Chapter 6 - Celeste’s suspicion
Celeste never met Seraphina romantically.
But she knew the Holts.
Her notes became relevant after the abuse investigation widened into corporate review.
Not secret notes in a magic box.
Emails.
Board memoranda.
Ordinary legal work.
Four years before Celeste died, Holt Strategic advised Rourke Holdings during a restructuring of one construction subsidiary.
Celeste wrote to me:
Graham Holt is too comfortable holding personal copies of Rourke records. Require return/destruction certifications at engagement end.
I had answered:
He has worked with Dad twenty years.
Celeste:
That is not a legal control.
I ignored the recommendation.
Mostly.
Counsel requested return.
Graham certified that firm files had been handled under policy.
Apparently his personal archive was different.
When Graham died, Seraphina inherited boxes stored in a private facility.
She told me about them only after we started dating.
I should have demanded an inventory through counsel.
Instead I said:
“Anything dangerous?”
She smiled.
“Depends who asks.”
May you like
I interpreted that as wit.
Sometimes arrogance looks attractive when directed away from you.
