Chapter 7: The Man Behind the Missing Footage
Theron arrived home twenty minutes later.
Hannah was waiting beside the staircase with a sheet of paper held carefully between both hands. She looked as though she had spent the entire drive home arguing with herself about whether to make the call.
Theron took the drawing.
Three figures stood beneath a crude blue rectangle that might have been a window. One figure had yellow hair. Another was tall, with black lines extending from his shoulders to his shoes. The smallest figure stood between them.
Above the tall man's head, Eirlys had drawn a red circle.
"Where is she?"" Theron asked.
"In the playroom.""
"Did you ask her about the drawing?""
"Only who the people were. I didn't ask her to explain anything else.""
"Good.""
Hannah's eyes filled.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Viremont. I should have told you more about what was happening.""
Theron looked at her.
"What do you mean?""
Hannah rubbed her palms together.
"There were calls. Private calls. Mrs.
Viremont would sometimes take them near the service corridor because the signal was better. I didn't think it was my business.""
"Who was she calling?""
"I don't know. But twice, I heard her say that everything needed to happen before the end of the month.""
Theron glanced at the drawing again.
"Did you see this man?""
"Once. Several weeks ago. He came through the service entrance when Mrs.
Viremont was alone. He wasn't a contractor. He wasn't one of your security staff.""
"Why didn't anyone report him?""
"Mrs. Viremont told Malcolm that he was a consultant working on the estate's security system.""
Theron felt the familiar pressure building behind his ribs.
"Can you describe him?""
"Dark hair. Maybe in his forties. A small scar near his left ear. He carried a black equipment case.""
Theron immediately called Daniel Price.
When he described the man, Daniel went silent.
"Sir," the technician finally said, "I think I know who you're describing.""
"Who?""
"Adrian Mercer. He used to work for the company that installed your original security network.""
"Used to?""
"He left two years ago. I heard he was dismissed after an internal investigation involving unauthorized access to client systems.""
Theron gripped the phone.
"Why would my wife hire a man like that?""
"I don't know, sir. But if Mercer was on the property, he would have known the old system well enough to disable it without triggering the usual alerts.""
"Find him.""
"I can give you his last known business address, but I'd recommend that you share this with the investigators rather than approach him yourself.""
Theron looked at the staircase.
"Do that. And contact Julian.""
He ended the call.
Hannah waited until he lowered the phone.
"There's something else.""
He turned.
"Go on.""
"On the afternoon this happened, Mrs. Viremont asked me to take Eirlys upstairs. I was preparing her bath when I heard her tell someone on the phone that the red button had been tested.""
Theron felt cold.
"The red button?""
"Those were her words. I thought she meant a recording button, but I didn't ask.""
The red button.
The missing footage.
The man who had told Mommy to make Daddy go away.
The pieces were beginning to form a picture, and Theron hated what he could see.
At Julian's office, the original trust file arrived in a sealed envelope just after four.
The institution administering Eirlys's inheritance had maintained a paper archive alongside its electronic records. Julian had requested the complete history of the account, including every attempted amendment.
He spread the documents across the conference table.
Theron leaned over them.
"There," Julian said.
He pointed to the original beneficiary clause.
"Eirlys is the sole beneficiary. Neither parent can withdraw money for personal use. If you become unable to perform the limited administrative duties assigned to you, an independent fiduciary takes over.""
"And Corisande?""
"She was never designated as a successor trustee.""
Theron examined the pages.
"What about the document I received?""
Julian placed a copy beside the original.
"The wording is almost identical. But this version contains an additional paragraph granting Corisande the right to petition for early distributions if you are removed as guardian or deemed legally incapable of managing Eirlys's affairs.""
"Who prepared it?""
"The file number is fabricated. The law firm's document template is genuine, but the footer was altered.""
Theron stared at the signature.
"Could someone have copied mine?""
"Certainly.""
"And the handwritten note?""
Julian studied it.
"I don't recognize the handwriting. We have asked a document examiner to assess it.""
Theron paced to the window.
"How much money is in the trust now?""
"Approximately twenty-eight million dollars, including investments and the property your sister transferred into it.""
His late sister, Liora, had created the trust before she died. She had been an unusually private woman who trusted very few people with her money. She had also adored Eirlys, even though her niece had been born only six months before Liora's sudden illness.
Theron remembered the hospital room, the pale blanket, and Liora's hand resting over his.
Don't let the money become more important than the child, she had whispered.
He had promised her.
Now someone appeared to be using that money as the center of a plan that had put his daughter in danger.
"Can Corisande access it through the false amendment?"" he asked.
"Not legitimately. But if she obtains a court order removing you from your administrative role, she could present the altered document to an institution unfamiliar with the full file. Someone would still have to verify it, but fraud often depends on getting a false document far enough into a process before anyone questions it.""
Theron looked at the copy again.
"Could she have made it herself?""
"Possibly. But we need evidence.""
Julian received a notification and opened an email.
His expression changed.
"What is it?"" Theron asked.
"The trust administrator flagged an attempted inquiry last week. Someone claiming to represent Corisande asked whether an emergency custody order would be sufficient to activate the alternate-beneficiary clause.""
"Who was it?""
Julian read the name.
"Adrian Mercer.""
Theron felt his stomach drop.
The man Hannah had described had not merely been involved with the security system.
He had been asking questions about the trust.
"Can we prove Corisande was working with him?""
"Not yet.""
Julian picked up his phone.
"I'll send the inquiry to the investigator. We should also ask the trust administrator to freeze all changes pending verification.""
Theron nodded.
"Do it.""
Julian began typing.
Then he stopped.
"There's something else. The administrator reviewed the account history and found that the false amendment was not the only unusual activity.""
"What else?""
"Someone attempted to transfer four hundred and eighty thousand dollars from a related investment account to a company registered in Delaware.""
"Whose company?""
Julian turned the laptop around.
The company was called Vesper Advisory Group.
Theron had never heard of it.
Its registered agent, however, was Adrian Mercer.
And the listed business address belonged to a building Theron recognized.
It was the office complex where Corisande's brother had once operated his failed investment firm.
That evening, Theron stood outside Eirlys's playroom.
He could hear Hannah reading a book about a bear who was afraid of thunder. Eirlys interrupted every few pages with questions, as children did when their minds wandered from the story to the world around them.
Theron waited until Hannah stepped into the hallway.
"How is she?""
"Tired. She asked whether the judge was going to take her toys away.""
He swallowed.
"What did you tell her?""
"I said the judge's job was to help grown-ups make safe decisions.""
"Thank you.""
Hannah hesitated.
"Mr. Viremont, I need you to understand something. Eirlys is frightened when people raise their voices. Even when you speak firmly to a member of staff, she watches you.""
Theron looked through the open door.
His daughter was lining up small wooden animals.
"I know.""
"She loves you. But she needs to know that love doesn't mean she has to manage your feelings.""
The words stung because they were true.
Theron had spent three years believing that his willingness to provide everything made him a good father.
He was beginning to understand that being present meant more than paying for a beautiful life.
"I'll remember that.""
Hannah touched his arm.
"She's ready for you.""
Theron entered.
Eirlys looked up from her animals.
"Daddy!""
She climbed down from her chair and ran to him. He knelt so she could wrap her arms around his neck.
"Hi, little star.""
She held him for several seconds, then pulled back.
"Are you angry at Mommy?""
Theron took his time answering.
"I'm upset about what happened. But you don't have to fix it.""
"Can you make her be nice?""
His heart twisted.
"I can't make another person behave a certain way. But I can help keep you safe.""
She considered that.
"Even when she's sad?""
"Even then.""
Eirlys leaned against him.
Then she whispered, "The man said Mommy had to press the red button before you came home.""
Theron's entire body went still.
He remembered Hannah's words about the recording button.
"What man, sweetheart?""
"The man in the garden.""
"Did he say anything else?""
Eirlys looked down at her wooden animals.
"He said Daddy would be gone, and then Mommy could have the money.""
Theron could barely breathe.
"Did Mommy answer him?""
Eirlys nodded.
"She said she didn't want me to be scared.""
The little girl looked up.
"Why did she make me scared, Daddy?""
Theron closed his eyes and gathered her gently into his arms.
He had no answer that a three-year-old should ever have needed to hear.
But he knew one thing.
Whatever had happened at the pool was no longer simply a fight between husband and wife.
Someone had planned for Theron to look dangerous.
Someone had tried to erase the evidence.
And someone believed a little girl could be used to unlock a fortune.
At 9:17 p.m., Julian called again.
"We have a lead on Mercer," he said.
"His car was recorded entering the estate through the service gate three times in the past month.""
"Can you get the dates?""
"Already requested. One of them was the night before the pool incident.""
Theron looked toward the dark windows.
"What happened that night?""
"We don't know yet. But the gate log shows that his vehicle left at 11:43 p.m. The estate system then registered an administrator login at 11:51.""
Theron gripped the phone.
"Who logged in?""
May you like
Julian paused.
"Someone using your personal credentials.""
