focused on Arthur and Serena.”
Arthur sat down.
“For once, my daughter-in-law says something intelligent.”
Clara ignored him.
“If you didn’t send it, who did?”
Arthur stared at her.
Then said something unexpected.
“You should leave Julian.”
Clara blinked.
“What?”
“Take whatever settlement you want. I won’t contest it.”
Cole’s eyes narrowed.
Arthur continued.
“Five million. Ten. Name your number.”
Clara almost smiled.
“Why?”
“Because you don’t belong in this.”
“In what?”
Arthur looked toward the city windows.
“You think this is about Serena sleeping with Julian?”
Clara said nothing.
Arthur laughed softly.
“You have no idea what you married into.”
Cole leaned forward.
“Then explain.”
Arthur’s phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
The expression on his face changed immediately.
Not anger.
Fear.
He answered.
“What happened?”
Silence.
“What?”
Arthur stood.
His glass fell and shattered.
Clara rose.
“What is it?”
Arthur stared at her.
For the first time since she had known him, he looked old.
“Teresa.”
May you like
“What about her?”
“She’s gone.”
