Chapter 4 - Henry’s Stand-In
Thomas Reed was hired in 1987 for engineering ability.
But Henry later used resemblance.
Not for espionage.
Not for identity replacement.
Cole Manufacturing was negotiating contracts during period when Henry received threats after labor dispute.
Security consultant recommended decoy transportation.
Thomas sometimes wore Henry’s coat and left facility in Henry’s company car while Henry exited elsewhere.
Crude protective tactic.
Thomas hated it.
He believed Henry treated him as expendable.
Eventually arrangement ended.
Years later Project? No connection to prior stories.
Ethan saw pattern.
An older man who once served as his father’s visual decoy now appeared in mansion, where Noah mistook him for Ethan.
Resemblance was natural coincidence amplified by clothing and family mannerisms Thomas may have absorbed while working beside Henry.
No twin.
No clone.
No secret duplicate.
Then why cufflink?
During 1991 company gala, Henry asked Thomas impersonate him briefly to misdirect threatening protester.
Henry gave Thomas jacket.
Watch.
HC-2 cufflink.
Military academy ring.
Thomas returned jacket and watch.
Claimed cufflink lost.
Ring?
Henry told Eleanor ring was lost years later.
Apparently not.
Thomas had kept both.
Why?
Ethan initially thought theft.
Then Claire found letter in Henry archive:
TOM —
KEEP THE CUFFLINK UNTIL HARRISON RETURNS THE LEDGER.
IT IS THE ONLY WAY HE WILL KNOW I SENT YOU.
— HENRY
So Henry intentionally let Thomas keep HC-2 for later errand.
What ledger?
Cole Manufacturing had faced 1993 accounting dispute.
Harrison controlled supplier reimbursements.
Henry suspected invoices altered.
He sent Thomas as private intermediary.
Cufflink authenticated him.
Thomas recovered ledger.
Then vanished from company.
Two months later Henry fired him publicly for “insubordination.”
Eleanor believed firing was cover for something worse.
Thomas accused Harrison of manipulating safety inspection reports at a small component plant.
Henry investigated.
Plant:
Briar Ridge Components.
No catastrophic accident.
No deaths.
But workers had reported solvent exposure and inadequate ventilation.
Cole Manufacturing settled claims, upgraded facility and sold it.
Thomas wanted public disclosure.
Henry chose confidential remediation.
They broke bitterly.
Could Thomas now seek revenge?
Maybe.
But why enter mansion secretly?
Police traced door.
No forced entry because Thomas used valid key code.
Code belonged to:
ELEANOR COLE.
She denied giving it.
System showed code created six months ago as secondary duplicate.
By Claire.
Claire stared.
“I created one for your physical therapist.”
Correct.
Therapist code should expire.
Someone reactivated it using Claire’s administrator password.
Now suspicion shifted toward Claire.
She had access to house system.
She knew old documents.
She had been arguing with Eleanor before fall.
Ethan asked:
“Did you know Thomas was here?”
“No.”
“Did you contact him?”
“No.”
Then phone records contradicted her.
Claire had received three calls from Oregon number associated with Thomas Reed.
She closed eyes.
Ethan's voice hardened.
“Claire.”
“I didn't know it was him.”
“What did he say?”
Claire whispered:
“He told me your mother was hiding something in this house.”
“What?”
“He said there was a box behind Henry’s portrait.”
Eleanor abruptly looked toward library.
Too late.
May you like
Ethan saw reaction.
There was a box.
