Chapter 5 - BELLWEATHER
Harrison spent the night inside his office.
He didn’t sleep.
At 2:17 a.m., Daniel entered carrying coffee and three folders.
“You’re going to hate this.”
Harrison didn’t look up.
“I already do.”
Daniel dropped the folders onto the desk.
“Bellweather Holdings was incorporated four years ago.”
“Khloe?”
“Her signature appears on everything.”
“Forgery?”
“Possible.”
“Probable?”
Daniel hesitated.
“No.”
Harrison looked up.
Daniel opened the first folder.
“Bellweather owns minority positions in six companies.”
“Which companies?”
“All connected to Harrington developments.”
Harrison frowned.
Daniel continued.
“Consulting firms.”
“Construction suppliers.”
“Environmental contractors.”
“Architecture groups.”
“Nothing illegal by itself.”
“But?”
“Some of these companies received inflated contracts from Harrington Commercial.”
“How inflated?”
“Twenty to sixty percent.”
Harrison’s expression hardened.
“And the excess money?”
“Eventually reached Bellweather.”
“So Richard steals from his own company and routes the money to a corporation registered to Khloe.”
“That’s what it looks like.”
Harrison leaned back.
“A perfect fall guy.”
“Fall woman.”
Harrison ignored him.
“Who created Bellweather?”
“Attorney named Samuel Price.”
“Find him.”
“Already did.”
Daniel placed a newspaper clipping on the desk.
Samuel Price.
Age fifty-six.
Corporate attorney.
Dead eighteen months.
Harrison stared at the article.
“Cause?”
“Car accident.”
“Convenient.”
“Very.”
Harrison opened the next folder.
“What about the signatures?”
Daniel slid over enlarged copies.
Khloe’s signature appeared dozens of times.
Harrison studied them.
Something bothered him.
Then he saw it.
“Khloe doesn’t make her K like that.”
Daniel frowned.
“You’re sure?”
“I watched her sign birthday cards for thirty years.”
Harrison pulled out his phone.
He found an old document Khloe had signed.
Side by side, the difference was tiny.
But real.
Daniel leaned closer.
“Good catch.”
“Get a forensic document examiner.”
“Already scheduled.”
Harrison looked at him.
Daniel shrugged.
“You pay me to anticipate your paranoia.”
The phone rang.
Hospital.
Harrison answered instantly.
“Cole.”
“Mr. Cole, your sister is awake.”
He was already standing.
Twenty minutes later, Harrison entered Khloe’s room.
She looked exhausted.
But conscious.
“Harry.”
He sat beside her.
“How do you feel?”
“Like I fell down thirty stairs.”
Harrison almost smiled.
“Thirty-one.”
Khloe closed her eyes.
“The baby?”
“Alive.”
Her eyes opened instantly.
“She’s in the NICU.”
“She?”
Harrison nodded.
“You have a daughter.”
Khloe started crying.
Not loudly.
Her face simply crumpled.
“I want to see her.”
“You will.”
“Now.”
“As soon as the doctor clears it.”
Khloe wiped her cheek.
“Richard?”
Harrison watched her carefully.
“He came here.”
Fear entered her face.
“Did he see her?”
“No.”
Khloe relaxed slightly.
“He took your belongings.”
Her expression changed again.
“My phone?”
“Yes.”
“Harry.”
“What’s on it?”
Khloe tried to sit up.
Pain stopped her.
“Get it back.”
“I will.”
“No.”
Her voice became urgent.
“Now.”
“What’s on the phone?”
Khloe stared at him.
“Evidence.”
“Of Bellweather?”
Silence.
Harrison saw the answer in her face.
“You know about Bellweather.”
Khloe looked away.
“How much do you know?”
“Forty-eight million dollars.”
Khloe closed her eyes.
“Khloe.”
“It isn’t mine.”
“I know.”
“You believe me?”
“I believe evidence.”
That hurt her.
Harrison softened slightly.
“And I believe you.”
Khloe looked back.
“Richard created Bellweather.”
“We think so.”
“He forged my signatures.”
“Why?”
“To make it look like I stole from Harrington Commercial.”
Harrison leaned forward.
“Why would he need that?”
“Because I found out what he was doing.”
“The affair?”
“No.”
Khloe shook her head.
“The affair was how I found everything else.”
Harrison waited.
Khloe whispered.
“Richard’s company is collapsing.”
Harrison frowned.
“What?”
“He’s been lying to investors.”
“How badly?”
“Billions.”
Harrison’s face changed.
Khloe continued.
“Debt hidden inside subsidiaries.”
“Fake valuations.”
“Properties used as collateral multiple times.”
“Kickbacks.”
“Bribes.”
“Richard isn’t hiding money from a divorce.”
“He’s hiding a financial disaster.”
Harrison stood slowly.
“How long have you known?”
“Five months.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“I was gathering proof.”
“You should have told me.”
“I was protecting you.”
Harrison stared at her.
“From what?”
Khloe’s eyes filled with fear.
“Richard knows about Mom.”
Harrison froze.
Their mother had died twenty-three years earlier.
A highway accident.
At least that was what they had always believed.
“What about Mom?”
Khloe looked toward the door.
Then back at him.
“Richard showed me a file.”
“What file?”
“Police photographs.”
“Of?”
“The accident.”
Harrison’s heart began pounding.
Khloe whispered.
“The report we were given wasn’t the original report.”
Harrison said nothing.
“The original said her brakes had been tampered with.”
The room seemed to shrink.
Harrison stared at his sister.
“Who tampered with them?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why does Richard have the report?”
Khloe’s answer came slowly.
“Because his father’s name was in it.”
Harrison stepped backward.
Richard’s father.
Charles Harrington.
Dead for six years.
A man Harrison had known.
A man who had attended Khloe and Richard’s wedding.
A man who had hugged Harrison and called him family.
Harrison’s voice became almost inaudible.
“What did Richard say?”
Khloe looked at him.
“He said if I exposed Bellweather, he would make sure everyone learned what really happened to Mom.”
Harrison’s eyes narrowed.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“I know.”
“Why would that hurt us?”
Khloe shook her head.
“Because according to Richard…”
She stopped.
“According to Richard what?”
Khloe’s lips trembled.
“He said Dad knew.”
Harrison went completely still.
Their father had raised them after their mother died.
Their father had died believing his children adored him.
Harrison whispered.
“Knew what?”
Khloe looked directly at him.
“That her brakes had been cut before she left our house.”
Harrison felt the floor disappear beneath him.
May you like
Then Khloe delivered the part Richard had used to keep her silent.
“And Richard said Dad helped cover it up.”
