I woke up the following morning feeling even more determined. I could no longer afford to remain silent while Harold and his allies threatened James and me. Now was the moment to act.
"Okay, so where do we start?" James was sitting on the couch, his forehead wrinkled in thought, when I asked, pacing the room.
He said in a low, serious voice, "Well, we know the threats are probably coming from someone connected to Harold." "So, we need to dig into his business dealings and see if we can find any shady associates."
I nodded, experiencing an increase in energy. "Okay, let's get started. I'll start by looking through the corporate files to see if anything looks fishy."
We combed through contracts, meeting minutes, and financial accounts for hours, looking for any hints that would point us in the direction of the threats. I couldn't stop staring at the computer screen even though it was straining my eyes.
James blurted out, "Wait, I think I found something," with a hint of enthusiasm in his voice. Michael Russo is one of Harold's business associates. He has previously been a part of several dubious transactions."
With my heart pounding, I leaned over his shoulder to look over the material. "Michael Russo? I am familiar with that name. Is he not the person who was a part of the scandal involving the money laundering a few years back?"
With a somber gaze, James nodded. "Exactly the same. And get this: he's been contributing significantly to an offshore account connected to Harold."
I exclaimed, "Bingo," with a mixture of relief and fear. "I think we just found our culprit."
James stated, "But we need more evidence," in a firm voice. "We can't just accuse him without proof."
"Okay, let's grab it," I said, my eyes glimmering with resolve. "I'm not going to let them intimidate us anymore."
We decided to find out more about Michael Russo and his relationship with Harold that day. We began by drinking coffee at a nearby café as we went through the documents we had acquired.
"Okay, so we know that Russo has been making regular deposits into an offshore account linked to Harold," I continued, my thoughts racing. "But we need to find out what he's getting in return."
James nodded, his face contemplative. "It seems like we should look more closely into Russo's financial activities. See if we can uncover any ties to Harold's business."
In an attempt to put the puzzle together, we spent the next few hours calling different sources and browsing online databases. Despite the slow and tiresome work, we persisted.
"Wait, I think I found something," I blurted out, my eyes enlarging. "Russo has been making some large donations to a charity that Harold's company has been sponsoring."
James leaned closer, scowling. "I find that to be intriguing. Do you believe it might be a means of directing funds?"
I said, "It's possible," with a sudden thrill. "We need to dig deeper into the charity's finances and see if we can find any discrepancies."
In an attempt to learn the facts, we spent the next few hours going through bank data and calling different people. Even though it was a difficult procedure, we persisted.
Just as we were heading out of the café, a shiver went down my spine. With my heart pounding, I muttered to James, "I think we're being followed."
He turned around, looking serious. "Where?"
"That car over there," I quietly nodded in response. "It's been behind us for the last few blocks."
James tightened his jaw as he nodded. "Let's get out of here."
We raced through the throng of people as we went down the street. However, the car seemed to be keeping up with us regardless of how quickly we were walking.
"They're not giving up," James uttered in a low, insistent voice. "We need to lose them."
Taking a tight alley, we hoped to get them off our trail. However, as we turned the corner, two hulking males with ominous attitudes met us directly.
"Well, well, well," exclaimed one of the men in a rough voice. "Look what we have here."
James moved ahead of me, tensed all over. "Who are you?"
"That's not important," the man said, squinting. "What is important is that you two stop poking your noses where they don't belong."
"Or what?" James retorted, his voice unwavering.
With a deepening look, the man laughed. "Or you'll find out just how dangerous it can be to cross Michael Russo."
The realization that these individuals were employed by Russo made my heart race. They were the ones who had been threatening us, and they had no problem using force to achieve their objectives.
As I said, "Listen," my voice wavered. "All we want to know is the reality. How is Russo related to Harold?"
Shaking his head, the man laughed. "You really have no idea what you're up against, do you?"
James grabbed my hand and dragged me down the alley before I could reply. With a rush in his voice, he exclaimed, "Run!"
With our hearts thumping in our chests, we sped through the tiny streets. The men had trailed closely behind us, the passageway resounding with their heavy footfall.
"This way!" James pulled me down a side street and yelled at me.
Eventually, we raced until our lungs burned and ducked into a bustling market. We navigated the aisles, attempting to get away from our assailants amidst the mayhem.
I allowed myself to finally catch my breath as we came out onto a busy street. "James," I uttered while trembling. "What the hell just happened?"
With protecting arms wrapped around me, he drew me in close. He said, "I don't know," in a quiet voice. "But one thing's for sure we're in way over our heads."
I nodded, both feeling determined and afraid. "So let's continue excavating. Whatever it takes, we have to find out what Russo and Harold are up to."
I couldn't get rid of the unsettling sensation that we were being watched as we returned to my place. The threats were genuine and would only intensify. But I was not going to give up. Whatever it cost me, I was determined to battle for the legacy of my family.