Chapter 11 - Kendra’s Price
Kendra requested another meeting.
This time, she came without sunglasses.
She looked different.
Less polished.
More human.
“I need protection.”
Russell folded his hands.
“From whom?”
“Victor.”
I studied her.
“Has he threatened you?”
“Not directly.”
She placed her phone on the table.
“He keeps sending people.”
“What people?”
“Friends.”
Former colleagues.
A private investigator.
Even Eleanor’s driver.
They all carried the same message.
Remember who paid for your life.
Kendra looked at me.
“I think he wants me to change my statement.”
“Will you?”
“No.”
Her answer came quickly.
Too quickly.
Russell noticed.
“What do you want?”
“Legal expenses.”
My father almost laughed.
“You participated in fraud and now you want the victim’s family to pay your lawyer?”
Kendra flinched.
“I can give you Dennis Cole.”
The room changed.
Russell leaned forward.
“How?”
“I met him twice.”
“When?”
“Once at Eleanor’s house.”
She swallowed.
“Once at a hotel near O’Hare.”
“Why?”
“Victor wanted to move more money.”
Russell’s expression hardened.
“How much?”
“Four million.”
I stared at her.
The file we had contained irregularities totaling a little over one million.
Four million changed the scale entirely.
“Did the transfer happen?”
“Not yet.”
“Then why does it matter?”
Kendra unlocked her phone.
“Because Dennis told Victor where the money was supposed to come from.”
She opened an audio file.
Victor’s voice filled the room.
“We move it before the audit and replace it after closing.”
Dennis answered.
“What if Hartwell notices?”
Victor laughed.
“Hartwell doesn’t notice Meridian unless the numbers are bad.”
I looked at my father.
His face became unreadable.
The recording continued.
Dennis asked where the money would go.
Victor answered.
“A holding company in Nevada.”
Then another sentence.
“After that, nobody can connect it to us.”
The audio ended.
Russell stared at Kendra.
“Why did you record this?”
She hesitated.
“Insurance.”
Of course.
Everyone around Victor kept insurance.
Victor kept secrets against Eleanor.
Eleanor kept documents against Victor.
Kendra recorded both.
None of them trusted one another.
They simply shared greed.
My father stood.
“We’ll cover reasonable independent counsel while she cooperates.”
Kendra exhaled.
I watched her.
“You understand something.”
She looked at me.
“This does not make you innocent.”
Her eyes lowered.
“I know.”
“Good.”
I leaned back.
“Because Victor’s biggest mistake was believing consequences only belonged to people without power.”
May you like
I paused.
“You believed that too.”
