Chapter 7 - The Recording Rick Never Knew Existed
Rick Delaney's greatest talent was becoming a different man whenever witnesses appeared.
The moment two uniformed officers entered Harbor Bloom, his anger vanished.
He became cooperative.
Confused.
Almost wounded.
He explained that he had only come to check on Megan because she'd been missing for a night and was behaving unpredictably.
He insisted she had emotional difficulties.
He suggested Nina had misunderstood the situation.
Megan listened to every familiar excuse.
Only this time, she didn't argue with him.
She showed the officers the messages.
Then she explained his statement about Avery Reed.
Rick laughed.
"That's completely out of context."
Megan held his gaze.
"You threatened me."
"I was warning you about dangerous people."
"Which people?"
Rick opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
For the first time, Megan saw him struggle without rushing to rescue him.
The officers separated them and documented the encounter.
Rick was detained while they investigated the reported threats, and Detective Grant was contacted because of the connection to the missing-person case.
But Megan understood the limitations.
Rick could hire an attorney.
He could deny making the statements.
He could claim he was misunderstood.
He had survived consequences before.
That evening, Detective Grant called with unexpected news.
The flower shop's security camera had captured Rick's visit.
Its microphone was weak, but part of his warning was audible.
Nina had also preserved the threatening text messages.
"That helps," Tessa said.
"Enough to arrest him?"
"Enough to strengthen our investigation. I won't promise anything beyond that."
Megan appreciated the honesty.
Then Tessa asked another question.
"Has anyone besides the police seen the original agreement?"
"Damian Caruso."
"Did he photograph it?"
"I allowed him to make a copy."
Tessa paused.
"Do you know why Victor Kade would send Rick to Caruso's home?"
"No."
"We're trying to establish that."
"Do you think Damian was involved?"
"I think Mr. Caruso knows more about his former associates than he's told investigators."
Megan looked toward the apartment window.
"Maybe."
After the call, she sat alone at the small kitchen table.
She had spent the entire day feeling stronger.
Now the fear returned.
Rick knew where she worked.
He knew her habits.
And he was connected to people who might have made women disappear.
Her phone vibrated.
A message from Moren.
Mr. Caruso asked me to confirm that you're safe. You don't need to respond.
Megan stared at the words.
Then typed:
I'm safe. Tell him I know he didn't give the police everything.
Moren replied several minutes later.
He knows you know.
Megan almost smiled.
It was an absurd exchange.
Two people communicating through an elderly housekeeper because neither knew how to speak directly without risking something.
Then another message arrived.
He has requested a meeting with his attorneys tomorrow morning.
Megan set down the phone.
Across Newport, Damian was sitting in his father's former office.
The room smelled of leather, old paper, and polished wood.
On the desk lay a collection of financial records.
He had spent the afternoon reviewing documents he'd avoided for years.
His father, Anthony Caruso, had built a legitimate shipping empire alongside an organization that collected debts, moved illicit goods, and enforced contracts through fear.
Damian inherited both.
He had spent years separating the businesses, dissolving some operations, and trying to make the legitimate companies profitable enough to survive without the criminal ones.
But he hadn't moved quickly enough.
Victor Kade had used that delay.
And Damian had tolerated certain illegal revenue streams because he feared the consequences of shutting everything down at once.
Now there were missing women.
Avery Reed.
Two others.
Possibly more.
Damian opened a file marked PIER SIX—INTERNAL REVIEW.
Inside was a series of transportation authorizations bearing Victor's signature.
A single company appeared repeatedly.
Blackwater Transit Holdings.
Damian examined the payment records.
One amount appeared several times.
Seventy-five thousand dollars.
The same sum connected to Megan's repayment account.
His financial director had previously dismissed those transfers as consulting fees.
Now Damian understood the pattern.
Someone was using false debt settlements to generate payments to Kade's network.
Megan hadn't merely paid Rick's debt.
Her repayments had helped disguise a much larger movement of funds.
Damian placed a call.
"Daniel, I need the complete Blackwater records."
His operations director hesitated.
"Those files were sealed after Victor left."
"Open them."
"Sir, legal advised against—"
"Legal can advise me again tomorrow."
Damian ended the call.
Then Moren entered.
"There's something else."
He looked up.
"One of the gate security officers resigned this afternoon."
"Who?"
"Everett Shaw."
Damian frowned.
"Why?"
"He didn't give a reason."
Moren placed a printed photograph on the desk.
It showed Megan standing beside Damian outside the mansion.
The image had been taken from an angle near the security entrance.
"This was sent anonymously to Laura Reed yesterday," Moren said.
Damian studied it.
"Everett had access to that camera."
"Yes."
"Who else?"
"Three supervisors."
Damian stared at the photograph.
Someone inside his security operation had exposed Megan's presence to people outside the estate.
And if that person worked for Victor Kade, every movement Megan had made inside the property could have been reported.
"Find Everett," Damian ordered.
Moren didn't move.
"Damian."
He looked at her.
"Don't handle this the way your father would."
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then he reached for his telephone.
He called Detective Grant instead.
Moren watched him with quiet relief.
Meanwhile, in a rented room near the Massachusetts border, Everett Shaw opened his laptop.
On the screen was a video recorded inside Damian's mansion.
It showed Megan entering the estate with Rick.
Then, much later, Damian standing beside her in the courtyard.
Everett selected several frames.
He attached them to an encrypted message.
The recipient was listed simply as V.K.
A reply arrived immediately.
DID HE TAKE THE DOCUMENT?
Everett typed:
SHE KEPT THE ORIGINAL.
Another message appeared.
THEN WE NEED HER BEFORE THE POLICE FIND WHAT'S HIDDEN IN IT.
Everett stared at the screen.
May you like
He had thought he was selling harmless photographs.
Now he understood that Megan Walsh was in far greater danger than he'd been told.
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