Chapter 7 - The Contract Edward Almost Signed
The board package contained a financing agreement worth $96 million.
Caswell Urban Systems needed capital to modernize two distribution campuses.
At least that was what Nolan told the board.
The real document contained something more dangerous.
If certain financial covenants were triggered, control over several company properties could shift temporarily to a restructuring entity.
That entity had been recommended by Nolan.
Its outside investors were hidden behind layers of funds.
A forensic team eventually found connections to companies receiving money from the phantom vendors.
It did not make Nolan the secret owner of Caswell overnight.
Real corporate fraud was not that convenient.
But it showed a conflict he had concealed.
Edward had already delayed signing once.
He wanted additional review.
Nolan needed the agreement executed before outside auditors looked deeper.
Then his son disappeared.
The plan apparently was not to kill Benji.
Evidence suggested Wade intended to move him.
Another vehicle had entered the service lane using a cloned parking credential.
It left after the smoke appeared and bystanders gathered.
The likely plan:
Take Benji.
Contact Edward.
Create enough fear to make him stop questioning the financing.
What they had not planned for was the damaged vehicle beginning to smoke while Benji was still inside.
Wade had cut the coolant line earlier to create a later mechanical distraction during the removal.
Instead the engine compartment overheated sooner than expected.
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The kidnapping started becoming a potential homicide through incompetence and panic.
And then a little girl with a candy box appeared.
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