Chapter 9 - CELESTE’S CARD OPENED THE FOUNDATION AT 1:43 A.M.
Celeste claimed she had lost the card.
Two months earlier.
The foundation had no record of a lost-card report.
That did not prove she used it.
It proved her explanation had a hole.
Security footage from the foundation lobby should have solved it.
It did not.
The lobby camera had been offline for a software update from midnight to 3:00 a.m.
Convenient.
Also scheduled three weeks earlier.
Real coincidences existed.
They were annoying.
The parking garage camera worked.
At 1:39 a.m., a black Mercedes entered using Celeste’s registered plate.
At 2:06, it left.
Driver not visible.
Celeste said Victoria sometimes used the car.
Victoria was at the hospital.
Driver could have been anyone with keys.
Again.
No clean proof.
The special committee suspended Celeste from foundation access entirely pending investigation.
She sued.
Of course.
Emergency filing.
She argued I was using Daniel’s temporary incapacity to seize family governance.
Daniel was furious.
“I’m revoking the temporary voting agreement.”
“You can’t yet.”
“I’m competent.”
“Two physicians haven’t certified restoration.”
“Insulting.”
“Useful.”
He glared.
I smiled.
Marriage.
By then, he was walking around the house complaining about potassium-rich foods.
I put bananas everywhere.
He threatened to move out.
I reminded him I controlled his votes.
He called Naomi.
Naomi hung up on him.
For thirty seconds, life felt normal.
Then Victoria called me.
No attorney.
I told her I would not discuss case facts without counsel.
She said one sentence.
“Mom knows who used the card.”
I stopped.
“Call Naomi.”
“I already did.”
We met at Naomi’s office.
Victoria sat with her attorney.
“She told me today.”
“What?”
“That Eric had a foundation access card.”
Daniel frowned.
“He never did.”
“Officially.”
Victoria looked at him.
“Mom gave him one.”
“Why?”
“For grant meetings.”
“Whose card?”
“Mom’s old one.”
The 0417 card.
Celeste had not lost it.
She had given it to Eric.
“When?”
“Months ago.”
“Why didn’t you tell police?”
“I didn’t know.”
“But today Celeste admitted it.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because she heard they had garage footage.”
So Eric could have used Celeste’s Mercedes and card.
Why would he have her car?
Victoria continued.
“Mom loaned it to him Thursday.”
Daniel stared.
“She said she drove herself.”
“No. She took a car service to the meeting.”
That could be verified.
It was.
Celeste arrived at Mercer Development by car service.
Eric later had access to her Mercedes.
That moved him closer to the foundation-office intrusion.
Naomi asked:
“Why would Celeste cover for him?”
Victoria began crying.
“Because he has something on her.”
“What?”
“I don’t know.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“Everyone’s favorite answer.”
Victoria glared.
“You’re the one who waited seven years to investigate Dad’s land deals.”
He stopped.
Good.
No saints.
“What does Eric have?” I asked.
Victoria wiped her face.
“Something Dad signed.”
Another old document.
“What?”
“Mom calls it the indemnity.”
Daniel’s expression changed.
“I’ve heard that.”
“When?”
“Dad and Mom argued about it.”
“What is it?”
“He said, ‘That indemnity does not protect fraud.’”
Naomi leaned forward.
“Do you know where it is?”
“No.”
“Eric?”
“Probably.”
The encrypted drive had no file labeled indemnity.
Douglas’s produced records did not either.
Then Daniel remembered a storage archive.
Mercer Development maintained paper originals off-site near Commerce City.
The special committee ordered a targeted search.
At 6:20 p.m., the records manager called.
They found it.
2010 INDEMNITY AND CONSULTING CONTINUITY AGREEMENT.
Parties:
Mercer Development.
Eric Vale.
Signed by Charles Mercer.
Celeste Mercer.
Douglas Kane as counsel witness.
The agreement promised Eric indemnification for liabilities arising from authorized land-assembly and government-relations work.
Broadly worded.
Too broad.
Then a handwritten addendum:
Certain payments to public-facing intermediaries were made at executive direction. Company will hold consultant harmless.
My stomach tightened.
“Public-facing intermediaries.”
Naomi said, “Could mean lobbyists.”
“Could mean officials.”
“Could mean many things.”
Daniel looked sick.
“My father signed.”
“Yes.”
“Mom too.”
“Yes.”
“And Douglas.”
“As witness.”
The document gave Eric leverage.
If Mercer accused him of improper historical payments, he could claim executives authorized them.
That explained why Celeste kept him.
Maybe.
But the next page changed it.
A later amendment from 2016.
Charles crossed out the broad indemnity.
Wrote:
No protection for undisclosed payments, foundation pass-throughs, or personal loans to family members.
Not signed by Celeste.
Not signed by Eric.
Signed by Charles only.
Draft.
Unfinished.
His attempt to cut Eric off before cancer stopped him.
Then the records manager found one final envelope clipped behind the draft.
Charles’s handwriting.
DANIEL — IF ERIC IS STILL HERE AFTER I’M GONE.
May you like
Daniel stared.
The seal had never been broken.
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