Chapter 16 - The Man Who Was Supposed to Be Dead|
Adrian did not speak for several seconds after saying his uncle's name.
I had heard stories about Richard Cole. In newspaper articles, he was described as a ruthless businessman who helped build the family's shipping empire before retiring to Europe. He had died in a private clinic eight years earlier, according to the obituary that appeared in several local papers.
“Richard is dead,” I said.
“That's what the records say.”
“You think Victor is lying?”
“I think Victor is trying to bargain. But he wouldn't invent a name that could be disproved in five minutes.”
Evelyn opened her laptop.
“I'll verify the death certificate, medical records, and estate filings. If there are inconsistencies, we'll find them.”
Chelsea sat silently beside the wall.
I looked at her.
“You've been quiet.”
She raised her eyes.
“I don't know what to say.”
“Try the truth.”
She swallowed.
“Mother once received a phone call from a man she called Mr. Cole. She seemed terrified. Afterward, she told me never to mention the conversation.”
“Was it Adrian's father?”
“I don't know. She wouldn't say.”
Adrian's expression tightened.
“My father had been dead for three years by then.”
“Then who was it?” I asked.
He didn't answer.
Evelyn returned with the first set of records.
“The death certificate is genuine. Richard Cole was declared dead in Switzerland. The medical report lists a cardiac event, and the estate was settled through a private trust.”
“Could someone have faked it?” I asked.
“It's possible, but the paperwork alone doesn't prove that.”
Adrian stared at the documents.
“Richard had a son.”
I looked at him.
“You never mentioned that.”
“He was raised away from the family. My uncle wanted him to have a normal life.”
“What was his name?”
“Julian.”
Evelyn searched the records.
“Julian Cole appears in several old company documents. He was listed as a beneficiary of the trust, but there is no current address.”
Adrian stood.
“Victor may know where he is.”
“Then ask him,” I said.
“He's being interviewed by the police. We can't control what he chooses to reveal.”
For the next several hours, we waited while investigators examined the financial trail. The records showed that money had been diverted through Larkspur Holdings, then transferred to accounts associated with companies registered overseas.
The transfers had started shortly after Adrian's father died.
But one transaction stood out.
A payment of two hundred thousand dollars had been made to a private medical facility in Switzerland, three months before Richard Cole's supposed death.
Evelyn enlarged the document.
“The account was funded by Northbridge Consulting.”
Adrian stared at the screen.
“Victor.”
“Possibly,” Evelyn said. “But the authorization bears another signature.”
She turned the laptop toward us.
The signature was mine.
For a moment, I couldn't understand what I was seeing.
Then I realized it was my father's signature, copied so poorly that the first letter looked like an N.
“That isn't my father's signature,” I said.
“No,” Evelyn replied. “It's a forgery.”
“Why would someone use his name to pay for a medical facility?”
Adrian looked toward the window.
“Because someone wanted to create a connection between Quinn and Richard's disappearance.”
My stomach tightened.
“Someone wanted Dad to take the blame.”
“Yes.”
“And Maureen helped them.”
“She helped with the property transfers. We still need to establish how much she knew about the larger operation.”
The detective entered the room carrying a printed photograph.
“We found a current image that may be relevant.”
He placed it on the table.
The photograph showed a man leaving a private clinic in Geneva. His hair was silver, his posture slightly stooped, but the shape of his face was unmistakable.
Adrian's uncle.
Richard Cole was alive.
The detective pointed to the date.
“The image was taken three months ago.”
Adrian's face had gone completely still.
Then he looked at me.
“Now we know why Victor wanted the original recording.”
“Because it identifies Richard?”
“Because it proves Richard was involved.”
The detective turned the photograph over.
May you like
On the back was a handwritten message recovered from Victor's phone.
Tell Julian his father is ready to come home.
