Richard did not answer.
Daniel stood.
"Richard, this is becoming more complicated than you think."
"Then help me simplify it."
Daniel looked at him for several seconds.
"Perhaps the simplest thing would be to tell the truth."
Richard's expression became cold.
"You should be careful."
Daniel did not respond.
For the first time in years, he was beginning to wonder whether his loyalty to Richard had become a liability.
***
That afternoon, Eleanor received a message from an unfamiliar number.
"Mrs. Whitmore, this is Daniel. I work with your husband. I would appreciate the opportunity to speak with you privately."
She read it twice.
She knew the name.
Daniel was often mentioned at family dinners and business gatherings.
He was Richard's closest professional associate.
She had always considered him polite, if somewhat distant.
Why was he contacting her?
She typed a reply.
"What is this regarding?"
The answer came almost immediately.
"The security footage. There are matters you may not fully understand. I believe it would be helpful for us to speak."
Eleanor stared at the screen.
She did not answer.
A second message appeared.
"Please don't discuss this with Richard until we have spoken."
That sentence frightened her more than anything else.
Why would Richard's own associate tell her not to speak to her husband?
She placed the phone on the table.
Then she called Margaret.
Margaret answered quickly.
"Hello?"
"It's Eleanor."
"Are you all right?"
"I think so."
"What happened?"
"Someone named Daniel contacted me. He says he works with Richard. He wants to speak privately about the footage."
Margaret became quiet.
"Did he explain why?"
"He said there are things I may not understand."
"Did he threaten you?"
"No. But he told me not to discuss the conversation with Richard."
Margaret exchanged a glance with David, who was sitting across from her.
"Did you agree to meet him?"
"No."
"Good. Don't meet him alone."
Eleanor looked toward the front windows.
"Why would he contact me?"
"We don't know yet."
"Do you think he was the person in the recording?"
Margaret paused.
"Possibly."
Eleanor felt a chill.
"I couldn't identify his face."
"Then don't make assumptions. But we need to be careful."
"What should I do?"
"Save every message. Don't delete anything. And if he contacts you again, let us know."
Eleanor nodded, although Margaret could not see her.
"Thank you."
"One more thing," Margaret said.
"Yes?"
"Please don't stay alone in the house if you feel unsafe. Can you visit a friend or relative?"
Eleanor thought about it.
"I can go to my sister's."
"That might be a good idea."
After the call ended, Eleanor sat quietly.
She looked at Daniel's message again.
Something was happening behind the scenes.
And she was beginning to understand that Richard's actions were not simply the result of personal anger.
There were other people involved.
Other secrets.
Other interests.
And possibly other victims.
***
At four in the afternoon, Arthur received a call from an old colleague.
The man's name was Peter Lawson.
They had worked together on several projects many years earlier, and although they no longer saw each other regularly, they remained in contact.
"Arthur, I hope I'm not disturbing you."
"Not at all, Peter."
"I heard there was a disagreement involving Richard Whitmore."
Arthur became still.
"Who told you that?"
"Someone from the company."
"What exactly did you hear?"
Peter hesitated.
"That you had been asking questions about an agreement involving several investors."
Arthur closed his eyes.
The information was spreading.
"What else?"
"Apparently, Richard believes you are trying to damage the company."
Arthur gave a tired sigh.
"I am not trying to damage anything."
"I know. That's why I wanted to call."
Peter lowered his voice.
"There are people who are worried."
"About what?"
"About the original agreement."
Arthur looked toward the study.
"Do you know where it is?"
"I don't know. But I remember that it was signed several years ago. There were concerns about the way certain responsibilities were divided."
"Who signed it?"
"Richard, Daniel, and another investor."
Arthur took out a notebook.
"Who was the other investor?"
Peter paused.
"Victor Hale."
Arthur wrote down the name.
Victor Hale.
He knew it.
Victor was a wealthy investor who had been involved in several business projects with Richard.
He was also a man who rarely appeared in public.
"What was his role?" Arthur asked.
"Financial backing, mostly. But he had a significant interest in the agreement."
"Do you know whether the document was changed?"
Peter hesitated again.
"I heard there was a revised version."
"Was it authorized?"
"I don't know."
Arthur leaned forward.
"Peter, this is important."
"I understand. But I don't want to get involved without knowing the facts."
Arthur nodded.
"I wouldn't ask you to."
Before ending the call, Peter added something.
"Arthur, be careful. Victor doesn't like people asking questions."
Arthur looked down at the notebook.
"Neither does Richard, apparently."
***
That evening, Margaret and David sat with Arthur in his study.
The name Victor Hale had been added to the growing list of people connected to the agreement.
David searched through the documents.
"Here."
He pointed to a reference on one of the pages.
"Victor Hale's company appears in the correspondence."
Margaret leaned forward.
"Is there a direct connection?"
"Possibly. We need more information."
Arthur looked at the page.
"I remember Richard saying that Victor was only a financial partner."
David shook his head.
"That may not be the complete picture."
Margaret crossed her arms.
"Could Victor have been the person in the security footage?"
"We cannot establish that from the recording," David replied.
Arthur looked at them.
"Then perhaps we should speak with him."
David shook his head immediately.
"Not yet."
"Why?"
"Because we still don't know what he knows, what Richard has told him, or whether he is involved in the problem."
Margaret nodded.
"We need to understand the agreement first."
Arthur leaned back.
For a moment, he looked exhausted.
"All I wanted was for Richard to explain what had happened."
David placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I know."
"Now we're discussing investors, missing documents, and recordings."
"That is because the situation has developed beyond the original conversation."
Arthur looked at the photograph on his desk.
It showed him standing beside his late wife at a family celebration.
She had been gone for nearly six years.
He wondered what she would have said about everything that was happening.
She had always believed that people should be given a chance to correct their mistakes.