Chapter 11 - DANIEL'S LIE
Grant remembered a drink at Pier 17.
Scotch.
Caroline arguing with him.
A headache.
Then fire.
He had always assumed memory disappeared because of the blast.
Now Voss said a sedative was present before impact.
"Who had access to me?" Grant asked.
Daniel answered too quickly.
"Everyone at the meeting."
Grant turned toward him.
Something in Daniel's breathing changed.
"What aren't you saying?"
Daniel stayed silent.
Grant walked closer.
"Five years ago, you took my hand and told me Caroline and Emma were dead. Were you at the pier before the explosion?"
"Yes."
"You told police you arrived after."
"I lied."
Hannah was still missing. Emma was in Malcolm's hands. Grant did not have room for another betrayal.
"Why?"
Daniel's voice cracked.
"Caroline called me. She asked me to get you out. She said Malcolm and Hale were coming."
"Did you drug me?"
"No. I found you already disoriented."
"Then why lie?"
"Because I saw Caroline leave with a file. I thought she planted the bomb."
Grant recoiled.
Daniel continued.
"I hated myself for thinking it. Then Malcolm told me Emma died too. He said you would never survive learning Caroline caused it. I believed him."
"So you helped bury the investigation."
"I helped bury questions."
Grant punched him.
Daniel hit the wall and did not fight back.
Grant's knuckles hurt.
Then Daniel pulled something from his jacket.
A small brass key.
"Caroline gave me this before she ran. I never knew what it opened."
Engraved on it:
P17 - 44.
They returned to the old pier.
Locker 44 had survived behind a sealed maintenance corridor.
Inside was a ledger and a recorder.
Caroline's voice came first.
"If Grant hears this, Daniel finally told the truth."
Daniel sat down hard.
Grant pressed play.
Caroline continued.
"The man helping Malcolm is not Vernon Hale. Hale is being paid, but he is afraid of someone else."
A pause.
"The person who ordered Grant drugged is inside his own security team."
Grant thought of Pike.
May you like
Then Caroline said the name.
"Aaron Pike."
