Chapter 6 - The Woman Daniel Wouldn’t SuspectSarah Kim cried before Daniel asked a single question.
That was how he knew.
Detective Ellis had advised him not to confront her privately, so Monday morning Daniel entered Brooks Meridian headquarters as if nothing had happened.
The special board meeting was scheduled for nine.
Renee expected to destroy him there.
Instead, Daniel arrived at seven.
Sarah was already at her desk.
She smiled.
“Morning.”
Daniel stopped.
For nine years Sarah had controlled his calendar, protected his time, remembered birthdays he forgot and carried emergency snacks for Emily whenever Claire brought her to the office.
Daniel placed his briefcase down.
“Walk with me.”
Sarah’s smile faded.
“Where?”
“My office.”
Inside, Detective Ellis and a corporate attorney were waiting.
Sarah saw them.
Her face collapsed.
“Oh.”
Daniel closed the door.
“That’s all you have?”
Sarah covered her mouth.
“I didn’t know about Emily.”
Daniel’s anger became terrifyingly calm.
“Sit.”
She obeyed.
Ellis explained that Sarah was not under arrest, that she could leave, and that she had the right to obtain counsel.
Sarah listened.
Then she whispered, “If I cooperate, can you protect my son?”
Daniel frowned.
“Your son?”
Sarah looked at Ellis.
“Renee knows where he goes to college.”
Daniel felt a new kind of disgust.
“What did she threaten?”
“Not directly.”
“What does that mean?”
Sarah began telling them.
Four years earlier, Sarah’s husband had died after a long illness, leaving her with debt.
Renee learned about it.
She offered help.
First a personal loan.
Then a request.
Check out Daniel’s backup security key.
“Just once,” Renee had said.
Sarah complied.
Then Renee showed her that the act could get her fired or prosecuted.
After that, the requests became commands.
“How many?” Daniel asked.
“I don’t know.”
“You checked the key out twelve times.”
Sarah looked ashamed.
“Then twelve.”
“Did you know money was being stolen?”
“Not at first.”
“When did you know?”
“Two years ago.”
Daniel stood.
“And you kept doing it?”
“She had copies of emails. Records. She said if I stopped, she’d make it look like I designed everything.”
“You helped her.”
“I know.”
Daniel turned away.
He wanted to hate Sarah cleanly.
But people rarely offered that simplicity.
Fear had opened the door.
Choice had kept it open.
Ellis asked, “What happened six weeks ago in Delaware?”
Sarah froze.
Daniel watched her.
“We have a photograph.”
Sarah closed her eyes.
“She opened an account.”
“For what?”
“I don’t know.”
“Northstar?”
Sarah’s eyes opened.
That answered enough.
Ellis leaned forward.
“Sarah, if you want protection, now is the time to tell the entire truth.”
Sarah took a shaking breath.
“Renee plans to remove Daniel today.”
“We know.”
“She has a report.”
“We know.”
Sarah shook her head.
“No. You don’t.”
Daniel stared.
“What’s in it?”
“Emails.”
“Forged?”
“Some.”
“What else?”
“A recording.”
Daniel frowned.
“Of what?”
Sarah looked at him.
“You talking about moving money.”
“I’ve never—”
“It’s edited.”
Daniel stopped.
Sarah continued.
“Renee recorded executive meetings for years. Gregory cut pieces together.”
Daniel felt his stomach turn.
“She plans to play it for the board?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“At nine.”
The corporate attorney checked his watch.
7:26.
Daniel looked at Ellis.
“Can we stop the meeting?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
Everyone turned toward him.
Daniel walked to the window overlooking downtown.
“If we stop it, she knows we know.”
Ellis said, “This isn’t a movie, Mr. Brooks.”
“I’m aware.”
“You don’t stage confrontations in active investigations.”
“I’m not asking to.”
He turned.
“But if Renee believes her plan is working, she may reveal things she otherwise won’t.”
The attorney considered.
“We could allow the board meeting under controlled circumstances.”
Ellis disliked it.
Daniel could see that.
Sarah whispered, “There’s something worse.”
They looked at her.
“Gregory called me Friday.”
“From where?” Ellis asked.
“I don’t know.”
“What did he say?”
“That he was leaving.”
“Did Renee send him?”
“He said Renee blamed him for the pool.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“What exactly did he say?”
Sarah swallowed.
“He said, ‘I only went for the drive. The kid was never part of it.’”
Daniel’s hands curled into fists.
“Did he say who told him to go?”
Sarah nodded.
“Renee.”
Claire had been right.
Marcus had been right.
His instincts had been wrong.
The realization hurt almost as much as betrayal.
Ellis recorded Sarah’s statement.
Then asked whether she had any documentary proof.
Sarah nodded.
“One thing.”
She reached into her purse.
A small USB drive.
Daniel stared at it.
“Why do you have that?”
“I started copying messages when I realized Renee might sacrifice me.”
“Why didn’t you come to me?”
Sarah laughed weakly.
“Would you have believed me?”
Daniel did not answer.
He was beginning to hate that question.
At eight fifteen Claire called.
“Emily wants to hear your voice.”
Daniel stepped into the hallway.
Emily came on.
“Daddy?”
“Hey, peanut.”
“Are you still mad?”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“At you? Never.”
“At Mommy.”
He looked through the glass wall of the executive floor.
Renee’s office stood at the far end.
“I’m trying to understand some things.”
“Mommy cried last night.”
“I know.”
“Are you going away?”
The question hit him harder than anything that morning.
“No.”
“You promise?”
Daniel thought about promises.
How easily adults made them.
How often children paid when they broke.
“I promise I will always be your dad. Whatever happens.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
He smiled despite himself.
“You’re too smart.”
“Mommy says that too.”
Daniel’s voice softened.
“I’m coming home tonight.”
“With chocolates?”
He remembered the crushed box on the foyer floor.
“Yes.”
“Mommy likes the salty ones.”
“I know.”
After the call, Daniel stood alone for several seconds.
Then Renee appeared at the end of the hall.
Perfect suit.
Perfect posture.
His sister.
His enemy.
Perhaps both.
“Big morning,” she said.
Daniel slipped the phone into his pocket.
“So I hear.”
Renee studied him.
“You look tired.”
“My daughter almost drowned.”
Her expression softened convincingly.
“I know.”
Daniel wondered how many lies a person had to tell before sympathy became another tool.
Renee approached.
“For what it’s worth, Daniel, I’m sorry about Claire.”
“What about her?”
“You know.”
“The affair?”
Renee lowered her voice.
“I didn’t want you blindsided.”
Daniel thought of the photographs.
Evidence arranged to tell the wrong story.
“No,” he said.
“You wanted me angry.”
Renee’s eyes changed.
Only slightly.
“Excuse me?”
Daniel smiled.
“See you in the boardroom.”
He walked away.
At 8:58 every director took a seat.
At 8:59 Renee placed a thick report in front of them.
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At 9:00 the doors closed.
And Daniel finally understood that his sister believed she had already won.
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