“What is all this?”
Adrian’s voice turned rough.
“Proof that the Mercer family stole the first Vale company.”
Beatrice appeared at the bottom of the stairs, escorted by the two security officers. Her eyes darted across the room.
“No one will believe him,” she said. “He’s a fugitive.”
I turned sharply.
Adrian did not deny it.
Twenty-three years earlier, he explained, Vale Dynamics had developed a compact navigation system for civilian aircraft. The prototype was revolutionary. Julian’s grandfather had been a manufacturing partner. Harold handled supplier contracts. Beatrice, then a junior accountant, had access to the financial records.
Together, they diverted funds, falsified safety reports, and blamed Adrian when a test aircraft crashed.
Two pilots died.
Adrian was accused of negligence, embezzlement, and evidence tampering.
Before he could testify, someone tried to kill him.
