Chapter 4 - The Puppet Master's Mistake
Greed is a terrible thing, but betrayal is worse. By the time I left Evelyn's apartment, she had handed over the master encryption key to Daniel's private digital ledger—the one he used to manage his new life as David Miller.
The next day, Daniel called me from a burner phone. His voice was no longer arrogant; it was desperate.
"Claire, we need to meet. Alone," he demanded. "No lawyers, no police. Let's settle this like adults. I'll give you half of everything I have."
"Half?" I laughed into the receiver. "You don't have anything, Daniel. Everything you own was bought with stolen money. But fine. Let's meet. Tomorrow, 10:00 AM, at the old pier where your car supposedly went over."
"Why there?" he asked, his voice shaking.
"Because I want to see you stand exactly where you pretended to die," I said, and hung up.
I immediately called Detective Marcus Vance of the Boston White-Collar Crime Unit. He had been looking into Mercer Construction's anomalies for months but lacked the definitive proof to pierce the corporate veil.
May you like
"I have the location, the time, and the complete financial map," I told Marcus, staring at the twin monitors in my office. "He's going to try to offer me a bribe. I'll make sure he states the exact amount on tape."
"Be careful, Claire," Marcus warned. "A man who fakes his death once is capable of doing anything to keep the secret."
