Chapter 4 - Derek’s Second Job
Derek denied it.
His code could be copied.
True.
The keypad had no biometric lock.
Police treated him as a person of interest, not a culprit.
Then Tyler woke.
He remembered being hit from behind near the basement inventory room.
Before losing consciousness, he smelled something.
Cigar smoke.
Grant knew only one person inside his company who still smoked cigars indoors.
Victor Sloan.
Chief financial officer of Mercer Hospitality.
Fifty-eight.
Grant’s mentor.
His late father’s closest friend.
Victor had encouraged Grant to buy Vale & Ash’s building five years earlier.
He also handled the hotel redevelopment proposal.
Grant called him.
No answer.
Caroline did.
Victor picked up.
“Caroline?”
Grant grabbed the phone.
“Where are you?”
Silence.
Then Victor said:
“Grant, you need to leave that restaurant.”
Interesting.
“Why?”
“You’re not safe there.”
“How do you know?”
Victor hung up.
Thomas watched Grant.
“You still think I’m the problem?”
“I haven’t ruled you out.”
“Good.”
That answer irritated Grant.
Thomas did not want trust.
He wanted Grant suspicious of everyone.
Then Molly walked out from the manager’s office.
Her cheek bruised.
She looked at Grant.
“I want to go home.”
He suddenly felt ashamed.
Not enough to say it properly.
“I shouldn't have hit you.”
Molly stared.
“That’s your apology?”
Grant tightened his jaw.
Thomas stepped between them.
“No.”
Grant looked at him.
Thomas said:
“That’s a press statement.”
Then Molly did something unexpected.
She pulled a folded piece of paper from her apron.
“I found this under your table before dinner.”
Grant opened it.
Typed message.
DON’T EAT THE SPECIAL.
No signature.
“You had this before the radish?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“You arrived yelling at the hostess because your table wasn't ready.”
Grant looked away.
Fair.
Molly gave the note to Thomas.
Thomas recognized the paper.
Kitchen order-pad stock.
Someone inside the restaurant had warned them.
Someone else inside the restaurant had tried to poison Grant.
Two sides.
Same building.
Then police searched Derek’s office.
Hidden in a desk drawer:
$38,000 cash.
A burner phone.
And photographs of Grant entering various Mercer properties.
Caroline looked betrayed.
“You were working for me.”
Derek shook his head.
“Not only you.”
“Who else?”
He looked at Thomas.
Then Grant.
“Luke.”
Silence.
Grant’s dead brother had hired Derek first.
Before Caroline ever did.
Luke suspected Mercer Hospitality.
He placed Derek inside Vale & Ash because this restaurant connected several suspicious property transactions.
Grant whispered:
“What did Luke find?”
May you like
Derek looked toward the kitchen.
“That someone was buying restaurants that were supposed to fail.”
