Chapter 7 - Michael Was Supposed To Follow
Victor’s plan became clearer.
Helen was supposed to remove the children.
Michael would discover they were gone.
Then Victor would contact him.
The children were leverage.
The basement was intended for Michael.
Detective Collins believed Victor planned to force Michael to authorize
a transfer of company assets or security credentials.
Michael felt sick.
The children had not been the final target.
They were the bait.
But one question remained.
Why involve Helen instead of simply abducting them?
Because Victor wanted the disappearance to look like a family dispute.
Security footage would show their grandmother leaving with them
voluntarily.
If Michael called police, Victor could create confusion.
A custody misunderstanding.
A concerned grandmother.
A grieving widower under stress.
Delay was useful.
Helen’s outburst had nearly helped him.
But Victor made one mistake.
He underestimated the cameras.
And Noah.
Noah had opened the door.
Noah had seen the photographs.
Noah had seen Helen hide the phone.
A seven-year-old had noticed the pieces adults assumed he would ignore.
Michael arranged for a child specialist to speak with him.
Noah remembered something else.
The man at the door had said:
“Your daddy should’ve taken the offer.”
That directly connected Victor’s visit to the attempted company
acquisition.
Police obtained warrants.
Financial investigators traced payments from the acquisition group to
consulting firms connected to Victor.
The case strengthened.
Then Victor disappeared.
His car was found near Reagan National Airport.
No flight record showed him leaving.
Police believed he was still in the region.
Michael temporarily moved Noah and Lily to a secure location with police
guidance.
Helen was not told where.
Not because Michael believed she would betray them.
Because fewer people knowing was safer.
She accepted it.
Then David received a message.
One sentence.
May you like
YOUR BROTHER STILL DOESN’T KNOW WHAT EMILY STOLE.
Attached was a photograph of Emily standing beside a storage unit.
