Chapter 7 - THE BETRAYAL INSIDE THE BANK
Laura could not believe it.
“Frank?”
Frank Mallory had been the president of Ridge Community Bank for twelve years.
He had hired Laura.
Mentored her.
Attended her wedding.
He had been the man she trusted most professionally.
Now his name appeared beside millions of dollars in secret transfers.
Mike studied the documents.
“Could be forged.”
Laura shook her head.
“No.”
She pointed to the transaction codes.
“These are internal bank codes. Only someone with executive access could create them.”
Rebecca sat in the back of the police vehicle.
“What did he do?”
Laura answered quietly.
“He helped Richard move money through the bank.”
Mike looked at the archive.
“How much?”
Laura calculated the transfers.
Then stopped.
“Almost seventy million dollars.”
The amount was so large that no one spoke for several seconds.
Then Laura remembered something.
The bank president had been the one who revoked her access.
He had been the one who knew exactly where the Project Harbor files were.
He had been the one who could disable the security cameras.
He had been the one who knew Caleb had entered the bank.
Laura immediately called the bank.
Frank answered.
“Laura?”
His voice sounded calm.
Too calm.
“Where are you?”
“At home.”
“No, you’re not.”
Silence.
Laura looked at Mike.
Then activated the recording.
“Frank, I know about the accounts.”
Another silence.
Then he sighed.
“You should have stayed out of this.”
Laura felt something break inside her.
“Did you know Richard was trying to hurt Caleb?”
“I knew he wanted the trust.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Frank’s voice hardened.
“You have no idea how powerful Richard is.”
“I know enough.”
“No, you don’t. People have tried to stop him before.”
“What happened to them?”
Frank said nothing.
Laura felt sick.
“Did you help kill Samuel Bennett?”
The line went silent.
Then Frank whispered:
“Your grandfather was going to destroy everything.”
Laura froze.
“You knew Samuel?”
“I knew exactly what he was doing.”
“Then why did you help Richard?”
Frank laughed bitterly.
“Because Richard offered me a future.”
“You sold your soul.”
“No,” he replied.
“I sold my fear.”
The call ended.
Mike immediately tracked the phone.
Frank was not at home.
He was at the bank.
Laura looked at the building across the street.
“He’s going for the remaining evidence.”
They rushed there.
The bank was nearly empty.
Frank stood in the executive office.
A suitcase sat beside him.
The original archive was open on the desk.
He had found the files.
Laura entered.
Frank looked at her.
“You were always too intelligent for this town.”
“You should have trusted me.”
“I trusted myself.”
Mike raised his weapon.
“Step away from the desk.”
Frank smiled.
Then the lights went out.
A gunshot echoed.
Laura ducked.
When the emergency lights came on, Frank was gone.
The suitcase was gone.
But one thing remained on the desk.
A photograph.
It showed Richard Vincent standing beside a much younger Frank.
And between them stood Samuel Bennett.
Alive.
The date on the photograph was three months after Samuel’s supposed death.
Laura stared.
Rebecca covered her mouth.
Mike whispered:
“Samuel may still be alive.”
Then Laura noticed the back of the photograph.
A handwritten message appeared.
If they believe I am dead, I can finally find the person who betrayed me.
Laura’s heart began pounding.
The entire story they knew might be a lie.
Samuel Bennett might not have died.
May you like
He might have disappeared.
And if he was alive, he had been watching the entire time.
