Chapter 5 - The Woman Who Needed Him to Die
At 10:28 a.m., I walked into the executive boardroom alone.
That was the plan.
Alexander remained at the hospital.
Officially unconscious.
Marcus stayed one floor below with federal investigators Alexander had quietly brought into the case overnight.
I wore the same burgundy blouse I'd worn while performing CPR.
I had considered changing.
There wasn't time.
Maybe part of me didn't want to.
The faint crease across my sleeve reminded me of Alexander's chest beneath my hands.
It reminded me why I was there.
The boardroom held thirteen people.
I recognized most of them from company announcements.
Jonathan Mercer, CEO.
Vivian Shaw, chief legal officer.
Three board directors.
Chief technology officer.
Head of acquisitions.
Others.
Nobody looked pleased to see me.
Vivian did.
That frightened me.
She was fifty-four.
Silver-blonde hair cut perfectly at her jaw.
Black suit.
Pearls.
The kind of woman who looked composed even when every other person in the room was whispering.
“Ms. Carter.”
“Ms. Shaw.”
“Please sit.”
I didn't.
“Why am I here?”
Jonathan Mercer answered.
“Alexander Reed suffered a serious medical episode overnight.”
“I know.”
His eyebrows lifted.
Vivian smiled.
“Of course you do.”
Jonathan continued.
“Certain governance procedures are required when the controlling chairman becomes incapacitated.”
“Incapacitated?”
“He is unable to perform his duties.”
“How do you know?”
Vivian leaned back.
“We've spoken with the hospital.”
That was a lie.
Alexander had restricted disclosure.
I looked at her.
“Did the hospital tell you he was unconscious?”
Her smile faded slightly.
“No.”
“Then why are you saying he is?”
Silence.
Good.
I was not supposed to challenge her.
That was why it worked.
Vivian folded her hands.
“You were present during Mr. Reed's collapse.”
“Yes.”
“Tell the board what happened.”
“He collapsed.”
“Before that?”
“He got into the elevator.”
“Did he speak to you?”
“No.”
“Did he give you anything?”
There.
The file.
I pretended not to understand.
“Like what?”
“Documents?”
“No.”
“A folder?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Her expression changed for half a second.
I saw relief.
So did the hidden camera inside the button of my blouse.
Marcus had hated using it.
I hated it more.
But federal investigators needed evidence.
Jonathan looked at Vivian.
“Why would he give her a folder?”
“I'm simply establishing facts.”
I spoke.
“Were you on forty-five last night?”
Silence.
Vivian looked at me.
“What?”
“Security footage showed a woman leaving the audit suite before Alexander collapsed.”
Jonathan frowned.
“You saw footage?”
Vivian's voice sharpened.
“Who gave you access?”
Nobody had.
Marcus had shown me.
I smiled faintly.
“Why does that matter?”
“Because you are an analyst.”
There it was.
That tone.
You are small.
You are beneath us.
You don't belong in this room.
I had heard versions of it my entire career.
Usually, I apologized.
Not today.
“I was also the person who found $17.4 million in unexplained vendor payments.”
Every face changed.
Jonathan turned toward me.
“What payments?”
Vivian's eyes became cold.
“Those were reviewed.”
“By Peter Calloway.”
“He cleared them.”
“Peter is missing.”
A director spoke.
“Missing?”
Apparently they didn't know.
Vivian did.
Again, I could tell.
Jonathan stood.
“What do you mean Calloway is missing?”
I answered.
“His car was found abandoned.”
Vivian interrupted.
“This meeting concerns Mr. Reed's incapacity.”
“No.”
Everyone looked at me.
I continued.
“I think it concerns how fast you're trying to take control before he wakes up.”
Jonathan's face went pale.
Vivian stood.
“Ms. Carter, leave.”
“Why?”
“Because you have no standing here.”
“I have the report.”
That was a lie.
Mostly.
The physical folder was gone.
The attachment was erased.
But Alexander had reconstructed parts from his secured archive.
Enough.
Vivian froze.
“What report?”
“The one showing sixty-eight million dollars moved through shell companies.”
Jonathan turned toward her.
“What is she talking about?”
Vivian never looked away from me.
“You don't understand those transactions.”
“I understand them better than you hoped.”
Her expression finally cracked.
“You think performing CPR makes you important?”
The insult didn't hurt.
It clarified.
“You knew I performed CPR.”
“Everyone knows.”
“No.”
I stepped closer.
“The company announcement only said Alexander suffered a cardiac event. Nobody told the board where he collapsed.”
Vivian realized it.
Too late.
I continued.
“You asked whether he gave me the folder.”
“That was speculation.”
“You knew there was a folder.”
Jonathan slowly moved away from her.
“Vivian?”
She ignored him.
“Emily, sit down.”
“No.”
“That was not a request.”
A board director whispered something to another.
Vivian's control was slipping.
That was when she made her mistake.
“You have no idea what Alexander was about to destroy.”
Silence filled the room.
I didn't move.
“What was he going to destroy?”
She stopped.
I waited.
The hidden camera waited.
Everybody waited.
Vivian smiled again.
But this time the smile looked fragile.
“This company.”
Jonathan shook his head.
“No.”
She turned.
“You think Alexander cares about this institution?”
“He owns it.”
“He inherited control and spent fifteen years pretending that made him a visionary.”
Something personal entered her voice.
Old resentment.
“Vivian,” Jonathan said. “Stop.”
She looked at him.
“Don't suddenly grow a conscience.”
That sentence changed everything.
Jonathan's face drained.
I looked between them.
“You knew?”
“No,” he said.
Vivian laughed.
“Tell her about Cayman.”
Jonathan's hands shook.
“Shut up.”
“Tell her who approved the first transfer.”
I understood.
Jonathan Mercer.
CEO.
Not Peter.
Not only Vivian.
The corruption reached higher.
I moved toward the conference table.
“Peter found out?”
Vivian turned back to me.
“Peter got nervous.”
“Where is he?”
She didn't answer.
“Where is Peter?”
Jonathan shouted, “Enough!”
Someone moved outside the boardroom.
Vivian's eyes flicked toward the glass doors.
Not fear.
Recognition.
She was expecting someone.
The door opened.
Peter Calloway walked in.
Alive.
There was dried blood along the side of his face.
Everyone stood.
I couldn't move.
Peter looked directly at Vivian.
May you like
Then he said:
“You told me he was dead.”
