Chapter 8
I called Marcus.
Put him on speaker.
“Tell me.”
His voice sounded concerned.
“Boss, we found a service request under Ruth’s credentials.”
“What request?”
“Vehicle inspection. Rear system access.”
Ruth laughed silently.
I watched her.
“Timestamp?”
“Seven forty-two.”
Ruth had been at dinner with me at seven forty-two.
Marcus did not know that.
Interesting.
“What do you recommend?”
He hesitated.
Then:
“Until we understand, Ruth should be separated from family operations.”
There.
Not questioned.
Separated.
Remove the woman who recognized Sebastian’s pattern.
I looked toward the terrace.
My uncle was smiling now.
He heard enough.
I said:
“Bring the records to the vineyard.”
Silence.
“Vineyard?”
“Yes.”
Another pause.
“I’m across town.”
Lie.
Rafe showed me a live security ping from Marcus’s authorized vehicle.
Eight miles away.
Heading away from the vineyard.
He knew.
He had been nearby.
“Come anyway.”
Marcus disconnected.
Then his vehicle accelerated.
Rafe’s men tracked him.
Not chased dangerously.
Just followed.
He abandoned the car fifteen minutes later and disappeared into another property.
Useful.
Ruth sat beside me.
“You trusted him.”
“Yes.”
“So did Henri.”
I looked at the black notebook.
Inside were names of men my father suspected Sebastian influenced.
Some crossed out.
Some marked dead.
Marcus remained unmarked.
Waiting.
Sebastian was brought into the garage.
I placed the notebook in front of him.
“You kept a man beside me for twenty years.”
He shrugged.
“Marcus kept himself.”
Interesting distinction.
“You didn’t control him?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
Sebastian smiled faintly.
“We believed the same things.”
That was worse.
No orders needed.
Shared ideology is stronger than instructions.
Then he looked at Ruth.
“You could have had a comfortable retirement.”
She laughed.
“And miss watching you fail twice?”
I almost smiled.
Sebastian did not.
He looked at me.
“You think tonight ends anything?”
“No.”
That surprised him.
I continued.
“It starts the part where I stop pretending old loyalty is automatically safe.”
His smile returned.
“Then I’ve already changed you.”
Maybe.
But not how he wanted.
May you like
The conspiracy’s real strength was not hidden devices.
It was familiar faces I never thought to question.
