Chapter 39. THE USB
(Sienna)
It was the beginning of the new year, but I was already exhausted. It was the second flight I had taken in the past twenty-four hours, and knowing it would take me another forty minutes to reach Ander’s and Zayn’s apartment didn’t help.
I knew the guys weren’t home. Noah got tickets for the three of them to watch the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics, so considering that I was supposed to be in New York, they planned to spend the weekend in Santa Monica.
I missed them so much.
Maggie offered to spend the night with me at the apartment. I needed my friend more than ever after what I had discovered back at my house in Port Chester. I was convinced that whoever murdered my parents had also tried to eliminate me during the New Year’s Eve party. But why? The notes implied that their deaths were some kind of payback, so what if my father pissed someone really dangerous off? All the documents and mementos in that box pointed to the same thing—William was involved in some way. I was sure of that. Maybe I could call him tomorrow and ask about the other man in the photo or about my dad’s relationship with Professor Reed.
By the time I arrived at the apartment, it was already ten o’clock. Maggie stood in front of the building, hands in her pockets and a scarf bigger than her covering her neck and shoulders. Her perky nose looked red, probably from the cold.
“Hey girl, I missed you,” she said, hugging me tight.
“Same. Let’s go inside. It’s freezing.”
When we entered the apartment, I went straight to my room. Maggie followed me, helping me carry my luggage and tote bag. She placed everything next to the door and dropped her ass on top of the bed.
“You said it was an emergency. What happened? Did you fight with the guys?” she asked, furrowing her brows.
“No, no. Nothing like that. We’re good. Actually,” I said, biting my lower lip. “We are really good. If you know what I mean.” I smiled.
“Such a lucky whore. Seriously, I hate you.” The amusement dropped from her voice. I stiffened at the way she said it, but then she burst out laughing, and I joined her. “I’m joking. I’m glad you finally followed my advice and went with the flow.”
“What advice? You told me to stop playing with their feelings?”
“Yes, I did. To play with their dicks. And you understood the assignment.” She grinned.
“I want to show you something. I’m not sure what it means, but I think I’m getting closer to the truth of what happened to my parents.”
The air became thicker, and Maggie shifted uncomfortably on my bed.
“Look.” I opened my tote bag and took out the wooden box. I placed everything on top of the bed, including the box: the bank statements, Ander’s letters, the threatening notes, and the photograph. “Look at the photograph. Do you recognize someone in there?”
She looked at the photo, and her eyes widened.
“Nooooo. Where did you find this?”
I took the photograph from her and poked it with my finger.
“I don’t know why, but he lied to my face. He said he had worked for my father, but Reed never mentioned they were that close. I don’t know who this man with the white coat is, but maybe William knows. I’m calling him tomorrow.”
“Do you think that’s wise? What if he’s involved somehow in all this mess?” She sounded concerned.
“I need to know.”
“And what are these?” Maggie questioned as she picked up the letters and the notes.
“These are the letters Ander sent me when I moved to Switzerland. My father intercepted them. And those”—I paused—“my father received those. It’s the same handwriting from the notes I received from my stalker. Whoever kept sending me black dahlias with a note and tried to poison me at the party is behind my parents’ death. I’m convinced they tried to kill me, too, but didn’t succeed.”
Maggie ground her teeth, the muscles in her jaw tightening.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” she stated.
“Me neither. By the way, I haven’t asked you if you’ve already had dinner. Are you hungry? We can order something.” I dropped on the bed next to Maggie without realizing that the wooden box was too close to the edge of the bed.
Thump .
The box hit the floor, resulting in a loose piece of wood. A sinking feeling settled in my stomach, not due to any damage I had caused. It was the sight of the USB drive that had tumbled out, glistening amid the plush carpet.
“What’s that?” Maggie asked.
I picked up the USB from the floor and inspected it.
“No idea. I guess there was a hidden compartment inside the box that I hadn’t noticed before.” I went straight to my luggage and grabbed my laptop. I plugged in the USB drive. There was only a file, a .mov video.
“Why do I have the feeling that this is not a homemade porn movie made by your parents?” Maggie joked although she clearly looked uncomfortable.
“Only one way to find out.” I took a deep breath and double-clicked the file.
It took me a few minutes to recognize the room on the screen. There was a wooden table, big windows, and a sofa in the corner of the room. I had slept on that sofa countless times while my father worked. It was his old office in New York.
My father’s face suddenly covered the screen, and Maggie and I jumped. It looked like he was placing the camera at the right angle before he sat on his chair and opened his laptop.
Why was he filming himself working?
Please, I don’t want my mom to show up wearing a Burberry trench or something like that.
I couldn’t hear a thing, so I turned up the volume.
A knock. It was subtle.
“Come in.” My father’s voice was loud and clear. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. God, how much I missed his voice . I immediately recognized the two men who entered the room—the man in the picture with the white coat and William Scott.
“Thank you for coming. Please, close the door.”
My dad stood, walked around the desk, and leaned on one of the corners of the table while facing the two men.
“You know why I called you both, right?” my dad asked.
“I have no idea, boss,” the man with the white coat replied, shrugging his shoulders. He appeared to be in his late forties to early fifties, sporting a blend of dark blond and salt-and-pepper hair and gentle creases encircling his eyes. He stood taller than William.
“Shut up, Bob,” William blurted. “Stop wasting our time, Edward. If you have something to say, fucking say it. I know why you’ve summoned us. I’m not a fucking fool.” William’s tone was cold and detached although he looked angry.
“Are you sure about that? Because only a fool would do what you’ve done and expect not to be caught.” My father took a printed document from his desk and slowly walked toward William. Once he stood in front of him, he presented the piece of paper. William forcefully snatched it from my father’s hands and stepped away before he looked at it.
“Where did you get this?” William asked with a hint of surprise and, I would guess, fear in his voice.
“Don’t try to deny it, William. I know you’ve been diverting money from Cos Pharma to an offshore account in Panama with Bob’s help. I just want you to explain why someone I have considered my brother since high school felt the need to forge my signature and put everything we’ve built in jeopardy.”
I gulped.
“You wouldn’t understand.”
My father closed the distance between them and responded, “Try me.”
William dropped his head and rubbed his eyes.
“I lost a poker game a few months ago, and let’s just say that the individuals to whom I owed the money were far from understanding. They’ve been threatening my family, and I didn’t know what to do. These individuals are dangerous. I didn’t want this situation to impact you or your family by association.”
“How much money?” my dad asked.
William sat on the corner sofa, his forearms resting on his knees. He looked up and said, “One point three million.”
“And you didn’t have enough money saved to pay this debt?” my dad questioned.
“I haven’t been very lucky lately,” William retorted.
“Fucking hell, William. Are you telling me you’ve blown all your savings? Your kid’s trust fund?”
William nodded.
“Does your wife know?”
“No. I would like to keep it that way.”
“You’re in no position to make any demands, William.” My father sat behind his desk once again. “Why didn’t you come to me first? I would have helped you.”
“It was a lot of money, and I thought I could solve the issue before anyone noticed. I just needed one lucky game, and everything would be fixed.”
“You sound like an addict, William. Just one more game, one more hit. And I doubt one is ever going to be enough. Am I wrong? I’ve checked the amounts you’ve been transferring to your account, and based on what you owed, you should have been able to pay that debt months ago. What happened, William? Because from where I stand, I bet you kept gambling the funds away.” My father turned his face and directed his next words to Bob. “Why did you play into all of this? I’ve known you for years. This isn’t you. What did William have on you?”
William immediately replied, “I didn’t…”
“Shut your mouth, William. I’m not talking to you,” my dad yelled with a finger pointing at him.
Bob was visibly shaken, and his face drained of all color.
“Medical bills. You know my wife was sick for two years before she passed away, but some of the treatments she received weren’t covered under my employment insurance. We’re drowning in debt, and William promised me a percentage in exchange for falsifying some documents,” Bob explained.
“This is a fucking mess.” My dad leaned back in his seat and pulled his hair with both hands. “I can’t trust you anymore, Bob. You may go to your office and take all your things. You’re fired, effect immediately.”
“I understand.” Bob appeared defeated, his shoulders sagging under the burden of the repercussions of his actions.
“I don’t want to draw attention to the situation, so please don’t make a scene on your way out, or I’ll be forced to call security. I believe that after so many years working at Cos Pharma, you’d like to leave with an ounce of dignity.”
“I know it doesn’t change anything, but I’m really sorry, Edward,” Bob expressed.
“You’re right. It doesn’t.” My dad’s words cut through the air with a sharp and icy edge, leaving no doubt about the lack of compassion in his tone. It brought back memories of those countless times when he would engage in heated arguments with me, critiquing my life choices and behavior. The familiarity of the situation hit me like a painful déjà vu, only this time, it wasn’t me who was on the receiving end of his unrelenting disapproval.
Bob turned around and left the office without muttering another word.
Maggie and I kept our eyes glued to the screen the entire time, but my attention shifted toward her when I listened to her sigh. Her lips were tightly pressed together, and her eyes appeared misty.
My father spoke once more, and my attention quickly returned to the screen.
“I can’t fire you, William, but I have enough proof to drown you and your family with charges of embezzlement, fraud, and forgery. It won’t look pretty, and I’d rather leave Nora and Alexander out of this. They shouldn’t be paying for your sins.”
“What are you suggesting? You want me to resign?” He scoffed.
“This is my only offer, so think carefully before you speak. You will sell your shares to me and make it look like a mutual decision—tell the world you want to pursue a new solo venture or that we had irreconcilable differences when it came to Cos Pharma’s future. My offer will be fair and give you enough money to cover your debt and build something independently. If you want to blow all the money in underground poker games, be my guest, but the moment you’re out, I don’t fucking care. In exchange, I’ll make sure this event gets buried and never comes to light, but you and I are over. We’ll not be partners, and we’ll not be friends. I want your family to stay away from mine. Is that clear?”
William’s nostrils flared as he glared at my dad.
“Do you really think I’d just give up my position and shares? Remember, it’s your signature on those documents, Edward. It’d only take one call from me to get you in hot water with some of those charges you just mentioned.”
“Maybe you’re right, but I have evidence that it’s your name on that account in Latin America.”
Suddenly, it clicked.
W.A.S.
William Archibald Scott.
The documents that my father had kept in the box were the evidence that William was the one stealing the money. Was he behind their murders? Is that the reason my dad kept those statements with the threatening notes?
“You should be grateful, William. Don’t be mistaken by my kindness; if I go down, you’re coming with me.”
The recording stopped.
Maggie and I stayed silent for a moment, but my urge to voice my inner thoughts made me speak out loud.
“It was never my father.” A single tear fell down my cheek, but I soon captured it with my fingers. “William and Bob were the ones who committed fraud and maybe even killed my parents.” I ended the sentence with a whimper.
“Look, let’s take a moment before jumping to conclusions.”
“What conclusions, Maggie?” I stood and started to pace the room frantically. My breathing became more rapid and unstable. I could not breathe. “You’ve seen it and heard it with your own fucking eyes and ears!”
Maggie also stood and bridged the gap between us in two strides.
“I know, but I also think nobody should act on their impulses when they are as agitated as you are right now. Let me grab you a glass of water. Take deep breaths, and I’ll be back in a second.”
As soon as Maggie left the bedroom, I grabbed my phone and called Ander.
One ring.
Two rings.
Three rings.
Voicemail.
Shit .
A voice message should do.
“Ander, I know you’re probably at the match, but I really need you right now. Please come back. I just found a video of your dad admitting to being the one who committed fraud, not mine. That’s why he left the company. There’s another person involved, someone named Bob, who assisted in forging some documents. I’m losing my mind, Ander. Please, I need you.” I begged. “I plan to take this USB to the FBI, but I’d prefer it if you could come with me; after all, it’s your dad we’re talking about. Give me a call once you’ve heard this message.”
I turned around and jumped.
“Fuck Maggie, you scared me. I’ve just sent a message to Ander asking him to come home. We need to show all the evidence to the FBI.” I glanced downward, directing my gaze at her hand. “What are you doing with Zayn’s trophy?”
“I’m sorry, Sienna, but I cannot allow you to do that.”
I felt a sharp and intense pain in my head, but before I could register what was happening, everything went dark.