Lorcan doesn’t even look rattled.
“You of all people should know how easy it is to manufacture a paper trail. After all, you’ve been doing it for years.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“That’s how you were keeping your son secret, wasn’t it? Fake birth dates and certificates to throw Smirnov off his scent.”
Something in my chest cracks.
“Leave Scout out of this,” I growl.
“I’m just pointing out the hypocrisy,” Lorcan says coolly. “You built an empire on lies to keep your child safe, and now you’re shocked someone else might have done the same.”
I’m on him in a second, my fist slamming into his face hard enough to snap his head sideways.
Brennan curses from across the room but doesn’t dare intervene as Lorcan coughs, spitting blood onto the floor.
“There he is,” he rasps. “I was wondering when you would stop pretending this was about justice.”
I force myself to step back, breathing hard as I rub my aching knuckles.
“You used three intermediaries to move the money. Irish accounts that were routed straight back into Smirnov territory.”
Lorcan’s eyes sharpen.
“But you got sloppy,” I continue. “That’s how I was able to pinpoint one recurring transfer. The same amount of money at the start of every quarter, transferred straight into an account Adrian Smirnov controls.”
“That proves nothing.”
“It proves partnership. And it proves motive.”
I flip another page and shove it closer to his face.
“You were paying him long before my father died. And the payments spiked six weeks before Seamus Sullivan was killed.”
Brennan inhales sharply behind me.
Lorcan exhales slowly, leaning back as far as the restraints allow.
“So… You finally followed the money.”
“No. I followed you.”
I crouch in front of him, forcing his attention. “You met Smirnov three days before my father died. There was no cell phone activity, and no witnesses, but you forgot one thing.”
“And what was that,dearnephew?”
“Smirnov documents everything because he doesn’t trust anyone. Not even you.”
For the first time, Lorcan’s jaw tightens.
“And then there’s the cleanup,” I continue. “The payout after the murder, routed through a charitable foundation in your mother’s name.”
Lorcan lets out a quiet laugh. “I’m surprised you didn’t save this part for Ronan. He always loves a dramatic reveal.”
“This is enough to bury you. It’s enough to turn every ally you have into an enemy.”
Lorcan tilts his head, studying me now with renewed interest. “What’s funny about this is that you would only have known about this information from one source. It’s not the sort of thing I would have kept lying around. So, tell me, Cormac, did you search the laptop first or did Fiona hand over the information?”
