Chapter 14 - THE NEW ERA OF WALKER LOGISTICSThe global shipping market opened at 9:00 AM sharp on a Tuesday, and for the first time in six months, Walker Logistics stock hit a historic high.
I sat at the polished mahogany desk in the executive suite on the forty-second floor, reviewing the preliminary merger proposals from our new European partners in Hamburg and Rotterdam.
The double doors opened without a knock.
Evelyn walked in, looking remarkably relaxed, wearing a tailored emerald blazer and carrying two cups of artisan espresso. She set one down on the corner of my desk before sinking into the leather armchair opposite me.
"The board just voted unanimously to approve the Rotterdam expansion," Evelyn said, a satisfied smile playing on her lips. "No objections. No hidden clauses. For the first time in three decades, the company is operating with 100% financial transparency."
"Transparency is a lot cheaper than corruption," I replied, taking a sip of the espresso.
"Arthur's envelope?" Evelyn asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did you ever look at what he brought?"
"I burned it," I said simply. "Whether Charles stole those lands in 1974 or not is irrelevant to the market today. We settled all restitution claims with the regional land councils three months ago. Whatever ghosts Arthur was trying to drag out of the closet were already laid to rest."
Evelyn chuckled softly. "You remind me of my husband when he was forty years younger, Clare. He would have loved you. He probably would have tried to make you a senior partner before you even finished law school."
"He wouldn't have had a choice," I smiled.
My phone buzzed on the desk. An encrypted notification from the federal prosecutor's office: Arthur Vance arraignment scheduled for 2:00 PM. Plea bargain rejected.
I swiped the notification away, letting the screen go dark once more.
"There's something else," Evelyn said, her tone shifting slightly, becoming more serious. "The estate staff has been asking about the east guest suite. The one Vanessa occupied during her brief, chaotic stay."
"Clear it out," I said without hesitation. "Donate everything left inside to the downtown women's shelter. Strip the room down to the bare drywall, repaint it in neutral tones, and turn it into a secure digital archive for our financial compliance servers."
May you like
Evelyn nodded approvingly. "Erasing the past. I like it."
"Not erasing it, Evelyn," I corrected her, standing up and walking toward the floor-to-ceiling windows to look out over the city. "Cataloging it so it can never be repeated."
