Chapter 16 - The Car
By evening, Adrian’s face was on every local news channel.
The clip was grainy.
But the license plate was clear.
His car.
His garage.
Raymond.
Elena.
Claire watched reporters repeat the same question.
What did Adrian Vale know?
Adrian stood in the office, silent.
“Where were you that night?” Claire asked.
“At a fundraiser.”
“Can anyone prove it?”
“Two hundred people.”
“Your car?”
“Raymond used it sometimes.”
“Why?”
“He handled security.”
Dominic paced.
“Victor planned this eighteen months ago.”
Claire nodded.
“Or he kept it for insurance.”
Adrian looked at her.
“Do you believe me?”
Claire hated the question.
Because belief was not evidence.
“I believe the timeline can prove it.”
His face changed.
“That wasn’t my question.”
“I know.”
Silence.
Claire stepped closer.
“I won’t lie to you just because I care what happens to you.”
Adrian stared at her.
Then nodded.
“Good.”
They pulled fundraiser footage.
Adrian appeared on camera at 10:52.
11:18.
11:47.
The garage clip was timestamped 11:31.
He could not have been there.
But reporters did not care yet.
Then Claire noticed something strange.
Elena’s arm.
She zoomed in.
“What?”
Adrian asked.
“She’s moving.”
Dominic leaned closer.
“She’s unconscious.”
“No.”
Claire replayed.
Elena’s fingers tapped against Raymond’s jacket.
Three taps.
Pause.
Two.
Pause.
Three.
Again.
Jonah said, “Morse code?”
Claire frowned.
“No. Pattern.”
She watched ten times.
Then remembered Halden Mercer.
Auditors used a simple shorthand when marking reconciliations.
Three-two-three meant duplicate entry.
Claire stood.
“She knew she was being recorded.”
Adrian stared.
“She’s telling whoever sees this that something is duplicated.”
“Like what?” Dominic asked.
Claire looked at the timestamp.
Then the video.
“Maybe the timestamp.”
Jonah checked metadata.
Five minutes later, he looked stunned.
“It’s been overwritten.”
“What’s the real time?” Claire asked.
He recovered from backup headers.
“8:31 p.m.”
Adrian was not at the fundraiser yet.
Dominic swore.
“That’s worse.”
Claire shook her head.
“No. Look at the garage access log.”
At 8:29, Adrian’s car entered.
Driver badge used: Raymond Keller.
At 8:36, the car exited.
Claire exhaled.
“Adrian wasn’t there.”
Then another entry appeared.
8:44 p.m.
Pedestrian exit.
Badge: Elena Ruiz.
May you like
Claire stared.
“She walked out alive.”
