Chapter 3 - The Man Behind the Door
Marcus raised one finger.
Nobody spoke.
The handle moved again.
Then stopped.
A knock.
“Security.”
Marcus frowned.
He hadn't called anyone.
“Name?”
“Officer Bell.”
Marcus looked through the small reinforced window.
Then unlocked the door.
A young security officer stepped inside.
“Police are upstairs.”
“I heard.”
“They've got detectives and two federal agents.”
Adrian stood.
“Federal?”
Bell nodded.
“They're saying company funds were moved through accounts authorized by you.”
Rebecca whispered, “That's impossible.”
Adrian looked at the invoices.
Maybe not impossible.
His digital signature existed across thousands of internal documents.
His office could approve payments.
His executive team could route authorizations.
Someone had prepared this.
The timing wasn't coincidence.
Six minutes after three executives were fired, law enforcement arrived with a warrant.
That meant whoever was behind the scheme had expected trouble.
Or had been watching.
Adrian looked at the ceiling.
“Cameras?”
Marcus shook his head.
“Not in here.”
“Hallway?”
“Yes.”
“So they know we're here.”
Rebecca's face tightened.
“We need to leave.”
“No.”
“Adrian—”
“No more leaving.”
He took Noah's hand.
“We go upstairs.”
The lobby looked completely different when Adrian returned.
No laughter.
No whispers.
Two uniformed officers stood near reception.
Three people in plain clothes waited beside them.
The oldest stepped forward.
“Adrian Mercer?”
“Yes.”
“Special Agent Laura Bennett.”
She showed identification.
“We need to speak privately.”
Adrian glanced around.
“No.”
She frowned.
“No?”
“Anything involving this company happens where my employees can see it unless legally prohibited.”
Bennett studied him.
“That's unusual.”
“Today is unusual.”
She handed him a document.
Search warrant.
Financial records.
Executive communications.
Servers.
Personal devices belonging to several named executives.
Adrian scanned the names.
His own.
Nathan Cole.
Rachel Voss.
Martin Kessler.
And one that surprised him.
Elena Torres.
Adrian looked toward reception.
Elena was gone.
“Where's Ms. Torres?”
Nobody answered.
He turned to Marcus.
“Find her.”
Marcus moved.
Bennett stopped him.
“Don't.”
“Why?”
“Elena Torres is a material witness.”
Adrian's heart sank.
“Witness or suspect?”
Bennett hesitated.
“Witness.”
“Where is she?”
“We were hoping you could tell us.”
“She was here ten minutes ago.”
“She's not now.”
Adrian looked toward the elevators.
Rebecca stepped closer.
“Elena wouldn't run.”
Bennett looked at her.
“Rebecca Shaw?”
Rebecca stiffened.
“You know me?”
“We've been trying to reach you.”
That silenced everyone.
“For how long?”
“Three weeks.”
Rebecca stared.
“I haven't received anything.”
Adrian and Rebecca exchanged a look.
Someone was intercepting more than messages inside Mercer Dynamics.
Bennett lowered her voice.
“Mr. Mercer, we have reason to believe someone has been moving company money through fraudulent vendor accounts for nearly three years.”
“How much?”
“Current estimate?”
She paused.
“Thirty-eight million dollars.”
Adrian felt as if the marble floor shifted.
Rebecca had found four.
The real number was nearly ten times larger.
“Who?”
“We don't know yet.”
“You have my signature.”
“We have electronic approvals tied to your credentials.”
“I didn't make them.”
“I believe you may be telling the truth.”
“May?”
“That's why we're here.”
Noah tugged Adrian's sleeve.
“Dad, are you in trouble?”
Every adult looked at him.
Adrian crouched.
“I'm going to figure something out.”
“Did you steal money?”
“No.”
Noah nodded immediately.
“Okay.”
That trust hurt more than suspicion would have.
Adrian stood.
“Agent Bennett, you get full access.”
Rebecca grabbed his arm.
“Adrian.”
He looked at her.
“If somebody used my company to steal thirty-eight million dollars, I want them found.”
Bennett nodded.
“We'll need your phone.”
Adrian handed it over.
“Laptop?”
“Upstairs.”
“Personal accounts?”
“You'll get access through counsel.”
“Good.”
Adrian looked toward the reception desk again.
Elena's chair remained empty.
Something bothered him.
The envelope.
Elena had risked months keeping it.
Then Rebecca appeared minutes after Elena finally handed it over.
Then federal agents arrived.
Then Elena disappeared.
“Marcus.”
The security officer returned.
“No sign.”
“When did she leave?”
“Security footage shows her entering the women's restroom at 8:57.”
“And?”
“She never came out.”
“That doesn't make sense.”
“There is a service door inside.”
“Where does it lead?”
“Maintenance corridor.”
“Cameras?”
Marcus looked grim.
“Disabled.”
Adrian thought of Calvin.
Facilities.
Broken cameras.
Controlled access.
“Find Calvin.”
“He's still downstairs with building security.”
“Keep him there.”
Bennett raised a hand.
“You can't detain him.”
“I can revoke his building access.”
“Yes.”
“Then do it.”
Marcus nodded.
Adrian walked behind the reception desk.
Elena's computer remained logged in.
A coffee cup sat beside it.
Her handbag was beneath the counter.
“She didn't leave voluntarily.”
Bennett looked.
“How do you know?”
“Her purse.”
Rebecca added, “Her car keys are probably inside.”
Adrian checked.
They were.
Bennett called another agent.
“Search the service corridor.”
Noah remained beside Adrian.
His face had become serious.
He pointed toward the floor.
“Dad.”
“What?”
“She dropped something.”
A small white rectangle lay beneath the desk.
Adrian picked it up.
An employee badge.
Elena Torres.
The plastic had cracked across the photograph.
On the back, written in blue ink, were four numbers.
Bennett looked over his shoulder.
“What is that?”
“I don't know.”
Noah pointed.
“There's more.”
Beneath the numbers was one letter.
R.
Rebecca inhaled sharply.
“What?”
She took the badge.
“R.”
“Yes.”
“Rachel.”
Adrian's chest tightened.
His chief of staff.
The person who controlled his calendar.
His communications.
His office.
His travel.
The person who had been with him through Claire's death.
“No.”
Rebecca looked at him.
“You said that about Nathan.”
Adrian didn't answer.
Bennett asked, “Rachel who?”
“Rachel Voss.”
“Where is she?”
“Forty-first floor.”
Marcus's radio crackled.
Then another security officer spoke.
“Mr. Mercer, we have Ms. Voss.”
Adrian grabbed the radio.
“Where?”
“Executive elevator.”
“Keep her there.”
A pause.
“Sir…”
“What?”
“She isn't alone.”
Adrian looked at Bennett.
“Who is with her?”
The answer came.
“Nathan Cole.”
Adrian's expression hardened.
“Bring them down.”
Another pause.
Then the officer spoke again.
“They're refusing.”
“On whose authority?”
The radio went silent.
Adrian waited.
Finally:
“Yours.”
Nobody moved.
Adrian's face went cold.
“What did you say?”
“They have an executive order signed electronically by Adrian Mercer.”
Adrian looked at Bennett.
Then at his own name on the warrant.
Someone hadn't simply stolen his credentials.
Someone had become him inside the company's systems.
The executive elevator chimed.
Its doors opened.
But Rachel and Nathan weren't inside.
Only Adrian's laptop sat on the floor.
Its screen was open.
May you like
A message waited.
YOU SHOULD HAVE STAYED HOME.
