Chapter 9
Rachel had last seen the blue binders six days before Claire died.
There were three.
Claire stored them in a locked cabinet at the foundation office.
“They were her working files on Owen.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because after she died, they were gone.”
Rachel looked ashamed.
“And Bianca told me you had taken them.”
“I didn’t even know they existed.”
“I know that now.”
The contradiction changed the search.
Margaret checked archive-room access logs.
The building had used employee key cards for years.
Claire’s card entered the archive room on the Monday before her death.
Rachel’s entered Tuesday.
Bianca’s entered Wednesday night at 10:41.
Owen’s entered six minutes later.
On Thursday morning, Rachel discovered the binders missing.
Claire died Friday evening at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Vittorio sat staring at those five days.
Bianca had spent almost the entire final day at the hospital with him.
She had brought him coffee.
She had handled calls.
She had told visitors Claire was too weak to speak.
He had considered it kindness.
Margaret interrupted his thoughts.
“We have another problem.”
She had traced Northline.
The company was owned by one of Owen’s former college roommates.
That looked bad.
But Northline’s banking records showed something even more damaging to Claire.
Several disputed payments had been initiated using Claire’s foundation credentials.
Not merely signed afterward.
Her login.
Her authentication token.
Her computer.
Anthony seized on it immediately.
“This proves Claire was involved.”
Rachel shook her head.
“No.”
“It proves somebody used her credentials.”
Anthony looked at Vittorio.
“You’re trying so hard to make Bianca guilty that you’re refusing the obvious.”
Vittorio said nothing.
Because for the first time, the obvious was uncomfortable.
Claire had been sick.
She had sometimes worked from home.
She had sometimes forgotten conversations.
And the financial activity had occurred while she was alive.
Margaret closed the file.
“I need to examine Claire’s old laptop.”
Vittorio still had it.
He had never opened it after her death.
When Margaret asked for permission, his first instinct was to refuse.
Claire’s photographs.
Messages.
Medical notes.
Three years of private life.
Daniel spoke quietly.
“You can say no.”
Vittorio looked at the Northline transfers.
Then at Claire’s signature.
“Take it.”
May you like
He handed over the one thing he had kept untouched.
Whatever the laptop contained, Claire’s reputation would now rise or fall with it.
