“Darren confided in me several times during the weeks before he disappeared,” she explained. “At first, he framed his concerns as internal disagreements within King Enterprises. He believed certain financial transfers were being routed through offshore accounts without proper oversight.”
Agent Walker listened without interrupting. The man beside her took notes.
Mom continued. “Those concerns escalated during the final week before he vanished. Darren printed several emails and gave them to me for safekeeping, along with some handwritten notes. He believed individuals within the company were deliberately obscuring the paper trail.” She pushed a thin folder across the table.
The agent opened the folder and scanned the contents. Inside were printed emails, transaction summaries, and handwritten notes on lined paper Darren had left behind—the edges torn from a notebook. Those were the pages missing from the notebook Luke and I had found in her dresser.
Agent Walker scanned the documents silently before looking up again. “When did he give these to you?”
“Three days before he went missing.”
“Did he express concern for his safety?”
Mom paused. “Yes.”
The room grew still. “What specifically did he say?” the agent asked.
“He told me he believed someone inside the company knew he was looking too closely at the accounts.”
Agent Walker leaned back slightly in her chair. “And did he name anyone?”
Mom shook her head. “No. He was still trying to confirm his suspicions.”
The agent studied her carefully. “Did he mention Dunn Industries?”
The question hung in the air.
Mom’s expression didn’t change. “He mentioned several outside partnerships King Enterprises maintained,” she answered. “Dunn Industries appeared among them.”
Agent Walker nodded slowly. The man beside her continued writing.
“And the night he disappeared?” the agent asked.
Mom folded her hands on the table.
“He called me shortly after work. He sounded unsettled. He told me he intended to confront someone about the transfers the following day.”
“What happened after that?”
Her gaze shifted to Nick, who gave a slight shake of his head, barely perceptible. “I never heard from him again.”
Silence blanketed the room. Agent Walker closed the folder gently. “This information aligns with several irregularities we’ve been reviewing.” Her delivery was calm, but the message wasn’t.
Mom’s shoulders remained steady, though I knew how much effort that composure cost her. “Does that mean you believe Darren was involved in something illegal?”
“No.” Agent Walker’s tone turned more direct. “It means we believe he may have uncovered something between King and Dunn.” She rifled through the papers one more time. “Do you have anything else from Darren Langley?”
Mom shook her head slowly. “No. I’m sorry. That’s all he gave me.”
There was more, quite a lot. But Luke’s PI had it in his possession, and I wasn’t sure I trusted these two agents enough to say anything about it.
Edwardo shifted slightly in his chair beside me. “What happens now?”
Agent Walker rested her hands on the table. “Investigations involving corporate structures and offshore financial networks take time,” she explained. “However, the documents Ms. Callahan provided offer direction.”
“So you’ll pursue it?”
Agent Walker held her gaze. “Yes.”
