Chapter 8 - The Man Beside the Throne
Dominic Vale had worked for Arthur Bellamy for twenty-three years.
He knew where Bellamy Infrastructure kept its money, its secrets, and its bodies—figuratively, Arthur always said.
Claire suddenly wondered if the joke had ever been funny.
"Dominic knows the trust," Claire said.
Arthur nodded slowly. "He helped restructure it after your mother died."
"So Julian didn't figure this out alone."
Arthur looked sick.
Mara's team traced a series of consulting payments from a Bellamy subsidiary to a shell company called Crescent Harbor Advisory.
Crescent Harbor had paid Dr. Halpern.
It had also paid Vivienne's interior design firm nearly four million dollars over eighteen months.
"For what?" Claire asked.
Mara slid over the invoices.
"Corporate hospitality design. None of the listed projects exist."
Arthur stood up.
"Dominic stole from my company."
Claire looked at him. "You're still thinking about your company."
He stopped.
"My daughter was drugged. My daughter was hit. I was drugged. And your first sentence is about the company."
Arthur flinched.
"You're right."
"No. I'm late. That's different."
Claire turned back to the documents.
The shell company had purchased a life insurance policy on Claire through an executive-benefit vehicle. Twenty-five million dollars.
Julian was listed as a contingent beneficiary through a family partnership.
Claire's mouth went dry.
"They weren't only trying to have me declared incompetent."
Mara said nothing.
She didn't need to.
Claire remembered the dizziness. The stairs. The night she woke beside the swimming pool with no memory of walking outside.
Maybe incompetence was Plan A.
Maybe an accident was Plan B.
A police team went to Dominic's house.
He was gone.
His passport was missing.
His wife said he had left before dawn, claiming Arthur had sent him to Singapore.
Then Arthur's phone rang.
Dominic.
Arthur put it on speaker.
"You disappoint me," Arthur said.
Dominic laughed softly. "You trained me."
"Where is Julian?"
"Ask your daughter. She married him."
Claire leaned toward the phone. "Where is he?"
There was a pause.
"Claire," Dominic said, almost kindly, "your father has not told you the most important part."
Arthur went rigid.
"Hang up," he said.
Claire stared at him.
Dominic continued.
"Ask Arthur when he first learned Julian was stealing from you."
The call ended.
Claire turned to her father.
Arthur could not meet her eyes.
"When?" she asked.
His silence lasted three seconds too long.
May you like
"Dad. When did you know?"
Arthur finally whispered, "Eleven months ago."
