Chapter 43 - The Deposition
Daniel Carter had been deposed many times.
Margaret's criminal case.
Shareholder litigation.
Trust disputes.
Regulatory investigations.
He knew how to sit still while another person tried to turn every sentence into a weapon.
Vane's attorney was good.
Her name was Caroline Frost.
No theatrics.
No shouting.
That made her dangerous.
“Mr. Carter, when did you first learn the name Anna Mercer?”
“Approximately eighteen years ago.”
“Before Noah Carter reached adulthood?”
“Yes.”
“Did you investigate whether she had a child?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“The payment record described an employment settlement.”
“You accepted Margaret Carter's description?”
“At the time, yes.”
Caroline looked up.
“Despite knowing Margaret had committed financial misconduct?”
Daniel paused.
The timeline mattered.
“At that stage of the investigation, we did not know the full scope.”
“But you suspected her.”
“Yes.”
“And you still did not investigate Anna Mercer.”
“No.”
“Convenient.”
Daniel's attorney objected.
Caroline continued.
“Did your failure financially benefit Noah Carter?”
Daniel answered:
“Eventually, if Lydia had never been recognized, the reserve could have benefited Noah's class.”
“So yes.”
“Potentially.”
“Mr. Carter, do you love your son?”
Daniel almost smiled.
The question looked innocent.
It wasn't.
“Yes.”
“Would you protect him financially?”
Daniel thought of the staircase.
The trust.
The years of breakfast.
“Yes.”
“Would you conceal a competing beneficiary to protect him?”
“No.”
“Would Margaret Carter?”
“Yes.”
“Did you learn many of your business habits from Margaret Carter?”
Daniel's face changed.
“No.”
“You worked under her influence for decades.”
“I was influenced by her.”
“Did you ever hide information from Noah?”
Daniel's attorney objected.
Caroline smiled.
There it was.
The old wound.
Daniel answered anyway.
“Yes.”
“Material trust information?”
“Yes.”
“Parole information?”
“Yes.”
“Historical family information?”
“Yes.”
Caroline walked toward the table.
“So when it served what you considered Noah's best interest, you concealed information from him.”
Daniel felt the trap.
“Yes.”
“Just as Margaret claimed she concealed information to protect her family.”
Daniel looked at her.
“No.”
Caroline raised an eyebrow.
“You just agreed.”
“I agreed both of us withheld information.”
Daniel leaned forward slightly.
“The difference is what happened when Noah became able to choose.”
Caroline waited.
“I gave him the documents.”
“I accepted his decision to remove family control.”
“I accepted decisions that reduced my authority.”
“Margaret escalated when people chose differently.”
Caroline's expression stayed neutral.
Daniel continued.
“You can compare acts by category.”
“Secrecy.”
“Money.”
“Family.”
“But motive is not proven because two verbs match.”
The room became silent.
Caroline moved on.
After six hours, Daniel walked outside.
Noah waited near the elevators.
“You didn't have to come.”
“I know.”
Daniel smiled.
“You hear anything?”
“No.”
“Good.”
They walked toward the parking garage.
Daniel seemed tired.
Noah noticed.
“You okay?”
“I'm sixty.”
“You use that excuse too much.”
“I've earned it.”
Noah smiled.
Then Daniel became serious.
“She asked whether I hid things from you.”
“I figured.”
“I said yes.”
“Good.”
Daniel stopped.
“You're not upset?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because you did.”
Daniel nodded.
Noah continued.
“You also stopped when I told you to.”
“Eventually.”
“Yes.”
Daniel looked at him.
Noah smiled faintly.
“That matters more than pretending you were perfect.”
They started walking again.
Then Noah's phone rang.
Melissa.
Her voice was urgent.
“We got the Vane document production.”
“What did they find?”
“A payment.”
“To Evelyn?”
“No.”
“Who?”
Melissa paused.
“Anna Mercer.”
Lydia's mother.
Noah stopped walking.
“What payment?”
“Fifty thousand dollars.”
“When?”
“Six weeks before Anna died.”
Noah's stomach dropped.
“From Vane?”
“Yes.”
“What for?”
“The memo says historical consulting.”
Noah closed his eyes.
Had Anna helped Marcus?
Had she sold the story?
Had she known what he planned?
May you like
Then Melissa added:
“And there is an audio file.”
