Chapter 10 - Troy’s Part in It
Melissa stared at the photograph.
“No.”
She had spent fifteen years married to Troy.
She claimed she knew nothing about his involvement.
I believed she genuinely hadn't known the extent.
But there had been warning signs.
Cash.
Unexplained trips.
A second phone.
Troy always explained everything away.
The same way my family had dismissed Claire.
Then we opened financial records.
Troy had helped create shell contractors.
Dad supplied legitimate construction projects through which inflated invoices could move.
Grant managed the accounting structure.
But something else appeared.
A life-insurance policy.
Claire Mercer.
I stopped breathing.
The beneficiary wasn't me.
It was a trust.
And the trust connected indirectly to a company controlled by Grant.
That did not prove anyone caused Claire’s death.
But it proved somebody had financially positioned themselves around it.
Melissa covered her mouth.
“Daniel…”
I couldn’t speak.
Then Noah pointed toward another file.
“MOM AUDIO.”
Claire’s voice played.
“Richard, if you threaten Noah again, I'm going to the FBI.”
Dad answered:
“You’re destroying this family.”
“You did that yourself.”
Then another voice.
Troy.
“Claire, give us the drive.”
“No.”
Dad:
“Think about Daniel.”
Claire:
“I am.”
The recording ended.
Noah was crying.
I stopped playback.
He had heard enough.
Then Melissa’s radio crackled.
Troy’s voice.
“Melissa?”
She froze.
“Baby, answer me.”
Then:
“I have Hannah and Sophie.”
Melissa grabbed the radio.
“TROY?!”
His response came instantly.
“Bring Daniel and the card.”
Melissa went white.
“Or?”
A long pause.
May you like
Then Troy said:
“Don't make me choose between my daughters and your brother.”
