New York, Billionaire's Row, 10th January of 2022
"Your father was a very powerful man as well as Gerald Mulroney. Do you know if they had enemies?" Ethan Ritter, the Detective from the NYC police responsible for my father and Gerald's death investigation, asked professionally.
After getting back from Connecticut, the first thing I did was contact the NYC Police so they could put me up to date regarding the investigation of my father and Gerald's death. I wanted to know everything they had found out until that moment and what had let them open an investigation in the first place. A few calls in and the first thing they tell me is that they think the breaks were tempered. Apparently, one of the teams that were in charge of overviewing and running tests on the parts of the helicopter that they managed to find, found it weird how the display of the breaks was and after further exams, they came to the conclusion that they had tampered with them and most likely caused the helicopter to crash. That's when they called my mother informing her about the opening of the investigation. Detective Ethan Ritter was then supposed to go to my mother in Connecticut so he could explain the findings.
Instead, I persuade them to come to me. However, there was a problem with meeting the Police. I wanted to do it alone and without anyone knowing, it was already hard enough to take this information and I didn't want more family members to suffer the anger and be filled with questions without being able to move on. So, the best I could come up with was, to meet them during the day but not in the office. In the office, everyone would see and ask questions, and then I wouldn't be able to dodge Elle's inquiry about it. Pam was also on her daily trip to the supermarket and dry cleaning. I was in clear.
I rolled my eyes, bored with question. "Of course, they had enemies, Ritter. Your talking about two giants who founded a whole new market out of thin air, who at the time of their deaths were two of the richest people in the country. They are bound to have enemies."
Ethan eyed his colleague, a petite woman with light brown hair and eyes of the same color, who had presented herself as Julia McKnight. She couldn't be more than 27 years old if I could guess, which was a stark contrast to her male counterpart. The other detective looked to be well on 45 years old.
"Mr. Van Lowden, just please answer the question," Julia said, trying to sound polite and not like she wanted to eat me alive because I thought that question was rather stupid.
It was hard taking all that information in, especially, when I was still coming to terms with their death...there was no coming to terms after what I heard, there was only finding the person or persons who did this to them.
"Fine," I say reluctantly. After all, I ask for the meeting not only to be informed about the progress of the investigation but as well to help them whenever I could. If there is one person who wants to find out the truth more than anyone, it's me. " In a competitive market like ours, the competition is our enemies. Companies that do what we do, are our competitors. Of course, I don't think any of these companies would be capable of doing this to either my dad or Gerald. As for enemies inside Dot Com, my dad and Gerald got along with everyone."
Detective Julia scribbled something in her notebook and without even looking at me, continue asking. "Okay, so your dad and Mr. Mulroney got along with everyone but there must be someone, even if they got along well, that would benefit from their deaths?"
"Yes, there is one," I say, making my hands into fists. Oh, there is one, alright. " Rupert McCarthy, the newly appointed Chairman of the Board at Dot Com. I despise the man...but still I don't think he has the balls to do something like this."
"Why do you say that?" Ethan asked, from the other side of the room while crossing his arms. "You don't get along with Rupert McCarthy?"
"Never did." That brings Ritter's attention. " The man hates my gut and Elle's because we are the kids of the founders. In his mind, we don't need to be smart or do anything at all, and magically we get a good position in the company. McCarthy hates nepotism."
"Weren't you the best student of your year at Harvard and Miss Mulroney second best from your class?" Julia asked astounded. She certainly had done her research before coming to meet me. "He can hate nepotism but your grades speak for themselves."
"Your right," Her assessment is right, but the problem is, she doesn't know the man in question. "However, he doesn't care about that. Never did. He thinks other people should be holding my position and Elle's at Dot Com. A position that once again, we only gain because our parents are the founders of the company. That's how he thinks when it comes to my brothers, my sisters, Elle, and me. He's the newly appointed Chairman of the Board, the new CEO is his puppy and he has the Board on his side. At this moment, the man can do what he basically wants. McCarthy even has my mother wrapped around his fingers and her shares along with it."
"And you still think he isn't capable of murder after what you just described?"
"Yes," I reply. I could see in both of their faces that McCarthy had just gone from nobody to person of interest but I just couldn't wrap my head around it. From what I knew about him, he didn't have the balls let alone the imagination to come up with a plan like this. "Look, McCarthy is many things and among them, he is a guy that tries to make the best out of an opportunity to get what he wants, which is exactly what he did the moment he found out about my dad and Gerald's death. He doesn't know how to think ahead or think outside of the box and that's why I think he didn't do it...even though after what I told you it makes it possible."
Ethan nodded. "Alright, then what if I told you from what we gathered so far, Mrs. Mulroney was also having an affair at the time of their deaths with Rupert McCarthy..."
I shrugged. "I already knew about it. Elle was the one that found out about them, though I'm told they aren't discrete, at least not in New York."
"Don't you think Diana Mulroney would be able to do it then? She was having an affair with a Board Member and from what I gathered Mr. Mulroney never gave her proper attention, only money. She was an ornament to him. If Rupert McCarthy lacks creativity, what about Diana? Is she creative enough?" His tone was more serious than before and I couldn't under why the change of attitude. It was like he knew more than he was asking.
I sighed, looking first at my hands. "Diana...Diana is a puzzle but an easy puzzle when we put a few green papers in front of her. She knew from the beginning of her marriage that no matter what she did, she was never going to replace Gerald's first wife. Natalie was the one he truly love. She knew that and she married him anyway, just like she thought she was going to get half of what was Gerald's and didn't. He named his daughter the sole heir of everything. So, yes she chases after money but murdering for that I don't think so. She could do what she wanted with or without him."
"Alright, what about you, Mr. Van Lowden?" Ethan asked and I gave him a confused look what the hell was he implying? "Do you like to chase money or more like give it away...for maybe paying for services?"
"What? If you are accusing me of something, just say it." I challenged.
He nodded. "Very well. It came to my attention yesterday when I was reviewing Diana's financials that there are a few transfers to multiple bank accounts that in total are around 1 billion. All come from you. All come days after your father and Mr. Mulroney's deaths. So, why would you transfer so much money to her? Were you working together? Was she having an affair with you too? Wouldn't you gain something as well from their deaths?"
I laughed hard as I got up from the couch. He was accusing me of killing my father and Gerald? What the hell was he even investigating? "Are you out of your damn mind, Ritter? Seriously, you don't even know me and you think that I somehow would plot with the wife of my father's business partner to get exactly what?"
"Money, Power" Ethan stated. "And of course, revenge."
Revenge?
He continued. "McCarthy or not you were supposed to be the CEO of Dot Com a couple of years ago but that didn't come to be because photos of your quiet outings in New York appeared in the Wall Street Journal. Photos that were sent to the paper by your father as you should already know. So, besides inheriting a lot of money, you would also take your rightful place without your father denying it. A Harvard-educated guy like you, a ruthless businessman as you are described in numerous news reports, I can bet you in no time you could outsmart the Chairman of the Board.
"My dad was the one that sent those photos to the WSJ?" Why? I thought he wanted me to be a CEO, to run the company he founded. Suddenly there were a million questions in my mind.
My reaction certainly took them off guard. "You were not aware of it?"
"No, because if I was, the first thing I would have done was confront my dad about it and demand explanations, not certainly blow him up in the sky," I say harshly. My mind was racing with questions, questions that were never going to have an answer. "And since you still think my motive is money, I going to say one thing. Do you actually think that a few billion more or a few billion less is going to make a difference? I've been richer beyond people's dreams since the day I was born. My stocks make me 1 to 2 billion a year and I'm not even talking about Dot Com stocks. I have a lot of investments in other companies since the moment I became nineteen years old and sold my first company in my freshman year for 50 million dollars. I don't care about the money, Ritter. If you had searched me well, you would have known that."
Both Detectives look at me feeling guilty and surprised by the way I talked. They most definitely had never heard someone talking like that about money, like 1 billion wouldn't even make a scratch to my financials and the fact I didn't care about it either way.
"Then if not for this, why is there a transfer of 1 billion dollars to Diana Mulroney just days after your father and Gerald Mulroney died." Julia pressured.
I took a deep breath, part of me wanted to send them away and not hear a word of what they were saying. Nonetheless, they were the people in charge of the case and I wanted to help. Even if they didn't believe in what I was saying. So, that transfer...I had two options here. Option one, I tell them the complete story of that money transfer, or second option, I tell them just enough for them to stop looking at me like I'm capable of murdering my father for money.
"The will," I say. "After my dad died, we quickly found out that his will and Gerald's will had an interlinked clause and for that, they needed to be opened at the same time. You can confirm that with my lawyers. For my family, aside from that clause, we knew that it was just going to be another read of an important paper where we knew the outcome of it. The houses, the shares of the company and the money was going to be equally divided between my mother, my brothers, sisters, and myself. And it was what the will said but it wasn't all it said. That interlinked clause had a five-year ban on my stock voting powers with conditions in order to have the power back. Diana didn't stay for the full reading of both wills. She got out after the lawyers said that she was only to receive 10 million dollars. The day after, she came to the house saying she wanted to contest the will. Going to court was not an option, it would delay the timeline to have my stock voting powers back and it also blocked my family from the money and stocks they were entitled to. I was not going to allow that and as I said before Diana only answers to the green paper. You can confirm all that with my lawyers because there is a paper trail and an NDA signed over this transfer."
Julia once again scribbled in her notebook. "If you don't mind answering it, why do you have a five-year ban on your voting powers? Did you get along with your father? Why would he put this ban on you?"
"He would put this because he and Gerald wanted to play matchmaker." I sighed. This conversation was exhausting. "My dad and I had a great relationship, always had. Nonetheless, at the time that clause was written my dad was pissed with me because Harvard had called saying I had been expelled from a few classes. I was an immature kid."
"I still don't understand..." Julia said confused.
"I haven't explained," I say in return. "Before I continue, I would like to say that what I'm about to tell you does not leave this room. I will personally prosecute the NYC Police and both of you if it does. This has no relevance to what happened to my dad and Gerald, it's only so you understand better the transfer I made and why I did not plot to have my dad killed in a helicopter accident."
That had left them more intrigued than ever, I could see on their faces. "The condition imposed in the will is a five-year marriage to Eleanor Mulroney. After the duration of those five years, the voting power is mine and Elle's. She too lost hers."
"Oh..." Julia didn't even know how to react. "Oh...I..."
I grinned. "Not expecting? Yeah, we weren't either. We don't get along since we were kids."
"You two are already married?" Ethan asked, now calmer and with the accusation voice. I could see he no longer believe that I had anything to do with my dad's death.
I nod. "Yes, she's my wife. We married a few days after their death."
"This will not leave this room, Mr. Van Lowden," Julia said, now recovered from the news bomb. "Thank you for telling us."
"Pleasure," I say. "Is there anything I can do more?"
There was. I spent the next forty-five minutes reviving the day of their death, how did we find out, and the reactions at home. Who had looked content with their deaths at the funeral service and they also asked for more information on Rupert McCarthy since the only thing they knew was that he and Diana were having an affair. While answering all those questions, there were others I was desperate to know. I couldn't still wrap my mind around the fact that it had been my dad the one who put those photos on the Wall Street Journal and as a consequence of that I would not get the CEO job.
"I think that's all," Julia said as she stood up from the couch. "Thank you for your cooperation. It's been very helpful with all this information. As we said before you might not believe he is capable but a lot of people do things we don't think they are capable of. So, we are not going to discharge Rupert McCarthy."
"We also would like to speak to your wife," Ethan said as he too stood up from the couch. It was also the first time someone other than my family and I, had called Elle my wife. Well, she was but it was weird hearing someone refer to her as my wife.
"I understand but...." Elle had suffered so much that I didn't want to put her through this. "Is it really necessary?"
"Sure, she might have details we don't know," Ethan replied confused.
I sighed. "Look, Elle... she lost her mother and sister when she was twelve years old and now her dad. She's still grieving and I don't want to put her through this. She doesn't know there is an investigation open. Unless is really necessary, could you put it off talking with her? If you want to know anything I can tell you."
Ethan took a long look and chuckled while he put his black trench coat on. "And you still say, you and Mrs. Van Lowden don't get along."
"It's complicated," I decided to say instead. "Are we in agreement?"
"For now," Ethan says as he shook my hand.