Chapter 3 - The Ledger in the Walls
Nora returned to the Mercer estate the next afternoon.
She hated herself for going.
Silas met her in the library.
A massive room lined with books.
“Did you find something?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
She held up her father's letter.
“He warned me about you.”
Silas almost smiled.
“Reasonable.”
“He said not to trust you.”
“That was wise.”
“He also said not to assume you're my enemy.”
Silas's smile disappeared.
“What else?”
“That the person who destroyed him is close to me.”
Silas stepped closer.
“Do you know who?”
“No.”
“Did your father leave evidence?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“I don't know yet.”
Silas nodded.
“Then we'll find it.”
“We?”
“Yes.”
Nora looked around.
“You expect me to believe you're suddenly helping me?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“I expect you to believe I want the same thing.”
“What?”
“The truth.”
They worked until midnight.
The old audit records revealed a pattern.
Every company involved in the scandal had been connected to a consulting firm called Vale Strategic.
Nora recognized the name.
“Elliot Vane.”
Silas nodded.
“Exactly.”
They traced payments.
The money had moved through twelve shell companies.
Then disappeared.
Except for one account.
A private trust.
Nora looked at the numbers.
“This isn't theft.”
“What?”
“They weren't stealing from you.”
Silas stared.
“Explain.”
“The money was being moved to create leverage.”
“Over whom?”
“Everyone.”
She pointed.
“Politicians received small payments.”
“Judges received larger ones.”
“Labor leaders received contracts.”
“Business owners received favorable loans.”
Silas's expression darkened.
“They were buying influence.”
“Yes.”
Nora turned another page.
“Your organization wasn't the final target.”
Silas went still.
“What was?”
“Chicago's shipping infrastructure.”
Silas looked at her.
“They were trying to control the city through legitimate channels.”
“And your father discovered it.”
“Yes.”
A long silence followed.
Then footsteps approached.
Victoria entered.
She looked at Nora.
“What is she doing here?”
Silas did not answer.
Victoria glanced at the papers.
“You've been investigating.”
Nora watched her carefully.
“Do you know Elliot Vane?”
Victoria's expression changed.
Barely.
“No.”
“You hesitated.”
“I was surprised.”
“Why?”
“Because he's a state attorney.”
Nora smiled faintly.
“You know more than that.”
Victoria's face hardened.
“You're becoming very comfortable.”
“I've spent two years being uncomfortable.”
Silas glanced between them.
“Victoria, leave.”
She stared.
“Silas.”
“Now.”
Victoria left.
Nora waited.
“You don't trust her.”
“No.”
“Why is she still your wife?”
Silas's expression went cold.
“That's complicated.”
“Isn't everything in your life?”
“Yes.”
That evening, Nora found another clue.
Her father's old watch.
She had worn it for months after his stroke.
She had never realized the back panel was removable.
Inside was a tiny brass key.
She brought it to Silas.
He recognized it.
“Where did you find this?”
“My father's watch.”
He stared.
“That key belongs to a safe deposit box.”
“Whose?”
Silas's face changed.
“My father's.”
Nora stared.
“Your father?”
“Yes.”
“Why would my father have the key?”
“I don't know.”
They went to the bank.
The account was under a false family name.
Inside the box was a single notebook.
Thomas Hayes's handwriting filled every page.
The notebook contained evidence that Elliot Vane had worked with a private banking consortium to manipulate port contracts.
But there was one page that made Nora freeze.
A list of names.
At the bottom was Victoria Sterling.
Nora looked at Silas.
“She was involved.”
Silas didn't speak.
“Silas.”
He took the notebook.
His face was unreadable.
Victoria had been listed beside three payments.
Nora whispered,
“She was working with Vane.”
“Apparently.”
“But why?”
Silas closed the notebook.
“Maybe we should ask her.”
They returned to the estate.
Victoria was waiting.
She did not look surprised.
“You found it.”
Nora's heart dropped.
“You knew.”
Victoria stood.
“I knew enough.”
Silas stared at her.
“Explain.”
Victoria laughed softly.
“You think this is about money?”
“Then what is it about?”
“Your father.”
Silas's expression changed.
“My father?”
Victoria nodded.
“Your father ordered the original investigation.”
Nora froze.
“He hired Thomas Hayes.”
Silas stared.
“My father trusted him.”
“Yes.”
“So why did Vane destroy him?”
“Because Thomas discovered the whole network.”
Victoria looked at Nora.
“And because I helped Vane.”
Silence.
Silas's voice was frighteningly calm.
“Why?”
Victoria's eyes filled.
“Because he threatened my father.”
“The senator?”
“Yes.”
“He had evidence against him.”
“He said he would destroy us.”
Silas looked at her.
“So you betrayed me.”
“I thought I was protecting my family.”
“You almost destroyed mine.”
Victoria's composure cracked.
“I know.”
Nora stepped forward.
“Did you frame my father?”
Victoria shook her head.
“No.”
“Then who did?”
She looked at Silas.
“Your chief financial officer.”
Nora's eyes widened.
“Marcus?”
Silas's expression changed.
Marcus had been with him for eighteen years.
One of the few people Silas trusted.
Victoria whispered,
“He was the one who altered the books.”
Nora looked at the notebook.
“Then he knows where the rest of the evidence is.”
Silas reached for his phone.
“Marcus?”
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Then a message appeared.
Don't trust your wife.
It was followed by a photograph.
Marcus lying unconscious in a warehouse.
Nora looked at Silas.
“Someone got to him.”
Silas's phone rang.
He answered.
A distorted voice spoke.
“You're closer than you should be.”
Silas's face hardened.
“What do you want?”
“Your wife.”
Victoria's eyes widened.
“No.”
The voice continued.
“She knows too much.”
The call ended.
Silas looked toward the doors.
Security alarms erupted throughout the estate.
Nora's stomach tightened.
“They're here.”
Silas grabbed her hand.
“Stay beside me.”
Victoria stared at them.
May you like
For the first time, she looked genuinely afraid.
Because whoever had controlled the conspiracy for eight years had finally decided to stop hiding.
