Chapter 17 - Turning the Tables
The intelligence gained from Richard’s panic gave Arthur and Daniel the exact thread they needed to pull. Back at Vance Ground, the command center in Arthur’s study expanded.
"Richard was terrified," Claire explained, laying a blueprint of Sterling Capital’s corporate hierarchy on the table. "He wasn't acting like a mastermind. He was acting like a terrified dog that had been cornered by a wolf. Victor Cross didn't just invest in Richard's schemes; he was using Richard's legitimate commercial bank charters to mask something much larger."
Daniel pulled up a series of satellite photographs and corporate filings on his monitor. "Claire is right. Look at this: Sterling Capital’s logistics wing acquired three deep-water docking facilities along the Delaware River six months before the bankruptcy. Richard didn't have the shipping contracts to justify that kind of expansion."
"Cross did," Arthur said, his eyes narrowing as he traced the shipping routes on the map. "Cross holds exclusive defense subcontracting licenses for heavy equipment transit. If he controlled the Delaware docks through Richard's dummy trusts, he was moving untraceable cargo past federal customs under the guise of municipal construction."
Claire pulled a folder from her briefcase. During her marriage, Richard had frequently forced her to sign administrative filings for his subsidiary entities, assuming she was too uneducated in finance to understand what they meant. But Claire had cataloged every single document number in an encrypted notebook she kept hidden before the divorce.
"These are the registry numbers for the third-party holding trusts," Claire said, sliding the notebook across to Daniel. "Richard made me sign as an alternate trustee for a shell called 'Crestview Maritime.' He thought it was just a liability shield. But look at the secondary signatory."
Daniel typed furiously, cross-referencing the state corporate registry. Suddenly, he let out a sharp breath. "My God. The secondary signatory isn't Victor Cross. It's Eleanor Sterling."
Arthur stepped up behind Daniel’s chair, staring at the screen. A dark, predatory smile slowly touched the corners of his mouth.
"Eleanor was so greedy she signed herself onto the maritime transport chain," Arthur murmured. "She didn't just help Richard launder money. She made herself an active co-conspirator in federal smuggling. And Cross doesn't know she left this paper trail."
Claire looked up at her father. "What do we do?"
May you like
"We don't wait for Cross to strike again," Arthur said, turning toward the window where the cold night pressed against the glass. "We use Eleanor to draw Cross into the open."
***
