Chapter 4 - NATHAN'S FILES
Nathan’s first file did not prove murder.
It proved motive.
The Harbor Division managed freight terminals, port redevelopment, and government logistics contracts.
Nathan found payments to shell vendors that eventually linked back to a private vehicle called Mercer Coast Holdings.
Grant owned it through relatives and nominees.
Austin asked:
“How much did Dad know?”
“Not enough.”
William Pembrook had approved emergency vendor spending during a period of port instability.
Security threats.
Labor disruptions.
Government deadlines.
Some unusual payments were legitimate.
That made Grant’s scheme hard to see.
Mara explained:
“He hid bad transactions inside real emergency spending.”
Sadi looked at her father’s notes.
One sentence was underlined:
WHEN EVERYTHING IS URGENT, NOBODY ASKS WHICH URGENCY IS REAL.
That sounded like Nathan.
Then she found a partnership agreement.
BOYD-PEMBROOK TERMINAL PARTNERSHIP.
“What is this?”
Austin leaned forward.
He had not seen it before.
The document was thirty-one years old.
William Pembrook and Samuel Boyd—Nathan’s father—had jointly funded an early freight terminal.
Pembrook Consolidated later absorbed the operating company.
The Boyd interest disappeared from later records.
Sadi stared.
“My grandfather owned part of the terminal?”
“Possibly,” Mara said.
“Possibly?”
“We need original records.”
Nathan’s handwritten note:
22% beneficial interest never extinguished.
No signed transfer located.
Profits misallocated after 1998 restructuring.
If true, Nathan’s estate could have a major claim.
Then Austin saw another note.
He went pale.
“What?”
Sadi grabbed the page.
Nathan had written:
Grant knows the Boyd interest survives.
He offered me $4M to sign release.
Refused.
Meeting Thursday.
Thursday was the night Nathan died.
Sadi looked at Austin.
“This wasn’t just company theft.”
“No.”
“He was trying to buy Dad’s claim.”
“Yes.”
“And when Dad refused?”
Austin looked at her.
“We don’t know yet.”
Sadi hated that sentence.
Then Mara opened the second file.
A photograph showed the scarred man, Cole Rainer, entering Harbor Garage C at 10:18 p.m.
Grant entered at 10:24.
Nathan entered at 10:31.
Only two men were seen leaving.
Grant.
May you like
And Cole.
Nathan never walked out.
