Chapter 10 - What Victor Changed
Naomi read the line three times.
Report alteration.
Two words she had wanted for three years and hated the moment she got them.
"What did he change?" Dominic asked.
Mara pointed to a storage box beneath her bed.
Inside were photocopies of foundation invoices, emails, and expense approvals.
One invoice came from Sloane Risk Advisory.
$240,000.
Purpose: executive threat assessment.
Date: six weeks after Daniel died.
Another document was an email from Vanessa.
Victor, the Carter matter may be useful later. Keep the underlying packet off normal retention.
Naomi felt the old room return.
Hospital lights.
Daniel's blood on her cuffs.
Victor telling investigators she had approved the final route.
Her own signature beneath a plan she had never seen.
She had fought the finding until she ran out of money and grief.
Then she walked away.
Mara spoke gently.
"I'm sorry."
Naomi closed the folder.
"Don't be. Help me prove it."
"The originals are gone."
"Where?"
"Victor took them from the foundation archive."
Dominic stared at her. "Why was my foundation holding security records from Naomi's case?"
Mara's laugh was bitter.
"Because Vanessa collects vulnerabilities. Everyone's."
Naomi stood.
"Then Victor isn't running. He's cleaning."
Her phone buzzed.
Owen.
"We have a problem," he said.
"Which one?"
"Police are at the estate. Vanessa reported a theft from her private safe."
Naomi almost smiled.
"Let me guess."
"Diamond bracelet. Two antique watches. Cash."
"And she says I took them."
"She says security searched your staff locker and found the bracelet."
Dominic swore.
Naomi didn't.
This was familiar territory.
Create accusation.
Control evidence.
Force the other person to defend instead of attack.
"Don't let anyone touch the locker again," Naomi said.
"Police already photographed it."
"Good. Tell them I am returning voluntarily."
Dominic looked at her. "Naomi, if she planted it—"
"Then she made a mistake."
"What mistake?"
Naomi looked at the time on her phone.
"I haven't opened that locker since 4:18 yesterday afternoon."
"How does that help?"
"Because at 4:30 Owen changed the service corridor access to event mode. Every door opening after that is logged by credential."
Mara leaned forward.
"So whoever planted it left a record."
Naomi nodded.
Her phone buzzed again.
A message from Owen.
We pulled the log. You need to see who opened your locker room at 9:07 p.m.
A second message arrived.
A name.
Dominic read it over Naomi's shoulder.
His face changed.
"No."
The credential belonged to his mother.
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