Chapter 12 - The Brother in the Boardroom
Daniel pushed through the boardroom doors before Thomas finished speaking.
Every head turned.
Thomas stood beside the screen at the far end of the table.
"Daniel. You should be resting."
Daniel threw the fake diagnosis onto the table.
"You should be in handcuffs."
Three directors stood at once.
Company counsel moved between them.
"Gentlemen."
Mateo entered behind Daniel carrying Luis's files.
Thomas's expression changed when he saw him.
Only for a second.
"Why is an employee in this meeting?"
Mateo dropped the files onto the polished table.
"Because your brother spent twenty-one years paying for a dead man's locker."
Thomas looked at the folders.
Daniel watched his right hand.
Thumb rubbing index finger.
Slow.
Repeated.
Mateo saw it too.
Ortiz entered with two detectives but stayed near the wall. They did not yet have enough for an arrest on the poisoning.
Thomas turned to the directors.
"This is exactly why I called you. Daniel is being manipulated by people who want access to this company."
Mateo opened a ledger.
"These shell payments started during Riverside."
Thomas shrugged.
"Approved by Daniel."
He slid an old authorization sheet across the table.
Daniel stared at his own signature.
This one was real.
Then another.
And another.
His face tightened.
Thomas smiled.
"You signed them."
Daniel looked at the dates.
Blank authorization sheets.
He remembered Thomas bringing stacks of paperwork late at night.
"Routine vendor releases," Thomas had called them.
Mateo looked at Daniel.
Daniel's voice dropped.
"I signed blank forms."
Thomas spread his hands.
"Finally. Honesty."
A director pushed away from the table.
"Daniel, is that true?"
"Yes."
The room broke into overlapping voices.
Thomas let them panic.
Then he raised one hand.
"We don't need a scandal. We need continuity. Vote me interim CEO until Daniel's medical condition is resolved."
Mateo stared at Thomas's right thumb.
The skin near the nail was red and blistered.
A narrow burn line crossed the pad.
He remembered the veterinarian describing the compound.
Caustic in concentrated form.
Mateo stepped around the table.
"Show us your hand."
Thomas stopped rubbing his fingers.
"Excuse me?"
"Your right hand."
Daniel looked down.
Thomas closed his fist.
Mateo pointed.
"You had that burn at the reception. That's why you kept wiping your fingers."
Ortiz moved away from the wall.
"Mr. Mercer, open your hand."
Thomas took one step back.
"This is ridiculous."
"Open it."
His chair scraped.
Then his left hand disappeared beneath the conference table.
Mateo saw Daniel's eyes widen.
"Thomas—"
The pistol came up fast.
Thomas aimed it across the table.
May you like
"Nobody moves."
