Chapter 5 - ADRIAN IN THE RAIN
Dominic crossed the room in three strides.
By the time he reached the front door, Adrian was gone.
Luca stood near the garden wall with Noah.
“Did you see him?” Dominic asked.
“See who?”
“Adrian.”
Luca’s expression tightened. “No.”
“He was at the east window.”
Luca touched the radio at his collar. “Team two, seal the eastern path. No sirens. No radio traffic unless necessary.”
Natalie came out holding the blue box.
“Take Noah back to the house,” Dominic said.
“No,” she replied.
“Natalie—”
“No. I am done being moved around like luggage while people steal from me.”
Dominic glanced at Noah.
Natalie understood.
“Fine. Noah goes with Luca. I stay.”
Noah looked terrified. “Mom.”
She knelt and took his face in both hands.
“You did exactly the right thing with that key.”
“Is Aunt Brooke bad?”
Natalie’s eyes filled.
Dominic answered before she had to.
“Aunt Brooke made bad choices. Right now, we’re making sure she can’t make more.”
Noah looked at him. “Are you going to hurt her?”
The question landed in a place Dominic did not like to visit.
He had built a reputation by making sure people believed the answer was yes.
He crouched until they were eye level.
“No. I’m going to stop her.”
Noah searched his face.
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
Luca led Noah away.
Dominic and Natalie returned to the cottage.
The envelope with Natalie’s name remained sealed.
“Open it,” Dominic said.
Natalie did.
Inside was a single handwritten page.
Nat,
If you are reading this, somebody has turned my caution into proof that I was paranoid. Do not argue with them. Do not explain. Keep the ledger. Keep Noah close. And do not sign anything Grant Vale puts in front of you unless your brother is physically in the room and reads it himself.
I love you. I am sorry I did not say more sooner.
Mom
Natalie sat down hard.
“Grant?”
Dominic opened the ledger.
The first pages were household expenses in Catherine’s neat handwriting.
Roof repairs. Insurance. Staff bonuses.
Then the handwriting changed.
Columns of dates.
Wire amounts.
Vendor names.
One name appeared again and again.
HARBOR NINE RESTORATION LLC.
Dominic flipped faster.
$215,000.
$480,000.
$760,000.
All listed as “structural restoration.”
The cottage roof had not been replaced in twelve years.
Natalie whispered, “That’s over two million right there.”
“Three point two in the ledger.”
He reached the last handwritten page.
Catherine had written one sentence in block letters.
ADRIAN SAYS DOMINIC APPROVED IT. DOMINIC WAS IN ZURICH THAT NIGHT.
Dominic’s jaw hardened.
Natalie looked up. “Did you?”
“No.”
“Could someone use your authorization?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“Adrian.”
The answer hurt more than Dominic expected.
Adrian had been beside him through his father’s funeral, two wars between crews, a federal investigation, and the year Dominic nearly lost everything.
He had been the one person Dominic never checked twice.
That was the mistake.
Natalie picked up the flash drive.
“What’s on this?”
“We don’t plug it into anything connected to the estate network.”
“You think they monitor the house?”
“I think Adrian knew I landed before my sister did.”
Dominic’s phone rang.
Adrian.
Natalie stared at the screen.
Dominic answered.
“Morning.”
Adrian sounded relaxed. “Heard you surprised everyone.”
“Not everyone.”
A beat.
“London finished early?” Adrian asked.
“Something like that.”
“Want me to come by?”
Dominic looked at the rain streaking down the cottage window.
“You already did.”
Silence.
Then Adrian laughed.
“I’m in Boston.”
Dominic looked toward the muddy garden path.
Fresh footprints crossed the grass.
Adrian continued, “You sound tired, Dom.”
Dominic’s gaze dropped to the prints.
The heel pattern was wrong.
Not Adrian’s shoes.
Someone had worn Adrian’s coat.
Someone wanted Dominic to think Adrian had been there.
Then Natalie pointed toward the cottage security monitor.
A camera feed showed the front gate.
Adrian’s car had just entered the estate.
And he was driving it.
—
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