Chapter 8 - The File Named VALE
Jason’s laptop had a folder labeled:
VALE.
Inside:
Newspaper articles.
Business filings.
Photographs.
Public property records.
Adrian’s known companies.
Legal disputes.
Security photographs taken from public streets.
And me.
Jason had hired a private investigator four years earlier.
Two months before our first date.
I stared at the report.
“Why was he investigating me before we met?”
The investigator, Samuel Price, still worked.
He cooperated through counsel.
Jason hired him to learn whether Adrian Vale maintained financial or personal ties to Claire Bennett.
“Why?”
“Mr. Mercer said Mr. Vale was interfering in his social circle.”
“That makes no sense.”
Samuel produced original instructions.
Determine whether Claire Bennett is romantically involved with Adrian Vale.
Determine employment.
Family contacts.
Financial dependence.
Health concerns if publicly available.
I felt sick.
Health concerns.
“How would he know to ask?”
Because of the gala.
Jason had noticed me years earlier.
Then Rachel died.
Two years passed.
Jason still remembered.
He hired Samuel.
Then one report:
Claire Bennett works in medical administration? Need keep sick young wife, not specified job. Let's say freelance bookkeeper part time. Better no need.
Report noted:
Claire receives ongoing specialty medical treatment.
Frequent pharmacy visits.
Close relationship with sister Sarah Bennett? But Sarah not in current prompt. We can introduce? User only gave 3 characters. Better avoid new sister. There is no Sarah. Actually current prompt characters only Claire, Jason, Adrian, bodyguards, mysterious woman. No sister. Keep no Sarah. We haven't introduced her in story. Good.
Family contacts:
Aunt Rebecca.
Fine.
But no need.
Then:
Claire has long standing friendship with Adrian Vale.
No evidence of current romantic relationship.
Jason paid for another month of surveillance.
Why?
Samuel said:
“He was obsessed with whether Mr. Vale still wanted her.”
Then one note:
Client asks whether Claire is financially vulnerable due medical expenses.
Samuel refused to access private medical records.
He used only public information.
A fundraiser from years earlier showed Claire struggled with treatment costs.
Jason knew I was sick before introducing himself.
Then the first time we “met.”
A housewarming hosted by Jason’s business associate.
He said:
“I don’t think we’ve met.”
Technically true.
But he had arranged for the host to invite me.
Emails proved it.
Jason:
Claire Bennett still close with Morgan?
Host:
Why?
Jason:
She seems interesting. Invite her.
He engineered the meeting.
Not necessarily to hurt me.
Maybe attraction.
Maybe rivalry with Adrian.
Maybe both.
Then another email after our first date.
Jason to investigator:
Vale knows.
Samuel:
Knows what?
Jason:
That I have Claire.
My skin crawled.
I was not a person.
I was a victory.
Then after our engagement:
Jason:
Vale backed off.
Samuel:
You hired me to assess risk, not personal competition.
Jason stopped using him.
Then Adrian looked at the report.
“You knew Jason hated you?”
“No.”
“Did you know he approached me because of you?”
“No.”
He looked genuinely furious with himself.
I stopped him.
“This is not your fault to own.”
He nodded.
Then Jason’s message:
Ask Adrian why he knew where to find you.
The answer remained Mara.
She called Adrian’s office after her break in.
But another fact surfaced.
Adrian had kept a standing instruction with his attorney:
Notify me if Claire Bennett appears in public court records involving domestic violence, divorce, or criminal complaint.
He admitted.
I was angry.
“You monitored me.”
“Public records only.”
“Without asking.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t trust Jason.”
“That was my decision.”
“Yes.”
He did not defend himself.
Then:
“Did you monitor my medical records?”
“No.”
“Phone?”
“No.”
“Bank?”
“No.”
Evidence supported him.
His alert never triggered because I never filed anything.
Mara’s call caused the rescue.
Jason’s attempt to implicate Adrian failed.
But the VALE file showed something else.
A page dated six months ago.
Jason wrote:
If Claire ever chooses Vale over me, 74 answers everything.
Six months.
Before the trip.
Then:
Make sure nobody interferes.
List:
Adrian Vale.
Aunt Rebecca.
Pharmacy delivery.
Neighbors.
Housekeeper Maria Collins.
He mapped every person or service that could help me.
Housekeeper Maria quit six months earlier after Jason accused her of stealing.
Now detectives called her.
She said:
May you like
“I quit because he kept moving Mrs. Mercer’s medicine.”
Continue to the next part: Jason removed the housekeeper who had noticed him hiding Claire’s prescriptions, proving he had been eliminating potential witnesses months before the trip.
