Chapter 13 - The Man Who Never Raised His Voice
Roman’s expression did not change.
That frightened Tessa more than anger would have.
“Interesting question,” Roman said.
Elias laughed softly through the phone.
“I thought so.”
“How did you know where I was?”
“I oversee Bellamy Holdings, Roman. Your security detail filed transportation expenses.”
Dante mouthed one word.
Lie.
Roman saw it.
“So you monitor my train tickets now?”
“I monitor everything that can affect the company.”
“Does that include my restaurant security cameras?”
The silence on the line lasted half a second too long.
Then Elias replied.
“I’m afraid I don’t understand.”
Roman smiled without humor.
“You usually understand everything.”
Elias changed the subject.
“There’s an emergency board meeting this afternoon. Two institutional lenders are questioning the restructuring of our port assets after the Vance investigation. We need you back in Manhattan.”
“Reschedule it.”
“I can’t.”
“You work for me, Elias.”
Another pause.
“For the moment.”
The call ended.
Tessa looked at Roman.
“Well, that wasn’t subtle.”
“No,” Roman said. “It was a warning.”
Dante removed the cassette from the player and slipped it into an evidence bag.
“We should move.”
Tessa hated leaving Boston without understanding every page in the case, but Roman agreed the originals were too important to carry openly.
Dante arranged for a bonded legal courier to deliver copies to separate attorneys in Boston and New York.
The originals went into a private bank vault.
By the time they returned to Manhattan, Bellamy Holdings’ headquarters was surrounded by reporters.
Tessa stopped inside the lobby.
Television screens showed Roman’s face beside headlines about criminal investigations, questionable port acquisitions, and secret trusts.
“This happened in three hours?”
Roman watched the coverage.
“Someone fed them a package.”
The anchor mentioned confidential banking documents.
Dante’s face darkened.
“Only six people have access to those accounts.”
Roman walked toward the elevators.
“Now we find out which five are still loyal.”
The boardroom occupied the forty-ninth floor.
When Roman entered, fourteen directors were already seated.
Elias Ward stood by the windows.
He looked exactly as Tessa remembered.
Sixty-two.
Silver hair.
Perfect navy suit.
Soft brown eyes that made him look more like a favorite professor than a man whose family name had appeared on Sean Callahan’s final recording.
“Tessa,” Elias said warmly. “What a pleasure.”
She did not offer her hand.
“Is it?”
His smile remained.
“You’ve had an extraordinary influence on Roman.”
Roman took his seat at the head of the table.
“Start the meeting.”
A director named Malcolm Price slid a folder forward.
“Three lenders have frozen Bellamy Holdings’ revolving credit facilities pending clarification of federal inquiries.”
“What inquiries?” Roman asked.
“That’s the issue.”
Malcolm looked uncomfortable.
“Someone submitted documents suggesting Greybridge Trust was used to conceal proceeds connected to Marcus Vance.”
Tessa’s stomach tightened.
Greybridge.
The trust Roman had used to absorb Vance’s surrendered assets before turning evidence over to prosecutors.
A legal bridge transaction.
Carefully documented.
Unless someone had altered the records.
Roman opened the folder.
His eyes narrowed.
“These signatures are forged.”
Elias sat down.
“Can you prove that?”
Roman looked at him.
“They’re my signatures.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
The room became very quiet.
Tessa understood what Elias was doing.
He wasn’t accusing Roman.
He was allowing everyone else to.
Malcolm cleared his throat.
“Until this is resolved, the lenders are demanding temporary independent oversight.”
“By whom?” Roman asked.
Elias folded his hands.
“The board nominated me.”
Tessa almost laughed.
Of course they had.
Roman leaned back.
“You moved quickly.”
“We’re protecting the company.”
“No,” Tessa said.
Every head turned toward her.
Elias smiled politely.
“This is an internal board matter.”
“Then why did somebody leak it to the press before the board voted?”
His smile weakened.
Tessa placed the South Station photograph on the table.
Arthur Ward.
Victor Bellamy.
Sean Callahan.
Elias looked down.
For the first time, genuine emotion flickered across his face.
Gone instantly.
But Tessa saw it.
Recognition.
Fear.
“You know that photograph,” she said.
Elias lifted his eyes.
“I know my father.”
“Do you know why he met mine?”
“I was twenty-four years old. I wasn’t managing his appointments.”
Tessa leaned closer.
“My father left a recording.”
That did it.
Elias’s fingers tightened around his pen.
Only slightly.
Roman noticed too.
“What did Sean say?” Elias asked.
Tessa smiled.
“If you don’t know, then there’s no reason to tell you.”
Elias recovered.
He turned toward the board.
“This is exactly why we need stability. Roman has allowed personal relationships to interfere with corporate governance.”
Roman slowly stood.
Every director went silent.
“You can freeze my credit lines,” he said. “You can vote for oversight. You can even leak forged paperwork to every newspaper in New York.”
His gaze settled on Elias.
“But if someone thinks attacking my company will frighten me away from the truth about our fathers, they’ve misunderstood me.”
Elias rose as well.
“Careful, Roman.”
“Is that advice?”
“It’s concern.”
Roman walked around the table.
He stopped directly in front of Elias.
“Then be concerned.”
He left.
Tessa followed.
Inside the elevator, neither spoke until the doors closed.
Then Tessa’s phone rang.
The caller was Clara.
Tessa answered instantly.
“Hey.”
No response.
“Clara?”
Breathing.
Then a frightened whisper.
“Tess, somebody was inside my apartment.”
Tessa’s blood turned cold.
“Where are you?”
“At the hospital.”
“What did they take?”
Clara swallowed audibly.
“Nothing.”
A pause.
“They left something.”
“What?”
May you like
Clara’s answer chilled Tessa to the bone.
“A broken silver wheel.”
