Chapter Six: The Card Beneath the Body

For one second, no one moved.

The access card rested inside the transparent evidence bag, black against the technician’s gloved hand. My name and photograph were visible beneath the security seal.

ADRIAN VALE — EXECUTIVE CLEARANCE

Chairman Hale’s expression changed first.

Not surprise.

Satisfaction.

It vanished almost immediately, replaced by carefully measured concern.

“This is extremely troubling,” he said.

I looked at the body again.

Elias Mercer lay beneath the white sheet, one arm exposed, his skin pale beneath the fluorescent lights. My access card had been found beneath him, positioned where security would discover it within minutes.

Too obvious.

Too convenient.

Someone wanted me accused before the police even arrived.

The head of security cleared his throat.

“Chairman Vale, can you account for your card?”

I reached into the inner pocket of my jacket.

Empty.

My pulse sharpened.

I checked the other pocket, then my trousers, though I already knew what I would find.

Nothing.

The card in the evidence bag was mine.

Marcus stepped closer.

“You had it this morning.”

“I used it to enter the executive floor.”

“When did you last see it?”

Before I could answer, Hale spoke.

“Perhaps Chairman Vale should avoid making further statements until the police arrive.”

His tone sounded protective.

It was not.

He wanted the room to hear that I needed protection from my own words.

“I do not require your legal advice,” I said.

“You may require more than advice.”

Ronan moved beside me.

The action was subtle, but everyone noticed.

“You seem unusually eager to declare him guilty,” he said.

Hale turned toward him.

“I declared nothing.”

“You called him incapable ten minutes ago. Now his card appears beneath a dead man.”

“I am observing facts.”

“No,” Ronan said. “You are arranging them.”

The atmosphere in the garage tightened.

One of the board members shifted uncomfortably.

Hale’s eyes narrowed.

“You should be careful, Mr. Ashcroft. This is a Silverfang matter.”

“A Helix officer is dead during a negotiation involving my company. That makes it my matter.”

The distant sound of sirens echoed through the underground entrance.

The police were close.

Once they arrived, every word would become official.

Every expression would be remembered.

I forced my thoughts into order.

The access card had been taken after I entered the building. My briefcase had also been opened. The suppressant had been removed and planted beneath my chair. The thief had access to my belongings and enough knowledge to understand my routine.

Someone had been close to me.

Very close.

I turned to Marcus.

“Who entered my office before the meeting?”

His face tightened.

“Only the cleaning staff and your physician’s courier.”

“What courier?”

“The medical package delivered around nine.”

I stared at him.

“I received no package.”

Marcus looked genuinely confused.

“The receptionist signed for it. I placed it on your desk myself.”

“There was nothing on my desk when I arrived.”

Silence followed.

Ronan’s gaze sharpened.

“What did the package look like?”

“White medical transport case,” Marcus said. “Silver seal. Vale family authorization code.”

My father’s authorization code was restricted.

Only family members, senior medical staff, and two personal assistants had access to it.

Hale folded his hands behind his back.

“This speculation changes nothing. Adrian’s card was found beneath the victim.”

“It changes everything,” I replied.

I looked toward the head of security.

“I want the footage from the executive floor, service entrance, and underground garage.”

He hesitated.

“There is a problem.”

Of course there was.

“What problem?”

“The camera system suffered an interruption at the same time as the power failure.”

“How long?”

“Eleven minutes.”

Ronan glanced toward Elevator Three.

“Long enough to enter Adrian’s office, steal the report, attack him, and reach the garage.”

The security chief’s face hardened.

“You were in his office?”

Hale’s attention snapped toward us.

I felt Marcus tense beside me.

Ronan answered without hesitation.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“We were discussing the negotiations.”

“In a locked office during a power outage?”

Ronan’s expression remained calm.

“I prefer privacy.”

It was a believable lie because arrogance suited him.

The security chief did not look convinced.

Neither did Hale.

The sirens grew louder.

I looked at the access card again.

“Do not release that evidence to anyone except the police.”

The security chief frowned.

“You think someone here might interfere?”

“I know someone already has.”

A sudden movement near the victim caught my attention.

One of the forensic technicians lifted the sheet slightly while adjusting its position.

Something dark marked Elias Mercer’s neck.

“Stop,” I said.

The technician froze.

I stepped closer.

“What is that?”

The security chief moved between me and the body.

“You should keep your distance.”

Ronan crouched beside the exposed shoulder, careful not to touch it.

Two small puncture marks sat beneath the victim’s jaw.

They were barely visible.

Not a blade wound.

Not an injection.

A bite.

Marcus inhaled sharply.

Hale’s face remained still, but one of the board members stepped back.

Ronan rose slowly.

“That is not how scent activators are administered.”

“What are you suggesting?” Hale asked.

Ronan looked at the dead man.

“I’m suggesting he was bitten before he died.”

The garage fell silent again.

In our world, bites carried meaning.

Dominance.

Claiming.

Punishment.

But a bite deep enough to kill required either uncontrolled strength or deliberate brutality.

The security chief examined the marks.

“Could an Alpha have done this?”

“Yes,” Ronan said.

Hale looked directly at me.

The implication was immediate.

I was publicly known as an Alpha.

My access card had been found beneath the victim.

Now the body carried an Alpha bite.

The trap was tightening.

Then Elias Mercer’s phone began to ring beneath the sheet.

The sound startled everyone.

The technician reached into the victim’s jacket and removed the device.

The screen displayed no name.

Only a private number.

The ringing stopped.

A message appeared immediately afterward.

The technician glanced at the screen, then looked toward the security chief.

“What does it say?” I asked.

He hesitated.

Hale stepped forward.

“Read it.”

The technician swallowed.

Then he spoke.

“Payment confirmed. Vale will take the blame.”

Every eye in the garage turned toward me.

My heart struck once, hard.

Ronan moved closer, his voice low enough for only me to hear.

“They’re not trying to remove you from the acquisition anymore.”

I stared at the dead man, the bite marks, and the card carrying my name.

“What are they trying to do?”

Ronan’s expression darkened.

“Destroy you before you can discover why Helix wanted you alive.”