Katherine told the board only that she had discovered historical documents requiring review.
Adrian Cross learned three days later.
His reaction was perfect.
Concern.
Professionalism.
No panic.
“What kind of records?”
“Old supplier contracts.”
“From when?”
“My father's archive.”
Adrian's expression shifted by perhaps one millimeter.
Katherine noticed because she had spent years across negotiating tables.
“Robert kept an outside archive?”
“Apparently.”
“How unusual.”
“Was it?”
Adrian smiled.
“Your father kept copies of everything.”
That was true.
Katherine leaned back.
“The Ferrari led me to it.”
This time she saw it.
His eyes changed.
Briefly.
Then:
“The Ferrari?”
“Yes.”
“The hidden key.”
Adrian smiled again.
“That sounds exactly like Robert.”
“Does it?”
“He loved puzzles.”
No, he didn't.
Robert Vaughn hated puzzles.
He considered them inefficient.
Katherine filed the lie.
Adrian asked:
“Did you find anything concerning?”
“Not yet.”
Another lie.
Both smiled.
Meeting ended.
Katherine immediately called James.
“He knew.”
“You don't know that.”
“He lied about my father liking puzzles.”
James was silent.
Then:
“That's your evidence?”
“No.”
“My instinct.”
“Instinct starts questions.”
“Doesn't finish them.”
She smiled.
“You've been spending too much time with me.”
“Tragic.”
“Come to Atlanta tonight.”
Silence.
James coughed.
“Excuse me?”
“To look at something.”
“Clarify faster.”
Katherine laughed.
“A repair invoice.”
“Disappointing.”
“You said you liked dangerous women.”
“I said my daughter thinks you're terrifying.”
“Close enough.”
He came.
Olivia came too because the sitter canceled.
Katherine ordered dinner to her penthouse.
Olivia spent thirty minutes staring through floor-to-ceiling windows.
“You live here?”
“Yes.”
“Alone?”
“Yes.”
“That's depressing.”
James choked on water.
Katherine stared.
Olivia continued.
“You have like twelve rooms.”
“Seven.”
“Still.”
James said:
“Olivia.”
“What?”
Katherine smiled.
“She's right.”
Olivia immediately liked her more.
They spread repair records across Katherine's dining table.
James found the clue just after ten.
A component invoice from Marlow Heritage Motors listed a rare distributor assembly.
The serial batch had been recalled by its manufacturer years earlier for compatibility issues.
But Marlow billed Katherine for a correct period unit.
“So they charged me for one thing and installed another.”
“Yes.”
“Fraud.”
“Potentially.”
“Stop sounding like Daniel.”
“I like Daniel.”
“You met him once.”
“He speaks normally.”
Katherine glared.
James smiled.
Then Olivia, half asleep on the sofa, said:
“What if the bad part was supposed to make her sell the car?”