Chapter 11 - Rebecca’s Secret
Rebecca Sloan did not run.
She arrived with attorneys and denied surveillance.
Board investigation showed she had motive to monitor Emma: Emma was uncovering historical misconduct that could damage company.
But motive wasn't proof.
Rebecca inherited board seat after father Richard Sloan’s death.
She insisted she had spent years cleaning old governance failures.
“Emma thinks I’m protecting my father.”
“Were you?”
“No. I was investigating him.”
Rebecca produced documents.
Richard Sloan had authorized Northstar monitoring of Thomas Bennett in 2012 because board suspected Thomas concealing Graham fraud instead of reporting it.
Corporate surveillance of executive raised serious privacy/governance issues but had legitimate stated purpose: protect company evidence.
Then Richard expanded monitoring beyond authorization.
He tracked Thomas’s home visitors.
Eleanor Bennett.
Emma.
Helen.
Others.
Thomas discovered.
That was why he created C19-B.
He wasn't merely documenting Graham’s theft.
He was documenting unauthorized surveillance by board chair.
Rebecca found partial evidence after father died.
She feared liability.
But rather than destroy, she hired external law firm.
Review underway confidentially.
Why not tell Emma?
Because Emma vanished before Rebecca could.
Was Rebecca behind camera?
No.
Vendor data traced flag camera hardware to Northstar legacy stock.
Northstar nominally “owned” by Claire through forged transfer.
Who controlled it operationally?
General manager:
Marcus Webb.
Fifty-three.
Former Bennett Biomedical security director.
Marcus had worked under Thomas.
Then Richard Sloan.
Then Northstar.
He had access to old surveillance infrastructure.
Emma recognized name.
“He contacted me after I disappeared.”
“What did he say?”
“That he knew what C19-B contained.”
“Did you meet?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Three months ago.”
“What happened?”
“He offered trade.”
C19-B missing page for original red marker.
Why marker matter?
Because identifier tied documents to original evidence chain. Without it, Marcus could claim records were later fabrication.
Emma refused.
Marcus threatened expose her location to Ethan? Not sinister enough. He said he would destroy remaining archive.
Emma became obsessed with preserving proof.
Maya obtained warrant based on accumulating evidence.
Marcus’s office contained no dramatic hostage.
But records showed he purchased flag-frame camera.
There it was.
He installed it during “security maintenance” eight days earlier while Claire had intentionally disabled main cameras.
He was watching house.
Why?
To find C19 marker.
He knew Claire possessed it.
Why not simply take?
He didn't know hiding location.
He monitored.
On morning Lily found crown, Marcus watched remotely.
He saw Claire attack child.
Did not intervene or call emergency.
That alone showed priorities.
Then investigators recovered deleted message Marcus sent unknown contact after incident:
THE CHILD FOUND C19.
CLAIRE LOST CONTROL.
ETHAN NOW HAS BOTH CROWNS.
Unknown contact replied:
GOOD.
LET HIM FIND OUT WHY THERE ARE TWO.
Maya stared.
Marcus wasn't sole operator.
Someone wanted Ethan to discover duplicate crowns.
Maybe whole event manipulated.
Who was unknown contact?
Emma denied.
Rebecca denied.
Claire denied.
Then phone number traced to disposable device activated near Bennett Biomedical headquarters.
Camera showed purchaser.
May you like
Dr. Helen Price.
Claire’s dentist.
