Chapter 6 - WHY AUSTIN WAITED EIGHT YEARS
Sadi stopped taking Austin’s calls.
He came to Mara’s office anyway.
Sadi almost left.
Then changed her mind.
“Sit.”
He did.
“Why did you wait eight years?”
Austin answered:
“Because I failed the first time.”
“That’s not an answer.”
Nathan had given Austin partial evidence two weeks before his death.
Austin showed William.
William feared a public accusation would destroy government relationships before facts were verified.
So he ordered quiet internal review.
Grant learned about it.
Nathan died.
Afterward, Austin wanted police involved.
William refused to accuse Grant without proof.
Then William had a stroke eighteen months later.
Austin took control of the company.
By then, records were gone.
Cole disappeared.
Grant had allies.
Austin kept investigating privately.
Sadi stared.
“And me?”
“I watched from a distance.”
“You watched me work two jobs.”
“Yes.”
“You watched me lose our apartment after Mom died.”
“Yes.”
“Did you ever think of telling me why Dad died?”
“Every week.”
“But you didn’t.”
“No.”
She stood.
“You are not the good guy because you feel guilty.”
Austin nodded.
“I know.”
That disarmed her more than defense would have.
Then Mara placed a document between them.
Austin had created a $2 million anonymous support trust after Sadi’s mother died.
Sadi had never received it.
Why?
Because the trustee refused distributions without identity disclosure.
Austin withdrew the plan.
Sadi laughed bitterly.
“You tried to help me secretly and failed at that too.”
“Yes.”
She almost smiled.
Almost.
Then Austin explained why the diner note happened now.
Grant was negotiating a $2.4 billion infrastructure merger.
Due diligence would include Harbor Division historical liabilities.
Austin believed Grant was preparing to destroy remaining records permanently.
The locket became urgent.
“Why did Dad hide the memory card with me?”
“Because he assumed nobody would search a child’s necklace.”
Sadi touched it.
“Someone did.”
“Yes.”
Then Mara interrupted.
The board had scheduled an emergency meeting.
Grant knew the homicide investigation was reopening.
He was demanding Austin’s removal for using company resources to pursue “a private vendetta.”
If the board believed him, Austin could lose access before the evidence was preserved.
Sadi looked at Austin.
“You need me.”
“Yes.”
“For what?”
“To prove this isn’t my vendetta.”
She stared.
“My father is dead. It is personal.”
Austin nodded.
May you like
“That’s why we need independent people to decide what the evidence means.”
For once, she agreed.
