Chapter 12 - The Brother
Thomas Hale arrived from California furious that police had called him.
He stopped being angry when Brooks showed him the continuity plan.
"I never agreed to this."
Rachel pointed to his initials.
Thomas looked away.
He admitted discovering Victoria's shell companies months earlier. Instead of reporting them, he used the information to force favorable board votes.
"You blackmailed her?" Marcus asked.
"I blackmailed a thief."
Elena stood near the door. "And protected her while people got hurt."
Thomas had another secret.
Years earlier, he had paid Northline to obtain confidential information from a competitor during a federal bid. Grant and Victoria learned about it and used it to control him.
"Did you know about Amelia?" Marcus asked.
Thomas's eyes filled. "No."
Brooks slid phone records across the table. Thomas had contacted Northline that morning. A company car linked to him had also been photographed outside Elena's mother's house.
Elena stood sharply.
"My mother?"
Thomas admitted sending a man to frighten her after Elena refused a five-million-dollar offer to leave Illinois.
Marcus looked at his brother with disgust.
"You threatened her family to protect a board seat?"
Thomas lowered his head.
Then he placed a brass key on the table.
"Grant kept a private storage locker downtown. I copied the key."
Brooks picked it up.
"What's inside?"
Thomas looked at Marcus.
"Everything he was too afraid to keep on a server."
May you like
He paused.
"Including what really happened to Amelia."
