Daniel turned toward her.
"What do you mean?"
"My father did the same thing."
"About me?"
"Yes. For years, he believed you had chosen to forget everyone who had helped build the company. He thought you had decided that your new life was more important than the people you left behind."
Daniel looked down.
"Maybe I did."
Emily shook her head.
"I don't think either of you understood what the other was going through."
The car slowed near a traffic light.
Daniel studied her profile.
"Your father is lucky to have you."
Emily smiled faintly.
"He's not always easy to live with."
"Neither was I."
"At least you admit it."
For a brief moment, they both laughed.
It was the first genuine laughter Daniel had experienced that day.
Then the light changed, and they continued driving.
***
Arthur's hotel was modest, located on a quiet street away from the main business district.
It was not the kind of place Daniel expected his old friend to stay. The entrance was narrow, the reception desk small, and the lobby furnished with simple chairs and a few potted plants.
Arthur was waiting in a room on the third floor.
He stood when they entered.
"Daniel."
Daniel closed the door behind him.
"Tell me what happened."
Arthur looked at Emily.
She nodded.
"I'll make some tea."
"No," Daniel said. "Please stay."
Emily looked at her father.
Arthur gave a small nod.
She placed her bag on a chair and sat down.
Daniel remained standing.
"I received a message telling me to ask you about the night Helen died. Then you told me she was afraid I would protect the wrong person."
Arthur lowered his head.
"I did."
"Who?"
Arthur looked at him.
"Your brother."
Daniel felt the room shift beneath him.
His brother.
Michael Bennett.
He had not heard that name spoken in connection with the company for years.
Michael had been younger by four years. He had joined the business shortly after it was founded and had eventually become responsible for several important operations.
They had once been inseparable.
But after Helen died, Michael had disappeared from Daniel's life.
Daniel had assumed that he simply wanted to avoid the painful memories.
"What does Michael have to do with Helen's death?"
Arthur took a slow breath.
"Before I answer, you need to understand what was happening at the company during the months before the accident."
Daniel sat down.
Arthur continued.
"At the time, the company was expanding. We had signed several agreements, invested in new facilities, and committed ourselves to projects that required more money than we had available. Helen was concerned."
"I remember. She wanted us to slow down."
"She wanted us to understand where the money was going."
"She was always careful with finances."
"More careful than any of us realized."
Arthur moved toward a small table and picked up a glass of water.
"Helen discovered that several payments had been made without proper authorization. At first, she thought it was a bookkeeping problem. Then she found that the same amounts were appearing under different descriptions in different reports."
Daniel stared at him.
"You're saying she discovered the missing money?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't she tell me?"
"She tried."
Daniel frowned.
"What?"
Arthur looked directly at him.
"She came to me because she believed someone inside the company was manipulating the accounts. She was afraid that if she confronted the wrong person, the evidence would disappear."
"And you helped her?"
"I did what I could."
"Did you tell Michael?"
Arthur hesitated.
"Not at first."
Daniel leaned forward.
"Arthur, don't make me pull every answer out of you."
The older man sighed.
"Michael was involved in the transactions."
Daniel went completely still.
"No."
"I'm sorry."
"No. Michael was responsible for operations. He had access to the accounts, but that doesn't mean—"
"He approved several transfers."
"With whose authorization?"
"That is the question Helen was trying to answer."
Daniel shook his head.
"My brother wouldn't steal from the company."
"I hope you're right."
"Don't speak about him as if he's a criminal."
Arthur looked tired.
"I'm not asking you to believe me. I'm asking you to examine the evidence."
Daniel stood abruptly.
"This is ridiculous."
Emily rose too.
"Daniel—"
"My brother and I built this company together. We went through everything together. He was there when Helen and I started our family. He stood beside me when she was sick."
Arthur's expression softened.
"I know."
"Then why would he do this?"
"Because people sometimes make choices that the people who love them cannot understand."
Daniel turned away.
For several seconds, he stared at the hotel window.
He remembered Michael as a young man, full of energy and ambition. He remembered the way his brother used to arrive at the office before everyone else, carrying two coffees and making jokes about Daniel's inability to wake up early.
He remembered their disagreements.
Michael had always wanted to expand faster. Daniel had preferred stability. Helen had often been the one who brought them together.
But none of those memories made the accusation easier to accept.
"Did Helen confront him?" Daniel finally asked.
Arthur nodded.
"She spoke to him two days before the accident."
"What happened?"
"I wasn't there."
"Then how do you know?"
"She called me afterward."
"What did she say?"
Arthur looked toward Emily.
Emily opened her bag and removed a small notebook.
"This belonged to my father," she explained. "He wrote down the details of their conversations because he was worried he might forget something important."
Arthur looked uncomfortable.
"Emily..."
"You promised Daniel the truth."
The older man said nothing.
Emily opened the notebook and turned to a marked page.
"According to my father's notes, Helen told him that Michael had admitted to approving some of the transfers. But he claimed he had done it under instructions from someone else."
Daniel stared at the page.
"Who?"
Emily looked at Arthur.
Arthur answered quietly.
"Richard Cole."
Daniel felt a chill run through him.
Richard.
The same man who had sat across from him that morning.
The same man who had warned him not to reopen the investigation.
The same man who had been his closest professional ally for years.
"Richard told Michael to move the money?"