“I know.”
“Good.”
Taylor realized something.
He did not want Victoria protected from consequences.
But he no longer wanted to punish her himself either.
Those were different.
Dana opened a folder.
“We found Arden Risk Consulting.”
Taylor stopped breathing.
Victoria leaned forward.
“Who owns it?”
“Officially?”
“A trust.”
“Beneficial owner appears to have been Martin Pierce.”
Victoria stared.
“Gregory’s brother.”
“Yes.”
Taylor asked:
“Is Martin alive?”
“No.”
“How did he die?”
“Heart attack five years ago.”
Dana continued.
“Arden received two hundred fifty thousand dollars from Hawthorne Global the week your wife disappeared.”
Taylor’s hands tightened.
“Then what?”
“Forty thousand went to a private air charter.”
“Flight from Virginia to Montreal.”
Taylor stared.
“Megan?”
“We don’t know.”
“Passenger manifest?”
“Three initials.”
“M.H. is one.”
He could not breathe.
Dana held up one hand.
“Do not jump.”
“Could be false.”
“Could be her.”
“Could be paperwork designed to look like her.”
Taylor nodded even though his body ignored caution.
“Where did the flight go after Montreal?”
“Reykjavik.”
“Then Zurich.”
Victoria whispered:
“Money route.”
Dana looked at her.
“What?”
“Gregory used complex travel patterns for sensitive corporate payments.”
Taylor stared.
“You think they made it look like Megan fled overseas.”
“Yes.”
Dana nodded.
“That is one possibility.”
Then she placed another page down.
“But the charter returned to Virginia the next day.”
Taylor’s hope died again.
“Without M.H.?”
“No passenger initials listed.”
Silence.
Dana continued.
“We need something stronger.”
Victoria thought.
“The drive.”
“Missing.”
“My father may have copied it.”
Dana looked interested.
“Why?”
“He trusted paper more than digital records.”
Taylor almost laughed.
Old billionaires.
Victoria continued.
“He kept a private archive at Hawthorne House.”
“The family estate?”
“Yes.”
“Who controls it?”
“I do.”
“Gregory access?”
“Historically.”
Dana stood.
“Then we get a warrant before anyone visits.”
Victoria stared.
“My own house?”
“Yes.”
“It is company-related evidence.”
Victoria smiled faintly.
“Good.”
Taylor looked at her.
“What?”
“Seven years ago I would have argued.”
Dana said:
“Growth is beautiful.”
No one laughed.
The warrant search began that evening.
Hawthorne House sat on fifty acres outside Middleburg.
Stone.
Glass.
Old money trying to look modern.
Taylor had seen photographs in magazines.
Entering it with federal agents felt surreal.
Victoria walked beside him.
“This is where you grew up?”
“Unfortunately.”
Taylor looked around.
“Most people would not use unfortunately.”
“Most people didn’t know my father.”
They reached Richard Hawthorne’s private study.
Books.
Dark wood.
A portrait of Victoria’s grandfather.
Hidden safe behind a panel.
Victoria knew the combination.