Chapter 6
Four hours later, Everett arrived in Maine. The house was surrounded by police cruisers. He ran inside and found Maren and Bennett. The reunion was silent, a desperate cling of three people who had survived a storm.
Sloane Avery arrived shortly after, looking grimmer than usual.
"Everett," she said, looking at the hard drive on the table. "You realize what this is. This isn't just a trust dispute anymore."
"I know," Everett said. "It's a murder investigation."
"It's more than that," Sloane said, opening her laptop. "I’ve been looking into the 'investors' your grandfather mentioned. The ones Celeste was funding."
She turned the screen toward him.
"Everett, look at the lead partner of the shell company."
Everett leaned in. His eyes widened.
The name on the document wasn't a stranger. It was someone he had trusted for years. Someone who was currently standing in his own living room.
Everett looked up slowly.
Across the room, the "family friend" who had helped them find the Maine house—the man who had been their primary contact for security and local police liaison—was standing by the window.
He wasn't looking at the police outside. He was looking at Everett. And he was holding a small, black remote.
"I told her you were too smart for your own good, Everett," the man said softly.
Everett stood up, shielding Maren. "You?"
"The Langford money belongs to the people who know how to use it," the man said. He pressed a button on the remote.
A low, muffled explosion rocked the foundation of the house. The lights went out.
May you like
In the sudden darkness, the only sound was the clicking of a gun being cocked.
"Now," the voice said in the dark. "Let's talk about that hard drive."
