Chapter 4 - THE DINNER GUEST
The fire burned through the night. By morning, the top of the tower was a blackened skeleton.
Julian Voss called before sunrise. His voice was thick with concern, or a very good imitation of it.
“Margaret! I just heard the news! Are you all right? They say the whole executive floor is gone!”
“I am fine, Julian,” I said. I sat at my desk, the notebook and envelopes spread before me. “Thank you for asking.”
“This is terrible,” he said. “Sabotage, the police say. Who would do such a thing? Have you any idea?”
“Not yet,” I said. “But I am investigating.”
“Of course. Of course. Let me know if I can help. Anything at all. We must protect the company. Especially now that… well, with everything happening.”
“With Rachel arrested, you mean?”
A small pause. “Yes. Naturally. It is a terrible embarrassment for the family. Perhaps it would be best if we stepped back, Margaret. Let the rest of us handle things while you recover from the shock.”
It was almost transparent. The fire. The suggestion I step aside. The gentle pressure.
“I appreciate your concern, Julian,” I said. “But I am fully recovered. And I intend to be at the board meeting this afternoon.”
Another pause. Longer this time.
“Are you certain that is wise?”
“Quite certain,” I said. “I have important documents to share. Evidence regarding what has been happening.”
“Documents?” His voice sharpened. “What kind of documents?”
“Correspondence,” I said. “Notes. Records. Things Rachel left behind. They may prove very illuminating.”
“I see.” He was quiet for a moment. “Then I will see you this afternoon. Margaret… be careful. There are dangerous people moving among us.”
“I know, Julian,” I said. “I believe I am speaking to one of them.”
I ended the call.
David looked up from his chair. “You just told him you have evidence.”
“I did,” I said. “Because now we watch what he does next. If he panics, he makes mistakes.”
“Or he tries to destroy you too.”
“Which is exactly why I want him to show his hand,” I said. “He expects me to be weak. Vulnerable after last night’s fire. He expects me to hide. Instead, I will stand in front of the entire board and force him to react.”
Thomas stepped into the study. “Mrs. Holloway. I’ve checked the house. Phones are secure. I’ve swept for bugs. Nothing found. But I did find something odd.”
He laid a small device on the desk.
“Found it tucked behind the frame of your portrait in the hallway. Audio transmitter. Small. Transmits to a receiver within a mile.”
David paled. “So someone was listening. The entire time.”
“Which explains how they knew we were going to the vault,” Thomas said. “Someone planted this. And someone comes to collect the recordings regularly.”
“When was it last placed?” I asked.
“Less than a week ago,” Thomas said. “The adhesive is fresh.”
I looked at the device. “Rachel?”
“Possibly,” Thomas said. “But she had limited access to this hallway. Someone let her in. Or someone planted it for her.”
“Our spy,” I said. “The one who sent the text messages while we were still in this room.”
I picked up the transmitter. Small. Black. Ordinary-looking.
“Leave it where it was,” I said. “Reattach it exactly as you found it.”
David stared. “Why? If they’re listening—”
“Let them listen,” I said. “From now on, we feed them lies. We tell them whatever we want Julian to hear. And we speak the truth only when we are certain no one can overhear.”
Thomas nodded. “Understood.”
“Also,” I said, “I want you to invite Julian Voss to dinner tonight. Here at the house. Privately.”
David’s jaw dropped. “You want him in this house? After everything?”
“I want him where I can see him,” I said. “Where I can watch his face. Where I can ask him questions and watch him lie.”
“He could be dangerous,” Thomas said.
“Precisely,” I said. “Dangerous men reveal themselves when they believe they are among equals.”
Thomas hesitated. “I’ll arrange it.”
“And Thomas,” I said. “Have the prosecutor listening in. From a secure location. Feed her the audio through a separate, encrypted line. One our spy cannot intercept.”
He nodded. “Consider it done.”
That afternoon, I attended the board meeting. The atmosphere was heavy. Whispers. Side glances. Eyes shifting toward me, then away. Julian sat at the far end of the table, his expression grave. He said nothing as I walked in.
I laid copies of Rachel’s envelopes and notebook pages before each member.
“This is what we found,” I said. “Correspondence between Rachel and an unknown partner. Notes detailing surveillance of my activities. And a note describing a plan to incapacitate me.”
Murmurs rippled around the table. Shock. Horror. Disbelief.
Julian read the papers slowly. Then he looked up.
“Disturbing,” he said. “Deeply disturbing. But Margaret… this is all in Rachel’s hand. There is no proof of a second party.”
“The tone suggests someone else is involved,” I said. “Someone she answers to.”
“Suggests,” Julian said smoothly. “But does not prove. Rachel was clearly unstable. She may have been writing to herself. Creating fantasies. We must be careful before we accuse an innocent person.”
“Convenient perspective,” I said.
“Realistic perspective,” he replied. “Rachel is in custody. She can be questioned. Until we have proof beyond her writings, we must assume she acted alone.”
“And the fire?” I asked. “The destruction of the vault?”
“Tragic,” Julian said. “And very convenient for Rachel’s case. But again… no proof.”
He stood up. “I move to adjourn this meeting until we have clearer facts. We cannot run this company on suspicions and letters.”
Several members nodded. Others looked uncertain.
“I agree to adjourn,” I said. “But let me remind everyone… Rachel wrote that she would divide everything equally with her partner. Half for her. Half for him. Whoever he is, he stands to become very wealthy. And he has already shown he is willing to destroy property, endanger lives, and arrange accidents to get what he wants.”
I looked directly at Julian.
“I intend to find him,” I said. “And I intend to bring him to justice.”
Julian met my gaze without flinching. “Then I wish you luck, Margaret. But be careful you do not destroy the company while hunting for ghosts.”
He left the room. The others followed slowly, murmuring condolences and excuses. Only one stayed behind—an older woman named Elena, quiet, sharp, one of the few I had known since before the company grew.
She leaned close as she passed me.
“Watch your back, Margaret,” she whispered. “And watch Julian’s associates. I saw him meeting with Mr. Ellison’s assistant… yesterday. Before the fire.”
My heart skipped. “Ellison’s assistant?”
“At a café downtown,” she said. “Passing something under the table. Money, perhaps. Be careful.”
She walked away before I could ask more.
So it went deeper. Julian had reached into my own legal team. Ellison’s assistant. Which meant he could have altered documents, forged signatures, known exactly what I was planning.
That evening, Julian arrived for dinner precisely at seven. He wore a tailored suit, carried a bottle of wine, and smiled as if nothing had happened.
“Margaret,” he said, stepping into the hallway. “You look wonderful. Remarkable resilience.”
“Thank you, Julian,” I said. “Come in.”
He entered. His eyes scanned the room. Slow. Deliberate. Searching for something. Or someone.
“David not joining us?” he asked.
“He will be down shortly,” I said. “Shall we sit in the study?”
“Delightful.”
I led him into the study. He sat in the chair closest to the window. I sat opposite him. The transmitter Thomas had found was back in its place, transmitting every word we spoke.
Julian poured wine. “To your health, Margaret. And to the safety of us all.”
“To the truth,” I said.
He paused, then sipped. “Always the truth with you.”
“Especially now,” I said. “Tell me, Julian… how did you know Rachel?”
He set his glass down carefully. “Rachel? Through David, of course. Family gatherings. Company events.”
“Only through David?”
“Of course. Why do you ask?”
“I was told you dined with her recently,” I said. “Alone.”
Julian did not flinch. He smiled gently. “She came to me for advice. She was worried about you. Said you were making decisions while unwell. I told her to be patient. That you knew what you were doing.”
“Convenient story,” I said.
“True story,” he said. “Rachel was frightened, Margaret. She saw an opportunity and she took it. But she had no help. She was greedy and foolish. That is all.”
“And the fire?” I asked. “Who helped her arrange that?”
Julian leaned forward slightly. “Perhaps she set it herself. Destroying evidence before she was caught. It happens.”
“She was already in custody when the fire began,” I said.
“Then an accomplice,” he said smoothly. “A stranger. A professional. There are such people.”
“And you have no idea who?”
“None,” he said. “I am as eager as you to find out.”
He stood up and walked to the bookshelf. He ran a finger along the spines. Too casually.
“Your home is lovely, Margaret. So many secrets tucked away. Like the ones Rachel found.”
“Rachel found nothing,” I said. “She only thought she did.”
Julian turned his head. “Did she? Then why is she in jail and your vault burned?”
The words hung in the air. Not a question. A statement.
He turned back to me. “I apologize. That was unkind. But you must see… you are fighting shadows, Margaret. Rachel is gone. The vault is gone. Perhaps it is time to rest. Let someone else carry the burden.”
“Someone like you?” I asked.
Julian smiled. “I would be honored to serve. But only if you ask me.”
He took a step toward me. Close enough that I could smell his cologne. Expensive. Sharp. Familiar.
“Think about it, Margaret. You have suffered greatly. Accidents. Fire. Betrayal. Why continue the struggle? Step down. Name me your successor. And I will ensure you are safe. Protected. Comforted for the rest of your days.”
It was almost a threat. Step aside… or suffer more accidents.
“And if I refuse?” I said.
Julian’s smile did not reach his eyes. “Then I fear for your safety. There are forces at work you do not fully understand. Dangerous forces. And they do not care who gets hurt.”
“Are you threatening me, Julian?”
“I am warning you,” he said softly. “Some things cannot be stopped. Once set in motion… they run to their conclusion.”
The door opened. David walked in. Julian stepped back instantly, smiling as if nothing had been said.
“David! There you are. I was just telling your mother how concerned we all are for her well-being.”
David looked between us. He sensed the tension. “Thank you for coming, Julian.”
“Of course. Family is everything.” Julian picked up his glass. “Well… I should be going. Early morning. Board business.”
He walked to the door. Then he paused and turned back to me.
“One more thing, Margaret. If you do decide to step down… I would make it worth your while. Very generous terms. For you. For David. A comfortable life. No more worries.”
“I will give your offer all the consideration it deserves,” I said.
Julian bowed his head slightly. “I look forward to your answer. But do not take too long. Some decisions… have deadlines.”
He left.
When the door clicked shut, David exhaled sharply.
“He threatened you,” David said. “Plainly.”
“Yes,” I said. “And he is certain I have no proof. Which means he intends to force my hand. Soon.”
Thomas entered from the adjoining room. He held a tablet.
“Prosecutor listened to everything,” Thomas said. “She says his words are suggestive but not proof. She cannot arrest him yet.”
“Did she pick up anything else?”
“She says Julian slipped once,” Thomas said. “When he said ‘some things cannot be stopped.’ He spoke as if he knows exactly what is coming. As if he gave the order himself.”
“Which means he is planning something,” I said. “And soon.”
I looked at the empty doorway where Julian had stood.
“Thomas,” I said. “Find out where Ellison’s assistant is tonight. Elena said Julian met with him. If we can find that assistant… we might find the link between Julian and Rachel. And then we will have proof.”
“Already tracing his phone,” Thomas said. “He left the city two hours ago. Flight to a cabin in the mountains. Property listed under a shell company.”
“Whose shell company?” I asked.
Thomas looked up. “Yours, Mrs. Holloway. Registered to the Holloway family trust.”
May you like
My breath caught.
“Which means,” Thomas said quietly, “that someone has been using your own money to hide the people who work against you.”
