The Woman Who Knew the Locks
Chapter 06 - The Woman Who Knew the Locks
Victoria was not accustomed to losing control of a room. For years, she'd cultivated a network of donors, socialites, and executives who preferred a confident explanation to an uncomfortable question. She called the foundation controversy an orchestrated attack by disgruntled employees. Privately, she instructed Graham to retrieve the ledger.
But Graham wasn't as fearless as his sister. He told her that the bank had documented every visitor and that independent lawyers were involved. “If those invoices aren't defensible, we have a problem.”
Victoria slammed her glass onto the table. “We have a problem because you kept the wrong records.”
Meanwhile, Adrian asked his security director, Marcus Hale, to establish whether the anonymous threat to June involved anyone associated with the foundation. Marcus urged June to report the envelope to police. She did, providing the photograph and preserving the packaging.
A week later, a woman called June from an unlisted number. “My name is Evelyn Shaw. I worked in records for the foundation. You need to know what happened to the correspondence your mother sent.”
They met in a public library with Helen present. Evelyn described being directed to reroute letters from Harbor House to a private office managed by Victoria's staff. She had kept a log of items she found suspicious. The log included Marian's warnings and a message from a Philadelphia attorney regarding Daniel Parker.
“Why come forward now?” June asked.
“Because I saw you get hit,” Evelyn replied. “I recognized the way Victoria looked at you. I knew I had helped her keep people silent.”
The attorney's name was Samuel Price. He had retired, but his firm remained active. Helen requested the relevant archived communications. Days later, Price called personally.
“Daniel Parker wasn't missing,” he said. “At least not when he came to me. He was living under his own name, and he wanted to make sure his wife and daughter were protected.”
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June gripped the phone. “Do you know where he is now?”
Price hesitated. “I know where he was last winter. And I know he believed someone in the Bellamy organization wanted him quiet.”
