Chapter 11 - Daniel Becomes the Suspect
Daniel shoved open the clinic doors hard enough to strike the wall.
"Dr. Whitaker!"
The receptionist stood so quickly her chair rolled backward.
Ortiz followed with two officers.
"Police. Nobody leaves."
Daniel slapped the forged authorization onto the desk.
"Where is he?"
The receptionist pointed toward the private offices.
"He didn't come in today."
Daniel's phone began vibrating.
Board members.
Six missed calls.
Then twelve.
His CFO texted one sentence.
THOMAS CALLED EMERGENCY SESSION — 11 A.M.
Daniel called him.
"What's happening?"
"Thomas says you're compromised."
"Compromised how?"
A file hit Daniel's email while he spoke.
CONFIDENTIAL MEDICAL ASSESSMENT.
He opened it.
EARLY COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT.
MEMORY INSTABILITY.
DECISION-MAKING DEFICITS.
Daniel stared at the diagnosis.
"I've never had this test."
The CFO lowered his voice. "Thomas says the board has a duty to act before the market hears."
Mateo looked over Daniel's shoulder.
The document carried Dr. Whitaker's signature.
Ortiz turned to the receptionist.
"When did Dr. Whitaker last see Thomas Mercer?"
She swallowed.
"Two years ago. Riding accident."
Mateo's eyes moved to Daniel.
Same doctor.
Same private clinic.
Daniel hung up.
"Find Whitaker."
One officer checked a back office.
Empty.
Ortiz requested a location ping on the doctor's phone.
The clinic printer suddenly came alive.
One page slid out.
Nobody had touched it.
Ortiz approached carefully.
The sheet contained an email.
FROM: Daniel Mercer.
TO: Dr. Edward Whitaker.
DESTROY THE ORIGINAL RECORDS TONIGHT.
Mateo read it over her shoulder.
"He's making Daniel look like he's cleaning up his own crimes."
Daniel's phone rang again.
This time Ortiz answered.
She listened for three seconds.
Her face changed.
"Where?"
A pause.
"Don't touch anything."
She lowered the phone.
Daniel waited.
"They found Whitaker."
"Alive?"
Ortiz shook her head.
Daniel's fingers tightened around the medical report.
"How?"
"In his garage. Carbon monoxide. Door sealed from the outside."
Mateo looked at the forged email again.
Ortiz continued.
"His laptop is open on the passenger seat. Your account is logged in."
Daniel looked toward the waiting room television.
Business news had already switched to breaking coverage.
MERCER DEVELOPMENT BOARD CALLS EMERGENCY VOTE.
Thomas appeared on screen walking into company headquarters.
A reporter shouted, "Is your brother mentally competent to run the company?"
Thomas stopped at the doors.
"That's for the board to decide."
Daniel turned toward Mateo.
"He's not trying to hide anymore."
Mateo watched Thomas enter the building.
"No."
He picked up Luis's file.
May you like
"He's trying to finish it."
