Chapter 9 - Stephen Cole Tries to Disappear
Stephen was arrested at an airport outside New York.
He carried cash.
A second passport.
And a laptop.
The laptop contained deleted correspondence with Rebecca.
Investigators recovered enough to reconstruct part of the scheme.
Stephen identified wealthy vulnerable patients.
Rebecca’s consulting contacts pushed fraudulent investments.
Money disappeared through shell companies.
Laura discovered it because one victim was the mother of her friend.
She began investigating quietly.
Stephen found out.
The recovered messages did not contain a direct order to kill Laura.
But they showed panic.
S: She has the lab copy.
R: Find it.
S: What if she already told Richard?
R: Then we deal with him too.
Richard read the exchange in the detective’s office.
His hands went cold.
“Deal with him.”
The detective remained careful.
“We don’t know exactly what that meant.”
Richard nodded.
He appreciated the distinction.
Facts mattered.
Laura had died because too many people had replaced facts with
convenient explanations.
Then another recovered message appeared.
Sent the morning Laura died.
R: Tonight. After Ethan sleeps.
Richard stopped breathing.
Ethan had been two.
He had been in the house.
Denise had been off that night.
Richard had been at a business dinner.
May you like
Laura had been alone.
Except perhaps she had not been.
