Nina kept the tablet between us as rain tapped softly against the windshield.<\/p>\n
For several seconds, I could only stare at Melissa's name.<\/p>\n
Beneficial owner.<\/p>\n
Northstar Ventures.<\/p>\n
Sixteen-point-two million dollars.<\/p>\n
Twelve million transferred overseas forty-eight hours before our anniversary dinner.<\/p>\n
The dinner where she had leaned toward Daniel and whispered that I could no longer do anything.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did the twelve million go?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have an intermediary bank in the Cayman Islands.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFinal destination?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStill tracing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho authorized it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nina enlarged the transaction record.<\/p>\n
\u201cPaul initiated it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Melissa?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHer digital approval appears on the secondary authorization.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt my jaw tighten.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told me the seventy-five thousand was personal help from Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe lied.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOr somebody used her name.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nina looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think that's possible?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith this family, I think anything is possible until we have proof.\u201d<\/p>\n
That wasn't generosity.<\/p>\n
It was discipline.<\/p>\n
I had learned, painfully, that anger rushed toward conclusions faster than evidence did.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan we freeze Northstar?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot directly. It isn't a Prescott Logistics account.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the money came from Prescott.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt least seven million we can substantiate right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen start recovery proceedings.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI already called our banking counsel.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew I'd say that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI hoped you would.\u201d<\/p>\n
My phone lit up.<\/p>\n
Melissa.<\/p>\n
The timing was almost absurd.<\/p>\n
I showed Nina.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnswer.\u201d<\/p>\n
I did.<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa sounded breathless.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere are you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to talk to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout Northstar?\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Not long.<\/p>\n
But enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat's Northstar?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nina raised one eyebrow.<\/p>\n
I stared through the windshield.<\/p>\n
\u201cMelissa.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know what you're talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNorthstar Ventures.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe company registered with you as beneficial owner.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her breathing changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel told you that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen who?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn't matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, it does.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTwelve million dollars left Northstar two days before dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n
She stopped breathing for a second.<\/p>\n
I heard it.<\/p>\n
Then:<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't transfer anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour authorization is attached.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere are you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt Mom's.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStay there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Nina and I are coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
That answer came instantly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't want lawyers involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLawyers became involved when millions of dollars moved through an account carrying your name.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know anything about millions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen you should have no problem explaining seventy-five thousand.\u201d<\/p>\n
She began crying.<\/p>\n
Not loudly.<\/p>\n
Melissa had always known how to cry without damaging her mascara.<\/p>\n
\u201cI needed help.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou wouldn't understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTry me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel said it was fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was fine?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPaying off some things.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSeventy-five thousand dollars' worth?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI had debts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCredit cards.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything else?\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cMelissa.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI borrowed money.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI said I'm not discussing this over the phone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nina mouthed, Ask about Northstar.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you sign anything for a company called Northstar Ventures?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Paul Mercer ever ask you to sign business documents?\u201d<\/p>\n
Another silence.<\/p>\n
This one was different.<\/p>\n
Longer.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nina straightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat documents?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThink.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said Daniel needed them for tax planning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe six.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the last year.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did they say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't read them.\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n
Of course.<\/p>\n
Daniel didn't read legal documents.<\/p>\n
Melissa didn't read financial documents.<\/p>\n
People signed pages because someone familiar told them to.<\/p>\n
And then millions moved.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you sign electronically?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Paul have access to your email?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour phone?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour passwords?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely not.\u201d<\/p>\n
She sounded offended.<\/p>\n
That was interesting.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen how did he process approvals?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMelissa, twelve million dollars left an account with your name attached to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI told you, I don't know anything about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did the seventy-five thousand go?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPersonal expenses.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShow me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBank statements.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen Nina will subpoena them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her crying stopped.<\/p>\n
The silence became hard.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're threatening me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I'm telling you what happens next.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou've always hated me.\u201d<\/p>\n
There it was.<\/p>\n
The emotional detour.<\/p>\n
Melissa used it the way Daniel used charm.<\/p>\n
Redirect the conversation away from facts.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't hate you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, you do.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI dislike being lied to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think you're better than everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always did.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Nina.<\/p>\n
She was writing notes.<\/p>\n
\u201cMelissa, did Daniel tell you he was selling Prescott Logistics?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said he might buy you out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMonths ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he tell you where the money would come from?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he tell you I was ill?\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
My hand tightened around the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cMelissa.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said you were having problems.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMemory problems.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you believed him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou saw me regularly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou seemed stressed.\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed once.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo stress became cognitive impairment?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't know what was true.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYet you whispered at dinner that I couldn't do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
She went quiet.<\/p>\n
Nina looked up.<\/p>\n
I continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't remember saying that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have the video.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her breath caught.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat exactly did Daniel tell you before dinner?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMelissa.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said everything was almost done.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was almost done?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe buyout.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why did you think I had lost the power to act?\u201d<\/p>\n
No answer.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he tell you my voting rights were gone?\u201d<\/p>\n
A quiet sound escaped her.<\/p>\n
Not a word.<\/p>\n
But close.<\/p>\n
\u201cMelissa.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said paperwork had been handled.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat paperwork?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas my name mentioned?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas the doctor letter mentioned?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGuardianship?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPower of attorney?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
I pressed two fingers against my temple.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho told you Northstar was tax planning?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPaul.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Daniel know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI assumed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat wasn't my question.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
The call had become more useful than I expected.<\/p>\n
Melissa had lied.<\/p>\n
But some of her fear sounded real.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon't destroy your phone,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon't delete messages. Don't erase emails. Don't throw away documents.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm not a criminal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope not.\u201d<\/p>\n
I ended the call.<\/p>\n
Nina looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe knows more.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you believe she controlled Northstar?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're sure?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. But she reacted like someone who signed something stupid, not someone who moved twelve million dollars offshore.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nina nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had the same impression.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen Paul matters more.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe've been trying to locate him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAny luck?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe turned off his phone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHome?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEmpty.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCar?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot there.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked toward Daniel's townhouse.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe's running.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPossibly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOr someone told him to disappear.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nina didn't answer.<\/p>\n
At 7:02, Marcus called.<\/p>\n
IT had recovered part of Paul's deleted files.<\/p>\n
One folder was labeled succession.<\/p>\n
Inside were draft documents for transferring operational authority from me to Daniel.<\/p>\n
Another was labeled Northstar.<\/p>\n
\u201cSend everything,\u201d Nina said.<\/p>\n
Marcus hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are audio files too.\u201d<\/p>\n
My skin prickled.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat audio files?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMeetings.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI've only listened to thirty seconds.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho did you hear?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel. Paul. Andrew.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone else?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cMelissa.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nina and I exchanged a look.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFour months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSend it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The file arrived before Marcus disconnected.<\/p>\n
Nina connected her tablet to the car audio.<\/p>\n
The recording began with chairs moving and glasses touching a table.<\/p>\n
Daniel's voice came first.<\/p>\n
We only need Claire out of the decision chain long enough to close.<\/p>\n
Andrew answered.<\/p>\n
And after?<\/p>\n
Daniel said:<\/p>\n
After the debt is cleared, I fix everything.<\/p>\n
Then Paul spoke.<\/p>\n
You're assuming Holbrook doesn't discover the exposure.<\/p>\n
Daniel replied:<\/p>\n
They won't if Northstar absorbs it first.<\/p>\n
I turned toward Nina.<\/p>\n
She paused the recording.<\/p>\n
\u201cNorthstar wasn't only hiding money.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was hiding the losses.\u201d<\/p>\n
She resumed.<\/p>\n
Paul asked who would own the entity.<\/p>\n
Daniel answered:<\/p>\n
Not me. Too obvious.<\/p>\n
Then Melissa's voice.<\/p>\n
Mine?<\/p>\n
The recording stopped.<\/p>\n
I stared at the dashboard.<\/p>\n
Nina replayed the last twenty seconds.<\/p>\n
Melissa again.<\/p>\n
Mine?<\/p>\n
Daniel:<\/p>\n
Temporarily.<\/p>\n
Melissa:<\/p>\n
Do I get anything for doing this?<\/p>\n
Andrew laughed.<\/p>\n
Daniel said:<\/p>\n
You'll be taken care of.<\/p>\n
The rest of the file was corrupted.<\/p>\n
For a moment, I felt nothing.<\/p>\n
Then anger came slowly.<\/p>\n
Not explosive.<\/p>\n
Dense.<\/p>\n
Settling into every space.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe knew.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe not everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
I called Melissa again.<\/p>\n
She answered immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou lied to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI heard the recording.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Northstar meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel asked to use your name.\u201d<\/p>\n
She began crying again.<\/p>\n
This time I didn't respond.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou asked what you'd get.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought it was some tax company.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou asked what you'd get.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said it wasn't illegal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you receive?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBesides seventy-five thousand dollars?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was separate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much were you promised?\u201d<\/p>\n
She hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cMelissa.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOne percent.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sale.\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n
Forty-two million.<\/p>\n
One percent.<\/p>\n
Four hundred twenty thousand dollars.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou sold your silence for a promised commission.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat would you call it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought Daniel was buying you out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never asked me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said you agreed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd when he told you my rights had been handled?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought you'd signed something.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd when he said I was having memory problems?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't know he was lying.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn't ask.\u201d<\/p>\n
She broke.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was scared!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLosing everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
The answer came out almost as a scream.<\/p>\n
I went still.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
Her voice dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel pays for Mom's house.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe pays Dad's mortgage.\u201d<\/p>\n
I didn't know that.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe covers my loans.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Nina.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe pays Andrew. He helps everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUsing company money.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you knew your life depended on him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd if I regained control?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou would've stopped it.\u201d<\/p>\n
There it was.<\/p>\n
Not hatred.<\/p>\n
Dependency.<\/p>\n
They didn't need me to be incapable because they despised me.<\/p>\n
They needed me incapable because my authority threatened the flow of money supporting them.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is Paul?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon't lie again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he contact you today?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYesterday?\u201d<\/p>\n
A pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe told me to move money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nina leaned closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat money?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe gave me instructions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYesterday morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore dinner?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat exactly?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said Northstar was being closed and money had to go into a protected account.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTwelve million?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't know the amount until later.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did he tell you to send it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't send anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour approval is there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe sent me a link. I clicked approve.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did the page say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTransfer authorization.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou clicked it without reading?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought it was something Daniel needed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did the money go?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho does?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPaul.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen did you last see him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYesterday afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMom's house.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked toward Nina.<\/p>\n
\u201cWas Daniel there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAndrew?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat were Paul and Andrew doing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cArguing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn't hear everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you hear?\u201d<\/p>\n
Another pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cAndrew kept saying Paul had changed the deal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat deal?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did Paul say?\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa sniffed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said Daniel had already lost and there was no reason they should lose with him.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sentence changed the entire shape of the problem.<\/p>\n
Northstar hadn't merely been part of Daniel's scheme.<\/p>\n
Paul might have hijacked it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat time did Paul leave?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAround five.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he take anything?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA black duffel bag.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHis laptop.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did he say he was going?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe didn't.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Andrew follow him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Andrew was on the phone with someone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThink.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI heard a name.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat name?\u201d<\/p>\n
She paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cVictor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nina's expression sharpened.<\/p>\n
I covered the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is Victor?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
I returned to the call.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast name?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI never heard it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAndrew said something about Ridgewell.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at Nina.<\/p>\n
\u201cExact words.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa breathed slowly.<\/p>\n
Then repeated what she had heard.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell Victor Ridgewell gets paid when we get paid.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nina immediately began searching.<\/p>\n
I didn't need to understand yet.<\/p>\n
I only needed to recognize the implication.<\/p>\n
Andrew wasn't merely helping Daniel.<\/p>\n
He had his own arrangement.<\/p>\n
Possibly with whoever controlled the overseas transfer.<\/p>\n
\u201cMelissa.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not speak to Daniel, Andrew, Charles, or Paul.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause right now I don't know which of them is protecting you and which of them is preparing to blame you.\u201d<\/p>\n
She began to protest.<\/p>\n
I ended the call.<\/p>\n
Nina was already dialing one of her investigators.<\/p>\n
\u201cFind every Victor connected to Andrew Bell, Ridgewell, Northstar, and Holbrook.\u201d<\/p>\n
She disconnected and looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel's conspiracy is splitting.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think that's good?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked back at the townhouse.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut people tell the truth faster when they stop trusting each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nina kept the tablet between us as rain tapped softly against the windshield. For several seconds, I could only stare at Melissa's name. Beneficial owner. Northstar Ventures. Sixteen-point-two million dollars. … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25669,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25678","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25678","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=25678"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25678\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25724,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25678\/revisions\/25724"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/25669"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=25678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=25678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=25678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}