Chapter 15 - The Man Who Came Back from the Dead|
The passenger's face was partially visible in the enhanced footage.
Declan recognized him immediately.
“Raymond Kessler.”
Marcus, standing beside the desk, stared at the screen.
“That can't be right. Kessler disappeared three years ago.”
“Apparently, he didn't disappear very far,” Declan said.
The police confirmed that the man in the footage was likely Kessler, though they needed more evidence to establish his identity. His old associates had reported him missing after a fire at a rural property outside the city. No body had been recovered, but the case had been treated as a probable death.
Sophia leaned forward.
“Why would he meet Victor Sloane in public if he wanted to stay hidden?”
“Because he thinks no one can prove who he is,” Declan replied.
“Or because he wants someone to know he's alive.”
The thought settled over the room.
Kessler had been the obvious suspect from the beginning. His ring had been seen at the shooting. His associates had threatened Sophia's sister. His name appeared in the old financial records.
Yet every piece of evidence seemed to lead toward someone else.
Adrian had been involved.
Victor had been connected to the accounts.
Marcus's brother had been used as a source of information.
And now Kessler had resurfaced.
Sophia looked at Declan.
“What if the point was never to hide Kessler? What if the point was to make everyone chase him while someone else took control?”
Declan stared at her.
“Adrian.”
“Perhaps. But we need proof.”
The investigation turned toward the company's leadership. The board had scheduled an emergency meeting to discuss the financial audit and the attempted attack. Adrian was expected to attend, though his lawyers had advised him not to make public statements.
Declan decided to appear.
Sophia objected to the idea of him walking into a room where several people might be working against him.
“You can't protect everyone by staying home,” he said.
“I know. But you can't prove you're brave by ignoring the risks.”
He looked at her.
“Then help me make a plan.”
They worked with the police and the company's independent counsel to ensure that the meeting would be documented and that any new evidence would be preserved. Declan would not confront Adrian privately. He would not make threats. He would answer questions about his own conduct and demand a transparent review of the records.
Sophia stayed at the estate while the meeting took place.
She had been warned not to return to her shop alone, and she was beginning to accept that recovery required patience. Her shoulder still hurt, and the physical therapist had told her that pushing too hard could cause lasting damage.
She hated waiting.
But she had learned that patience did not have to mean surrender.
At 2:15 p.m., Declan called her.
“The meeting is over.”
“Are you all right?”
“Yes.”
“Did Adrian attend?”
“He did.”
“What happened?”
“He denied everything. Then the auditors presented the transfers and the forged authorizations. He claimed someone had used his credentials.”
Sophia closed her eyes.
“Of course he did.”
“Then we showed the board the warehouse video.”
“And?”
“He left before the meeting ended.”
Sophia sat up.
“Can he just leave?”
“He can leave the meeting. He can't make the evidence disappear.”
There was a pause.
Then Declan's voice changed.
“Sophia, I need you to listen carefully.”
Her stomach tightened.
“What happened?”
“The police have found the vehicle used in the shooting. It's been sitting in a private garage for months.”
“Who owns the garage?”
“Victor Sloane.”
She felt cold.
“Then they can connect him to Kessler.”
“Possibly. But there's something else.”
“What?”
“The car was purchased through a company registered in your name.”
Sophia stared at the phone.
“That's impossible.”
“I know.”
May you like
Someone had stolen her identity to buy the vehicle used in the attack.
And the paperwork had been filed three weeks before she had ever met Declan Moretti.
