Chapter 7 - What Was Hidden Inside the Watch
Margaret Vale agreed to meet only with attorney present.
Henry Carter had distrusted digital records near end of life.
He believed someone inside Carter Development was accessing files.
So he altered Thomas’s watch.
Not Michael’s.
Thomas’s missing watch contained micro-storage chip beneath removable back plate.
Tiny.
Old-fashioned.
But capable of holding encrypted documents.
Henry placed copies of financial records there.
Then gave watch to Margaret for safekeeping.
“Where is it?”
“I returned it.”
“To whom?”
Margaret hesitated.
“Michael.”
Penelope froze.
“When?”
“The night Henry died.”
So Michael had possessed both watches.
Michael admitted it only after Penelope confronted him.
“Yes.”
“Why lie?”
“Because second watch disappeared from my desk the next morning.”
“Who knew you had it?”
“My mother.”
“Hattie?”
“And Andrew.”
Cousin Andrew had helped handle funeral arrangements.
Michael believed one took it.
Why never report?
Because chip contained evidence implicating Carter Development executives in $1.2 million escrow diversion.
Michael feared public scandal.
Again—
silence chosen to protect company.
He told himself he would recover watch privately.
He never did.
Penelope felt disgusted.
“You’ve been hiding this for six years.”
“Yes.”
“What was on chip?”
“I never decrypted all of it.”
Michael had copied partial files first.
They showed $1.2 million moved through vendor called Northstar Kennels & Security.
Kennels.
Penelope stared.
Company had supplied security cages and equipment to Carter properties.
Old dog kennel in living-room storage came from same vendor.
Could “under the dog” mean Northstar—not literal kennel?
Someone might be pointing toward corporate evidence.
Then Michael revealed why he initially questioned Lily.
Weeks earlier she told him she found “Grandpa’s blue thing” near kennel.
Michael suspected blue packet.
He asked where.
She forgot.
He told Hattie.
That was his mistake.
“I never told Mother to frighten her.”
“But you knew she was questioning Lily?”
“Not like this.”
“Did you unlock kennel?”
“No.”
“Were you home?”
“No.”
“Did you delete footage?”
“No.”
Penelope wanted believe him.
Then police recovered deleted seven-minute fragment from cloud backup.
Only first twenty seconds restored.
Hattie was visible.
Lily was crying.
A male voice spoke from blind spot.
“Open it.”
Hattie answered:
“You said she wouldn’t remember.”
Voice was distorted by recovery artifacts.
But Penelope knew husband’s voice.
It sounded like Michael.
Then Lily covered ears.
“No.”
Penelope paused video.
“What?”
Lily whispered:
“That isn't Daddy’s voice.”
Penelope stared.
“How do you know?”
“Because Daddy was already downstairs.”
May you like
If Michael was downstairs—
who was standing beside Hattie wearing his father’s watch?
