The lockdown stretched through the night. I spent most of it in the parlor, reviewing more footage, finding other small, insidious changes Marcus had made over weeks. Leo was restless, pacing the halls, his anger a palpable presence. Hicks’s men remained stone-faced, obeying Marcus’s new orders.
Morning arrived, gray and heavy. Hicks’s voice echoed through the comms. “Auditor Sikes is confirmed to arrive by 09:00 hours. All parties are to remain in their designated areas.”
Marcus left his office shortly after, heading towards the main foyer to speak with Hicks. This was my son’s chance.
“Dad,” Leo whispered, appearing at my side. “Marcus just went to the foyer. His office is empty.”
He didn’t need to finish the thought. I nodded. “Be quick. Look for anything. Something he shouldn’t have.”
Leo was gone before I finished speaking, moving with a purpose I hadn’t seen in him since he was a teenager, determined to solve a difficult math problem.
I watched the clock, every second a drumbeat. Five minutes. Ten.
I heard a muffled clatter from the east wing. My heart gave a jolt.
Then Leo reappeared, his face pale, a small, crinkled slip of paper clutched in his hand.
“Dad,” he gasped, holding it out. “Look at this.”
It was a carbon copy, a deposit slip. Dated three weeks ago. It showed a wire transfer from a shell account linked to Marcus, for the amount of $150,000. The recipient: Elias Croft.
“Elias Croft,” I murmured. “The notary on Marcus’s forged deed.”
Leo’s eyes widened. “It’s proof. He paid him to fake the transfer, didn’t he?”
The slip was undeniable. A clear financial trail linking Marcus directly to the corrupt notary. This was a gift, a piece of leverage we desperately needed.
“Get that to Hicks,” I urged. “Immediately.”
Leo turned, ready to run. But Marcus was already there, blocking the hallway, his face a mask of cold fury. He must have finished his conversation with Hicks and decided to check on his office.
“Going somewhere, Leo?” Marcus’s voice was low, dangerous.
Leo froze, the deposit slip still in his hand, clearly visible.
Marcus’s eyes dropped to the paper. His jaw tightened. He moved like a snake striking, snatching the slip from Leo’s grasp.
He crumbled it, then held out his other hand. “And your phone. Now.”
Leo hesitated. “Marcus, you can’t—”
“I can,” Marcus interrupted, his voice dropping to a venomous whisper. “And I will. You’re interfering, Leo. Deeply. This isn’t your game. If you continue, both you and your father will be permanently removed from syndicate territory. And not politely.”
The veiled threat hung heavy in the air. “Permanently removed” in this world meant something far more absolute than just eviction. It meant disappearance.
Leo’s hand trembled as he gave Marcus his phone.
Marcus smirked, pockets the phone and the crumpled slip. “That’s better. Now, go sit in the parlor. And stay there.”
He shoved Leo roughly towards me, then walked back to his office, the door slamming shut with a finality that echoed through the house.
Twist: Leo uncovers a secret payment of $150,000 from Marcus to notary Elias Croft in a discarded bank slip left in Marcus’s office.
Leo leaned against the wall, his face ashen. He had crossed a line, and Marcus had made it clear how high the stakes had become.
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