Chapter 8 - Voices in the Hallway
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Corbin pressed his shoulder against the wall, his jaw clenched tight.
Inside the apartment, he heard the sound of footsteps, followed by the rustle of paper.
“Is this what you’re so afraid of, Mr. Sterling?” Lianna asked, her voice suddenly turning sharp with anger.
Corbin peeked through the keyhole. He could see Lianna standing near a small dining table, holding a thick, faded blue document envelope with rusted metal clasps.
Sterling extended a gloved hand. “Hand it over, Lianna. There is another twenty thousand dollars in cash in my briefcase. Hand over the envelope, and you will never see me again.”
Lianna pulled the envelope back, clutching it against her chest.
“Ethan didn't die because of a fallen scaffold, did he?” Lianna challenged, tears streaming down her face. “I was too scared to read these papers four years ago. But after Austin was born, I opened this envelope. Ethan wrote everything down in his logbook before he died!”
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Sterling took a threatening step forward. “Lianna, don't be foolish.”
“He found out that Stanford Development was using substandard concrete on the foundation pillars of the Harbor Tower!” Lianna shouted, her voice echoing into the hallway. “He refused to sign off on the safety certificates! And three days after he threatened to go to the state inspectors, he conveniently fell four stories from a structure he had inspected a hundred times!”
