Chapter 7 - Rose Bennett's SecretRose Bennett arrived at my house at eight thirteen the next morning carrying a pie.
My guards looked more frightened by her than by most armed men.
I came downstairs and found her in the kitchen arguing with Daniel.
“I am seventy-five years old,” she said. “If Mr. Cole wants to imprison me, he can explain it himself.”
Daniel noticed me.
“Boss.”
Rose turned.
“You.”
“Mrs. Bennett.”
“Rose.”
She pushed the pie toward me.
“Pecan.”
“Thank you.”
“Nora said you protected her yesterday.”
“She exaggerated.”
“No, she didn't.”
Rose removed her coat.
“Where is my granddaughter?”
“Asleep.”
“Good.”
She sat.
“I need to tell you something about Miles.”
Every trace of amusement disappeared.
“What?”
Rose looked toward Daniel.
“He stays.”
“He looks like someone who doesn't gossip.”
Daniel almost smiled.
Rose folded her hands.
“Three months ago, Miles asked me to sell him my shares in Bennett Events.”
I sat opposite her.
“How many?”
“Twenty-two percent.”
Significant.
“Your daughter?”
“Diane owns forty-one. Richard has twelve. Nora and Catherine each have twelve and a half.”
If Miles married Nora and acquired Rose's shares, he would control thirty-four and a half percent directly or indirectly.
Enough to create chaos.
“Why did he want yours?”
“He said he wanted to invest.”
“Did you believe him?”
Rose smiled.
“I'm old, Mr. Cole. Not stupid.”
“I never suggested otherwise.”
“I told him no.”
“What happened?”
“He became interested in Nora almost immediately.”
My jaw tightened.
Rose noticed.
“Oh.”
“What?”
“You care.”
“This isn't about that.”
“Of course.”
I disliked her slightly less when she wasn't reading me accurately.
She continued.
“I knew Miles had always liked Nora, but suddenly he was everywhere. Flowers. Dinners. Helping Diane. Making himself indispensable.”
“Did you tell Nora?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I thought it was family nonsense.”
Her eyes hardened.
“Yesterday Nora called me frightened.”
She pushed a small flash drive across the table.
“This is why I came.”
“What is it?”
“Copies of financial records.”
“You had them?”
“I started checking accounts after Miles asked for my shares.”
I plugged it into Daniel's secured laptop.
Invoices appeared.
Most matched what we had already found.
Then one file caught my attention.
A contract.
Harbor Light Consulting.
Signed by Diane Bennett.
Except Rose pointed toward the signature.
“My daughter doesn't sign her middle initial like that.”
Forgery.
Daniel looked at me.
“Enough for law enforcement.”
“Eventually.”
Rose leaned closer.
“There's something else.”
Of course there was.
“Miles's father.”
“Jonathan Harper?”
“You know him?”
“By reputation.”
He had been a Charleston attorney before retiring early.
Rose's expression became grim.
“Jonathan worked for your father.”
Everything inside me stopped.
“What?”
“Not officially.”
I stared at her.
Rose continued carefully.
“Twenty-five years ago, your father attended several Bennett Events charity dinners. Jonathan arranged meetings for him afterward.”
“With whom?”
“I don't know.”
Daniel had gone completely still.
Rose looked directly at me.
“But when your father died, Jonathan suddenly had enough money to open his own investment company.”
Cold spread through my chest.
“Why didn't you tell anyone?”
“Because I didn't know it mattered.”
She looked ashamed.
“I only remembered when Nora said your name.”
My father.
Miles's father.
Port Meridian.
Suddenly coincidence became impossible.
Nora entered the kitchen.
Her hair was messy.
She wore one of Elena's oversized sweaters.
She stopped when she saw Rose.
“Grandma?”
Rose stood.
Nora rushed into her arms.
For a minute they simply held each other.
Then Nora noticed the laptop.
“What is that?”
I explained.
By the end, she was pale.
“So Miles's father knew your father.”
“Yes.”
“And possibly the people who killed him.”
“Possibly.”
Nora sat.
“This started before me.”
“Long before.”
Rose took her hand.
“Honey, I'm sorry.”
“For what?”
“I should have told you Miles approached me about the shares.”
Nora frowned.
“When?”
“Three months ago.”
The timeline landed.
Nora looked at me.
“That was when Mom started pushing him harder.”
Exactly.
Miles failed to buy Rose.
So he pursued Nora.
Nora whispered, “He never wanted me.”
There was humiliation in the sentence.
I hated it.
I crouched in front of her.
“Don't.”
“What?”
“Do not make his deception an evaluation of your worth.”
Her eyes lifted.
“He targeted you because you had something he wanted.”
“That doesn't feel better.”
“It shouldn't.”
I lowered my voice.
“But being manipulated does not mean you were foolish.”
She swallowed.
“You figured him out in one afternoon.”
“I suspect everyone.”
“That isn't healthy.”
“Probably not.”
A reluctant smile appeared.
Rose stood.
“I'm getting coffee.”
There was coffee directly beside her.
She walked out anyway.
Subtle.
I remained crouched.
Nora looked at me.
“Why does my grandmother think we're actually dating?”
“Because she enjoys chaos.”
“Probably.”
She studied me.
“Are you still afraid I'll be afraid of you?”
The question surprised me.
“Yes.”
“I am.”
I looked away.
“But not for the reason you think.”
I returned my gaze.
Nora leaned closer.
“I'm afraid I'm starting to trust you.”
That was far more dangerous.
“Nora.”
“I know.”
“No, you don't.”
“I know what you are.”
“No.”
My voice hardened.
“You know what I've told you.”
She didn't retreat.
“Then tell me the rest.”
I almost did.
About Warehouse Nine.
About the years after my father died.
About how many people had disappeared because I signed their fate with a nod.
About waking some nights still expecting blood on my hands even when there wasn't any.
Instead I said, “You shouldn't trust men like me.”
Her expression softened.
“Maybe men like you shouldn't decide that for everyone else.”
Before I could answer, Daniel returned.
“Police contact is ready.”
Nora turned.
“Police?”
“Federal, actually,” I said.
Her eyes widened.
“FBI financial crimes.”
“You have FBI contacts?”
“Complicated.”
“Everything about you is complicated.”
Daniel placed a folder on the table.
“We have enough to trigger an investigation, but if Harper realizes we're moving, he'll destroy evidence.”
“So what do we do?” Nora asked.
I looked at the financial records.
Then at her.
“We let him think his plan is still working.”
She understood slowly.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Miles wants access to you.”
“Evan.”
“We give him controlled access.”
Rose returned.
“What are we doing?”
Nora pointed at me.
“He wants me to meet Miles.”
Rose considered it.
“Smart.”
“Grandma!”
“What?”
Nora stared at both of us.
“This family is insane.”
I smiled.
“We'll control the location.”
“No.”
“You won't be alone.”
“No.”
“He needs to believe you're reconsidering.”
“No.”
I leaned back.
“Do you have another idea?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
“I open my bakery and pretend all of you don't exist.”
Rose nodded thoughtfully.
“I like that one.”
I almost laughed.
Nora glared.
Then she sighed.
“What would I have to do?”
“Dinner.”
“With Miles.”
“Yes.”
“And you?”
“Nearby.”
“How nearby?”
“Very.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“You're going to sit at another table pretending not to watch us?”
“No.”
“Then where?”
I smiled.
“I own the restaurant.”
She closed her eyes.
“Of course you do.”
Dinner was scheduled for seven.
At six forty-five, Nora appeared at the top of my staircase wearing a dark green dress.
Every thought I had disappeared.
Elena came beside me.
“Oh, you're in trouble.”
I ignored her.
Nora descended.
“Is this okay?”
No.
Nothing about it was okay.
“You look fine.”
Elena slapped my shoulder.
Nora laughed.
“What?”
“Nothing,” I said.
We drove separately.
At seven six, Miles entered the private dining room where Nora waited.
Daniel and I watched through security cameras upstairs.
For twenty minutes, he performed.
Apologies.
Concern.
Manipulation.
Then Nora mentioned leaving Bennett Events.
Miles stopped smiling.
“You can't do that.”
“Why?”
“Your family needs you.”
“My mother has Catherine.”
“You don't understand.”
Nora leaned back.
“What don't I understand?”
Miles looked around.
Then lowered his voice.
“You're closer to getting everything you've ever wanted than you realize.”
“What does that mean?”
He reached for her hand.
I hated that more than was reasonable.
“When we're married—”
Nora pulled back.
“Miles.”
He tightened his jaw.
“We belong together.”
“You mean our shares belong together.”
Silence.
Upstairs, Daniel whispered, “Damn.”
Miles stared at her.
Nora had gone off script.
I should have been angry.
Instead I smiled.
Miles' expression changed.
“Who told you?”
Nora said nothing.
Then he leaned forward.
“Cole.”
Not a question.
His face became cold.
“You have no idea what you've dragged into your life.”
Nora's voice remained steady.
“I think I do.”
“No.”
Miles smiled.
“You think Evan Cole is protecting you because he's kind?”
My hand tightened.
“He doesn't protect people. He owns them.”
Nora's expression flickered.
Miles saw it.
“He'll use you until he gets what he wants.”
“What does he want?”
Miles smiled.
“Ask him why your father's company bought Warehouse Nine seventeen years ago.”
I froze.
Daniel turned toward me.
“What?”
I didn't know.
Downstairs, Nora whispered, “What warehouse?”
Miles stood.
“Ask your boyfriend.”
Then every camera went black.
Daniel cursed.
The security alarm sounded.
I was moving before anyone spoke.
By the time I reached the dining room, Miles was gone.
And Nora's chair was empty.
On the table lay her phone.
Beside it was the one hundred-dollar bill she had given me.
May you like
Someone had written three words across it in black ink.
COME GET HER.
