Chapter 10 - THE RECORDING BEFORE THE RECORDING
Police recovered Derek’s first call to Jonathan.
Not audio.
Call metadata.
Forty-eight seconds.
Then Derek called Samantha.
Jonathan agreed to testify in exchange for consideration on unauthorized-access charges.
Derek denied his account.
He said Jonathan was blaming him to save himself.
Reasonable.
Then Marcus found something stronger.
Derek’s Lamborghini microphone had automatically captured a voice-command buffer.
Only a few seconds.
Derek:
“Call Jonathan.”
Then later:
“Record next call.”
Samantha stared.
He deliberately activated recording before calling her.
That did not prove he wanted danger.
It proved he wanted evidence.
Then the vehicle telemetry showed Derek had passed two safe turnoff areas before the intersection.
Why not stop earlier?
Derek’s attorney argued the braking failure made maneuvering dangerous.
Possible.
The manufacturer expert said steering and emergency deceleration remained available.
Not easy.
But possible.
Derek had continued toward busier traffic.
Why?
Because panic made the recording stronger.
Naomi said:
“He escalated his own danger to frame you.”
Samantha shook her head.
“He couldn’t know I’d say what I said.”
“No.”
That mattered.
Samantha had still chosen the threat.
The case refused to make her innocent.
Then Derek made a public offer.
He would drop his effort to seize temporary control of Carter Performance if Samantha agreed to sell Blackridge the racing division.
Cheaply.
Naomi stared.
“He’s still negotiating.”
Samantha almost admired the nerve.
“What happens if I refuse?”
“He continues the capacity case.”
There it was.
The incident remained leverage.
Samantha said:
“No.”
Naomi nodded.
“Then we need another buyer.”
For the first time, Samantha stopped treating every asset as sacred.
She authorized an auction of the racing division.
Derek had expected emotion.
Instead he got competition.
Blackridge’s advantage began disappearing.
Then Howard called.
Jonathan had sent one last file.
A draft agreement.
Derek would become CEO of Carter Performance after Blackridge acquired enough distressed assets.
May you like
But the signature beneath the agreement was not Derek’s.
It was Howard’s.
