Michael Grant.
Chief Financial Officer.
Emma's pulse accelerated.
She printed the documents.
Daniel walked in.
“What did you find?”
Emma handed him the pages.
“Your CFO approved over two hundred million dollars in transfers to companies that don't appear to exist.”
Daniel's face went pale.
“Are you sure?”
“I checked three times.”
“Michael knows?”
“Probably.”
Daniel lowered his voice.
“Don't tell him yet.”
“Why?”
“Because if he's involved, we don't know who else is.”
Emma nodded.
Then the door opened.
Michael Grant entered.
He was handsome.
Forty years old.
Perfect suit.
Perfect smile.
Perfect confidence.
“Daniel.”
Michael nodded.
Then looked at Emma.
“I don't believe we've met.”
Emma stood.
“Emma Blake.”
Michael's smile changed slightly.
“Ah.”
He knew the name.
“You're the woman from yesterday.”
Emma said nothing.
Michael walked closer.
“I heard you helped Richard.”
“I did.”
“Heroic.”
The word sounded strange in his mouth.
Emma watched him carefully.
Michael glanced at the papers on her desk.
“Working on Claire's files?”
Emma didn't answer.
He smiled.
“Be careful.”
“Of what?”
“Numbers can tell you anything if you stare at them long enough.”
Then he walked out.
Emma looked at Daniel.
“He knew.”
Daniel nodded.
“He knew what?”
“That I was investigating.”
Before Daniel could respond, Emma's computer screen went black.
She frowned.
“Did you do that?”
“No.”
The screen came back.
Every file was gone.
Emma froze.
“Someone just deleted my access.”
Daniel pulled out his phone.
“Call IT.”
Emma stared at the screen.
Then noticed something.
One file remained.
A document titled:
C.W. — FINAL
Emma opened it.
There was only one line.
If you found this, don't trust Michael.
Then another line appeared.
And don't trust my father either.
Emma's blood ran cold.
Daniel read it over her shoulder.
“Claire wrote that?”
“Yes.”
The office door suddenly opened.
Richard Weston stood there.
“What happened?”
Emma turned.
“Claire left a message.”
Richard stepped closer.
“What did it say?”
Emma hesitated.
Then she showed him.
Richard read the words.
His face collapsed.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Finally he whispered:
“She knew.”
“Knew what?”
Richard looked at Emma.
“That someone was going to betray her.”
Emma pointed at the screen.
“She specifically said not to trust you.”
Richard closed his eyes.
“I know.”
Emma frowned.
“You know?”
Richard opened his eyes.
“Because Claire stopped trusting me six months before she disappeared.”
“Why?”
Richard sat down.
“Because she believed I had something to do with her mother's death.”
Emma stared.
“What?”
Richard's voice shook.
“My wife didn't die naturally.”
Silence filled the room.
Emma slowly sat.
Richard continued.
“She was investigating the same people Claire was.”
“And then?”
“She died in what police called a car accident.”
Emma looked at the message again.
Claire's final warning seemed suddenly much darker.
Richard leaned forward.
“I never killed my wife.”
Emma believed that he believed it.
But belief wasn't proof.
Then her phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
A text message appeared.
STOP LOOKING FOR CLAIRE.
Another message followed.
NEXT TIME, SOMEONE WON'T SAVE YOU.
Emma stared at the screen.
Daniel saw it.
Richard saw it.
Nobody spoke.
Because they all understood the same thing.
Claire's disappearance was no longer the only mystery.
Someone was watching Emma.
Twelve Minutes Again
Two days later, Emma found herself standing outside the Boston Police Department.
She carried a copy of Claire's financial documents.
She also carried a secret.
She had discovered another account.
One containing $92 million.
The account belonged to a foundation Claire had created six months before disappearing.
The foundation had no public activity.
No employees.
No office.
No charitable filings.
But every month, exactly $2 million entered the account.
Emma couldn't explain it.
Until she found the withdrawals.
Every withdrawal was made for exactly $50,000.
And every withdrawal went to the same place.
A private medical facility in Vermont.
Emma stared at the address.
Then she searched patient records through information Claire had left behind.
One name appeared.
Lena Weston.
Emma's breath stopped.
Lena.
Richard's wife.
The woman everyone believed was dead.
Emma immediately called Daniel.
“Where is Richard?”
“Meeting with the board.”
“Tell him I found Lena.”
“What?”
“His wife.”
Silence.
“Emma…”
“I think she's alive.”
Daniel's voice became urgent.
“Where?”
“Vermont.”
“Stay where you are.”
But Emma had already started walking.
She had spent her life being told to wait.
Wait for the promotion.
Wait for the better job.
Wait for the right opportunity.
She was done waiting.
Three hours later, she arrived at a private medical facility.
A nurse met her at reception.
“Can I help you?”
“I need to see Lena Weston.”
The nurse's face changed.
“Who are you?”
“Emma Blake.”
“Are you family?”
“No.”
“Then I'm afraid—”
“Please.”
The nurse hesitated.
Then looked toward the hallway.
“Room 214.”
Emma walked slowly.
Room 214.