Chapter 2 - THE MILK ROUTE
Travis Cole owned Cole Valley Dairy Delivery.
Not glamorous.
Eight refrigerated vans.
Two small farms under contract.
A processing partnership outside Hartford.
He delivered:
milk,
yogurt,
cream,
eggs,
butter,
and specialty groceries
to wealthy neighborhoods where people liked glass bottles on porches.
Marcus had once joked that Madison’s ex had become a milkman.
He had not thought about Travis in years.
Now Madison sat on the couch with an ice pack against her face while Marcus stood six feet away.
He forced himself not to move closer.
“How many times has he been here?”
“His vans? Maybe twelve.”
“Him?”
“Four.”
“Why?”
Madison swallowed.
“To move things.”
Marcus stared.
“What things?”
She did not answer.
He looked toward the kitchen.
A white insulated delivery box sat beside the pantry.
Marcus crossed the room, opened it.
Milk bottles.
Eggs.
Nothing else.
Then he lifted the cardboard insert.
Underneath was a narrow empty compartment.
Too clean.
Too deliberate.
“What goes here?”
Madison closed her eyes.
“Documents.”
Marcus turned.
“What documents?”
“Copies.”
“Of what?”
“Reed Development.”
His company.
Marcus felt cold.
Reed Development Group had been founded by his father and expanded by Marcus over the last eleven years.
Commercial construction.
Apartment projects.
Municipal contracts.
Private company.
Family-controlled.
Madison had no operational role.
“What did you take?”
“I copied financial files.”
“You stole company records?”
“I copied records from your home office.”
“Why?”
Madison finally looked at him.
“Because somebody inside your company is moving money.”
Silence.
Marcus almost laughed.
May you like
Then she added:
“And I think you already knew.”
