Chapter 5 - Ring S-04
Security footage from Sarah’s building was grainy.
But the visitor’s hand was clear.
Gold crest ring.
Daniel’s missing S-04.
Richard’s first thought was Nathan.
Nathan immediately surrendered his ring.
S-17.
Different.
Then Richard reviewed family registry.
S-04 had belonged only to Daniel.
Police crash-scene inventory contained handwritten notation:
gold ring transferred to family representative.
Name:
Eleanor Price.
Sterling Holdings’ former chief legal officer.
Eleanor, now sixty-four, admitted she received Daniel’s ring from paramedics.
“Malcolm told me Richard wanted all Sterling insignia removed before press arrived.”
Richard had given no such order.
“What did you do with it?”
“I gave it to Malcolm.”
Malcolm later claimed he passed it to Richard’s office.
No record.
Then Olivia found old gala photograph.
A younger executive wore S-04.
Adrian Price.
Eleanor’s son.
And Graybridge Development’s former president.
Richard confronted Adrian.
Adrian did not deny.
“Malcolm gave it to me.”
“Why would you wear my dead son’s ring?”
“He said you approved it for foundation events.”
“You believed that?”
Adrian looked ashamed.
“I wanted to.”
That answer mattered.
Again, Richard’s supposed approval opened doors without anyone checking.
Adrian surrendered ring.
He had possessed it for years.
Was he man who visited Sarah?
Yes.
He admitted meeting her.
Sarah had called him after finding Daniel’s notebook.
She wanted explanation of Graybridge.
Adrian told her Graybridge received $8.6 million in short-term financing from pension-linked reserve.
He believed authorization valid.
When Daniel questioned it, Adrian learned approval may have been forged.
He repaid loan early.
Then stayed silent.
“Did you kill Daniel?”
“No.”
Evidence supported him.
Daniel’s crash remained accidental.
“Did you take Sarah?”
“No.”
Building footage showed Adrian left forty minutes later.
Sarah remained inside.
Another visitor arrived twenty minutes afterward.
Malcolm Voss.
He left carrying Daniel’s briefcase.
Sarah never appeared on front camera again.
Richard’s voice turned cold.
“Where did she go?”
Malcolm finally admitted meeting her.
“She gave me the briefcase.”
“Why?”
“She wanted answers.”
“What did you tell her?”
“That Daniel misunderstood Graybridge.”
“Where is Sarah?”
“I don’t know.”
Then Noah remembered something.
Before sending him to neighbor’s apartment, Sarah made one phone call.
Noah heard her say:
May you like
“I have Daniel’s key. If I don’t come back, tell Richard to open Box 17.”
The bank key inside Daniel’s briefcase carried number:
