After VanGoff left Theodore Jones's office, Jessica felt time slipping away with every passing moment. Each second could be her last. She had to act - and act fast.
In her bag, she always carried a listening device. She never left it at home or at work. It was the only tool that could expose everything. The only question left was - who should she sell the recordings to?
Her first thought was Stefan Ossa, the president of the Golden Stone holding. But she quickly reconsidered. A man as powerful as Stefan wouldn't even agree to meet with her, let alone pay. She opened her desk drawer, pulled out a red notebook, and began flipping through it—reading names of potential people who might be interested in matters concerning Theo Jones.
When she saw the name Allen Corrado, she recalled Theo's words, repeated more than once: "That guy will go far - sharp beyond his years. He's someone you can work with." After some thought - "I should try" - Jessica dialed his number.
Allen didn't answer right away. Jessica grew nervous. Finally, she heard a voice on the other end.
"Who is this?"
"Allen, it's me—Jessica, Mr. Jones's secretary. I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you. It's just - I have an urgent matter. Please hear me out..."
"Go ahead. What is it?"
"I have information about Theo that may interest you. I'm only calling you."
"What kind of information? Speak plainly."
"Allen, I'm sorry - this isn't something I can say over the phone. It's very important, and it will clarify a lot. Can we meet in person? I'll explain everything."
Allen was silent, weighing his options.
"I don't have much time. Meet me at McDonald's in an hour."
"All right. I'll be there."
When Allen arrived at the McDonald's, it was, as always, crowded. Jessica was already there. When she saw him, she waved.
Sitting down at the table, Allen asked immediately:
"What's this important information?"
"I recorded all of Theo's conversations," she said, clearly nervous. "All his dirty dealings. Everything he tried to hide. I haven't listened to the recordings - I didn't want to know. But they might be useful to you."
Allen looked at her carefully, his eyes cold and calculating.
"How much?"
Jessica took a breath and looked him in the eye.
"Three million."
Allen was stunned by the amount—but kept his composure and smirked.
"Not exactly modest, are you?"
"I can give the recordings to Hugo Kaiman. He'll pay. I'm sure of it."
Allen didn't reply right away. He leaned forward slightly, as if weighing her words.
"I doubt Hugo will pay you that much. Fine - I'll listen to the recordings. Then we'll discuss the price. I'll let you know tomorrow."
Jessica nodded, though her eyes were filled with doubt.
"Just don't tell anyone I was recording. Not a living soul."
Allen gave her a cold stare.
"You think I'm an idiot?"
He stood up and left without another word.
***
After VanGoff left, Nick quickly dialed Claire's number.
"We need to talk. I took care of everything."
Claire was silent, then said, "Tonight. At my place."
Nick had been to Theo's house a couple of times when they were secretly installing cameras in his office - cameras only Nick knew about.
When Nick entered the living room, Claire was waiting for him. She wore a strict navy-blue pantsuit.
"Even at home, she's formal," Nick thought, seeing her.
"Good evening, Mrs. Jones."
"No need for formalities. Let's go to my favorite room."
Nick blushed. What is she planning? he wondered, following her.
They entered a large, dark room that resembled a weapon museum. On the walls hung antique crossbows and muskets. Modern automatic rifles lined the shelves. Collectible daggers with steel blades gleamed under display lights. Nick gaped at the massive collection.
There were three enormous glass display cases. One held an ancient sword. Another - a battle axe. In the third lay a matte-golden capsule covered in strange hieroglyphs, roughly the size of a fist. Nick approached it, inspecting it.
"That's a Brahmastra. It may look small, but it's more terrifying than a nuclear weapon."
Nick instinctively stepped back.
"So, you said it's taken care of?"
"Yes. No one will suspect a thing. Everyone will think Jessica did it. Her fingerprints are on the gun. I framed Hugo Kaiman too. Let the police go in circles."
"You did your job well. I value professionals."
"That private detective questioned me again today."
"Don't worry. He won't find anything. Everything's under control."
Claire took one of the muskets from the wall, ran her finger along the barrel, and aimed it at Nick. His palms started to sweat - his fists clenched quickly.
"My great-grandfather supplied weapons to Africa. My uncle to the Balkans. It's a family tradition—to support peace, you know…" she said calmly. "I'm not a hobbyist hunter who enjoys the chase. I shoot to kill."
Nick took a step back. She lowered the gun.
"She sets traps everywhere… I need to stay sharp," Nick thought.
He couldn't understand how this steel viper had seduced him. The next morning, he woke up in her bed.
Claire was gone. A maid brought him breakfast in bed. He got dressed quickly and drank some juice. Then something caught his eye - a small black box beside the sandwich.
"What did Bomba Mama leave this time? A bomb?" the thought flashed.
He opened it.
Inside was a bullet.
He picked it up - and froze.
Engraved on the side was his name: Nick. As a souvenir.
***
When Allen listened to the recordings, he was shocked. He had known Theodore Jones as a successful businessman, but he never imagined the schemes Theo had been involved in. The recordings revealed horrifying information - Jones was a double-faced man.
Allen learned that on the day of his death, Theo had signed a deed transferring his shares in Golden Stone to Hugo Kaiman. It also became clear that Theo hadn't taken his own life.
"I have to tell Stefan. This is unbelievable," Allen thought, heading to Stefan's office.
Ignoring Stefan's secretary, Mrs. Cameron, Allen stormed into Ossa's office like a comet. The office was on the 25th floor. Stefan stood alone at the window, watching life unfold below in New York. Hearing the door open, he turned.
"Allen?! Something urgent?"
Allen told him about the recordings and what he had learned.
Stefan frowned. He hadn't expected this.
When Allen finished, Stefan said:
"This is unpleasant. We'll hand the recording over to the FBI. It's too dangerous to keep. Theo was involved in things that could seriously damage us. If this gets out, Golden Stone's reputation will be ruined. All of us will be affected. As for Jessica - pay her, but not the amount she's asking. Give her enough to start a new life. But no more. If she thinks she can squeeze more out of us, she's wrong."
Then Stefan added with concern:
"What worries me is… Kaiman. He's a jackal with teeth. He can bite." He paused. "But Claire…" Stefan reached for a letter opener, sliding the blade out slowly. "She'll rip your throat out - and won't even chip a nail."
"We need to be ready. I'm holding an emergency board meeting tonight. All shareholders must be informed: Hugo Kaiman is now a new board member. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
"I agree," Allen said. "What about the detective -VanGoff?"
"Let him work. We'll pretend we know nothing. Let's see how professional he really is. In our situation, it's better to keep your mouth shut. The less you know, the longer you live."
***
After the conversation, Allen returned to his office, deep in thought. His office was just as large as Stefan's - he too liked watching life from above. He reviewed the police report on the Jones case again. Everything was falling into place. The killer would soon be found. The motive was clear. The Theodore Jones case had finally moved off dead center.
The next day, Hugo Kaiman's lawyer showed up at the Golden Stone office, stating that his client was now a board member and co-owner of the holding, along with Stefan Ossa. The lawyer, a fitting match for Hugo, insisted his client wanted to personally address the board and present his restructuring plans for Golden Stone.
Stefan and Allen both knew what kind of man Hugo was - and what to expect. They received the lawyer's statements calmly but remained on alert. A dangerous predator had moved into their territory.
Alongside these events, another question haunted Allen: who were those girls - Lily and Cleo? Of course, the virtual game Aris had been immersed in had no direct connection to Jones's murder or to Hugo Kaiman. Still, the secretive nature of the game gnawed at him.
"What is this game hiding? Aris asked me long ago to look into the players, but they've remained anonymous. I need to figure this out - and assign VanGoff to the case. If I've solved the Theo case, he can dig into the game. I have to focus on the upcoming matters at Golden Stone."
Allen dialed VanGoff's number.