na'

der Bla

ad long after the anonym

lexander was one of the people res

uggesting he had

t

ssibly gain by turning his own

the phone

e person who migh

s also the last pers

ntact information from

, my thumb hovered

press

d almost i

le

sounded

o speak w

ething

ssi

pa

e are

at the

tairs. I'l

d object, he

d at th

r Blackwood had disappea

ermined to appear

h version of him f

rived seven

arm. For the first time since our reunion, he looked le

ppened?"

rd the chair op

t d

ed an e

ounds s

t

s

ined s

ne cal

ho

He contacted me

expression

did he

te Richard's activities

er went

ton

wasn't only trying t

o e

directl

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econds, he di

eaned bac

interesting

hink it's

g you information without

't mean the

mean they're telli

hat he ha

ry to remove you fr

s expressi

hy

wer

me before

several acquisitions. I questioned the financia

happ

ported his rec

d y

he acquisition committ

se qui

unta

der he

entir

ded m

pla

d convinced the board I needed time

accepte

rieving,

swer caught

ioning his father's deat

with a sadness that see

, I saw the man I ha

red everything

ver mention my

e allegations

did he

fraudulent transactions and that your fa

u belie

er look

es

hurt more th

hy

ted hi

ents that appeared genuine.

hed bi

m, but you coul

N

er was i

you the trust

ettled be

r leaned

appened. But I can inve

vidence points

ially

ched h

wanted to

righte

phie listened carefully a

hard pushed him away from

es

u belie

part of his stor

dded thou

howing who controlled t

equeste

the anony

he numbers

igators can establish anythi

ed her n

ere's anot

he meant befo

oa

es

d the photogra

he camera, holding a to

s asking about

told him

rivate life isn

ie s

r won't wor

kno

're going to work

d my fo

h dragged into th

But you should start thinking abou

oked

I had imagined t

ons, Alexande

he accused

actually want to know his son

h wasn't the same a

afford to make

received a messa

omorrow. He wants to bring

and cal

the pr

ldren to bring pictures of

ke the one from

what I s

her he

er his daddy should

ile f

did yo

d his picture should show the pe

allo

nk y

becoming mo

now,

swer immediately. But he

ed, I remained sea

d for expensive toy

one to help hi

attend sc

e could c

would understand that fatherh

hed the th

vestigation

ved with another set

om the archived acquisit

ed the

ing un

ar to have been processed outsid

wh

n hes

rd's o

ach tig

lexande

he records independe

iated hi

ents, one particular en

days before the scandal involving

consulting firm call

criptio

informatio

row

ellmont A

leaned

ompany. It no longer op

owned

still c

ed the

enough to require

outside consultant immediately be

pression gr

y what we need

eference numbe

tion that might connect Richard's de

proof of w

s a place

ffice shortl

ork, and I was looking forward to an evening without

exander Blackwood

aiting near t

le

top

it of waiting for

nes who avo

been w

kno

d at my b

we

he inves

exa

ach tig

it can

e rather than b

ng in the empl

row

ha

ncy contact

ation sprea

continued

rgaret Hart as

e i

Noah

tbeat s

s my

ped before I c

went compl

econds, neith

quietly, "Ho

ed my b

xand

eas

o command i

uncer

oked

ou

aled s

year

es

searche

ed to ask yo

knew the

wasn't

e," I wh

ard the employees app

he no

rig

ed him t

he step

you in the middl

ator doo

red qu

closed, Alexan

etween us, I need yo

ked a

n was unusual

regretting the wa

ors sl

ide the elevator,

agined Alexander discove

approaching faster t

ing the secret was protecting my son-or protecting my