For now, things no longer feel the same at Carter Media offices. Silence seemed to pervade the atmosphere. The usual polite nods from colleagues now edged with suspicion. Since the sudden death of Mr. Carter, tongues had been set wagging.
Linda had submitted her preliminary report on her findings that linked some executives to Mr. Carter's demise. Ben, the new CEO, lauded her courage, urging her to dig further and take the investigation to conclusion.
Ben spoke, his eyes held a glint of something else: a plea, almost a command. "Dig more and find them, Linda," he'd said, his voice low, "Find out who did this to uncle Rhodes... to us."
The initial surge of adrenaline had simmered down, replaced by a gnawing unease. Linda dug deeper, poring over financial records, leaked emails, including Rhodes Carter's meticulously kept notebooks.
Whispered rumors of a power struggle within the board could also not be ignored. Each new discovery felt like stepping onto thinner ice.
Then came the first threat. An email, anonymous, the subject line simply, "STOP." The message was brief: "Dig any further and you'll regret it. This is your only warning." Linda printed it, the stark black letters a physical manifestation of the danger she was facing. She showed it to Ben, whose face grew dark, his jaw clenched. "Take it seriously, Linda. These people are no jokers. Let me get you a security cover."
Linda did not agree to be provided with security detail. She knew that bodyguards would only make her more visible and easy to target. Above all, such arrangement would hinder her free movement and make information gathering difficult.
She had not faced a threat to her life like this before. However, she remains determined to uncover the truth, at all cost.
The threats heightened. First, she had a suspicious flat tire on her car. Then there was a subsequent shadowy figure lurking outside her apartment at late nights. This was followed by a phone call, a distorted voice whispering promises of pain if she proceeded with the investigation.
Fear now turned to be her constant companion; a cold knot in her stomach. The perpetrators had become monitoring spirits, waiting for her to slip up.
Then came the turning point during a supposed "accident." She was crossing a busy street and all of a sudden, a car swerved, narrowly missing her. She escaped the deliberate attempt narrowly. She got thoroughly shaken. It came to her realization that she could no longer continue with her investigation openly. Her visibility had turned to liability.
Linda met Ben that evening at a dimly lit bar, tucked away in a quiet corner of the city. "I must stop," she whispered. "The perpetrators are making it impossible. I can no longer risk putting myself, or anyone else, in harm's way."
Thoughtfully, Ben nodded, his expression grave. "I surely feel for you. However, the truth must come out somehow."
"It will surely do," Linda replied, a steely resolve hardening her gaze. "But my tactics must change. I'm going underground."
She outlined her plan: cultivating sources within the company who she trusted, using encrypted communication channels, and feeding information to a sympathetic journalist at another publication. It would be slower, more dangerous, but it was the only way.
They reached a decision. Linda Carter, the fearless investigative journalist, had disappeared from Mr. Carter's case. However the investigation continued in the shadows. The pair was now fueled by a burning desire for justice. Their determination to expose the truth got stronger.
...
The luxury private jet sliced through the twilight sky, and left the shimmering lights of New York City far behind. Ben the CEO of CMC stared out the window. The city was shrinking below a tangible representation of the chaos he was leaving behind.
By his side was Linda. Her brow furrowed as she kept reviewing the documents on her tablet. He had traded the gleaming glass and steel of Carter Media headquarters for the cramped leather interior of this luxury private jet. Upon that, the weight felt heavier on his shoulders.
Rhodes' death still felt to him like a raw wound. It remained a gaping hole in the carefully constructed façade of Carter Media. Ben's new role as CEO was an unanticipated responsibility; particularly under such grim circumstances.
Ben never imagined that there existed within his family's company, the revelations so far regarding Rhodes Carter's demise.
"Is there anything new?" Ben asked, breaking the silence.
Linda looked up from her tablet, her expression grave. "The forensic accounting team just concluded their initial review. They came up with having identified irregularities in several financial records. All have been traced back to… well, to both Dan Stratton and your cousin, Arthur."
Dan Stratton, the CFO, had been in the services of CMC for decades. Not just that, he was a trusted confidant of Rhodes. Arthur, Ben's own cousin, was the COO, who was popularly regarded as a rising star within the organization.
They both loomed large in Ben's life. Hence, the implication of their involvement in something that led to Rhodes' death was a devastating gut punch to him.
Ben ran a hand through his hair, to depict his frustration. Dan he could somehow understand: ambition, money, power. But Arthur? He recalled summers spent with his cousin. They had shared dreams and youthful exuberance. How could Arthur be capable of such a betrayal?
"What kind of irregularities?" Ben pressed further.
"The siphoning of funds, offshore accounts, questionable transactions… signs generally referred to as embezzlement," Linda responded, her voice clinical. "The money flows are still being tracked, but it's significant, Ben. Sufficiently significant to suggest a motive."
A motive... motive for what? Ben thought grimly. Fraud, yes, but murder? He found it difficult to reconcile the image of either man, especially Arthur, in connection to the cold-blooded act of killing Rhodes. Yet, the evidence kept mounting.
This trip, ostensibly a much-needed break, was a retreat for strategy. Ben had been sensing a shift in the atmosphere at Carter Media. There had been a tension that was palpable. Then lately, a feeling of being watched.
The perpetrators knew he was closing in on them. So, he feared the drastic measures they might take to protect themselves. This informed the hasty departure, the need to regroup and strategize with Linda away from prying eyes.
The current struggle which he was ill prepared for, was tearing him apart. Loyalty to his family which was a long forged bond in blood and shared history, clashed violently with the need for justice for Rhodes. How was he going to condemn Arthur if he was truly involved? Then the last big question: could he really betray the memory of his uncle by turning a blind eye?
He closed his eyes, the image of Rhodes' smiling face flashing in his mind. He remembered Rhodes' booming laughter, his unwavering belief in fairness and integrity. He knew what his uncle would want him to do.
Linda looked into Ben's eyes and was shocked to see him in a rage; eyes turned red. Then he spat fire: "Linda," his voice firm despite the turmoil within, "What I want is everything. No holding back. And no exceptions. I don't really care who's involved. Just go ahead and find the truth, irrespective of where it leads."
He gazed directly into Linda's eyes, the weight of his decision settling on his shoulder. His sudden realization was that justice demanded sacrifice, even if that sacrifice meant shattering his family.
The luxury jet continued its journey into the night, carrying Ben further from the familiar, and closer to a truth that threatened to consume him.