Chapter 5 - The Missing Accountant
Adrian did not move.
Claire watched him.
“Was that true?”
He took too long to answer.
“That depends what he means by disappeared.”
“That is not a comforting sentence.”
Adrian walked to the window.
“Her name was Elena Ruiz. She handled outside compliance work for one of my companies.”
“When?”
“Eighteen months ago.”
“What happened?”
“She stopped coming to work.”
“Police?”
“Her sister filed a missing person report.”
“Did they question you?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“They found nothing.”
Claire folded her arms.
“Did you?”
He turned.
“Did I what?”
“Find anything.”
Adrian’s face became unreadable.
“Yes.”
That was worse.
He opened a locked drawer and removed a thin envelope.
Inside was a photograph of a woman with dark hair standing beside a parking garage elevator.
Timestamp: 11:42 p.m.
“Last image of Elena,” Adrian said.
“Where?”
“One of my garages.”
“Who was she meeting?”
“We don’t know.”
Claire looked closer.
A reflection in the elevator door showed part of a man’s face.
Silver hair.
Broad shoulders.
Raymond.
She looked up sharply.
“You knew.”
“I suspected.”
“And you kept him working for you?”
“I had no proof.”
“You had a picture.”
“I had a reflection.”
“You had enough to investigate.”
“I did investigate.”
“And?”
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
“The detective I hired died in a car accident.”
Claire stared at him.
“Convenient.”
“Yes.”
She set the photograph down.
“This is bigger than theft.”
“I know.”
“So why bring me into it?”
“Because you saw in thirty seconds what my finance department missed for months.”
“That is not an answer.”
Adrian stepped closer.
“Because if Victor is involved, I need someone he already underestimated.”
Claire almost smiled.
“He didn’t underestimate me. He buried me.”
“Same thing.”
“No.”
She met his eyes.
“Underestimating someone is a mistake. What Victor did was deliberate.”
Adrian nodded once.
“Then help me make it expensive.”
Claire looked at the ledger again.
“No violence.”
His brows lifted.
“I didn’t suggest any.”
“I’m saying it now.”
“You think I’m going to shoot an accountant?”
“I think people whisper when they say your name.”
He gave the faintest smile.
“People enjoy stories.”
Claire sat again.
“Fine. Then we use documents.”
“My least favorite weapon.”
“They last longer.”
He slid the laptop toward her.
“Find Elena.”
Claire opened a new search.
Twenty minutes later, she found a vendor reimbursement filed three days after Elena vanished.
Recipient: E. RUIZ CONSULTING.
Amount: $94,000.
Authorized by Raymond.
Paid to an account in Milwaukee.
Claire clicked the beneficiary details.
The account holder was not Elena Ruiz.
May you like
It was Maria Ruiz.
Elena’s younger sister.
