Chapter 40
The flash drive report came in on a rainy Tuesday.
Elise called me to her office instead of coming to mine.
That alone told me enough.
Her conference room had glass walls and a view of the river. The sky beyond was low and pewter-colored, and the water below moved in restless dark folds.
A forensic analyst sat beside her with a laptop closed in front of him.
Maya was present by video. So was a representative from the court-appointed team. Everything was formal, documented, careful.
I sat.
Elise began without preamble.
“The drive contains financial records, scanned documents, audio files, and a video message from Evan.”
My hands curled once against the armrests.
“A video?”
“Yes.”
“Have you watched it?”
“Only with the forensic team.”
“What’s on it?”
She exchanged a look with the analyst.
“Elise.”
“The financial records suggest Evan was investigating a trust created before the twins were born. The trust involved Anna Vale Bennett, Claire’s family, and an offshore structure connected to the same network Evan warned you about years ago.”
I sat back slowly.
“Claire’s family?”
“Her maiden name is Whitcomb.”
That name I knew.
Old money. Quiet money. The kind that moved through foundations, boards, private schools, and charity galas without ever appearing too hungry. The Whitcombs were not loud enough to be infamous. They were too careful for that.
“What did they want with Evan?”
“It may not have started with Evan,” Elise said. “It may have started with Anna.”
The analyst opened the laptop and turned it toward me.
“We can show the beginning of the video,” he said. “The full file is being reviewed for admissibility and relevance, but Mr. Bennett addressed portions directly to you.”
The screen went black for a second.
May you like
Then Evan appeared.
Alive.
