{"id":30000,"date":"2026-10-04T18:57:30","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T18:57:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=30000"},"modified":"2026-10-04T18:57:30","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T18:57:30","slug":"part-16-dad-went-to-the-lake-under-police-watch-and-the-man-waiting-there-finally-revealed-why-mom-had-chosen-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=30000","title":{"rendered":"PART 16 \u2013 Dad Went to the Lake Under Police Watch, and the Man Waiting There Finally Revealed Why Mom Had Chosen Me"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Dad did not go to the lake alone.<\/p>\n<p>He argued about it for nearly an hour.<\/p>\n<p>Victor had been explicit.<\/p>\n<p>Come alone.<\/p>\n<p>The sheriff was more explicit.<\/p>\n<p>Absolutely not.<\/p>\n<p>By dawn, a compromise existed.<\/p>\n<p>Dad would drive alone.<\/p>\n<p>Officers would remain out of sight.<\/p>\n<p>I would not go.<\/p>\n<p>That last part lasted until Dad reached for his keys.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m coming.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNatalie.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMom chose me. Victor keeps calling me. Someone impersonated me yesterday. I\u2019m not sitting in a stranger\u2019s spare bedroom while everyone discusses why.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad looked toward the sheriff.<\/p>\n<p>The sheriff sighed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe stays in a separate vehicle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad started to object.<\/p>\n<p>I interrupted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is the compromise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He stared at me.<\/p>\n<p>Then nodded.<\/p>\n<p>We left before sunrise.<\/p>\n<p>Fog lay low over the county roads.<\/p>\n<p>Dad drove his truck.<\/p>\n<p>The sheriff followed at a distance with me and Harold.<\/p>\n<p>Linda remained at the rental house under protection.<\/p>\n<p>Vanessa stayed at Dad\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p>Grant was still missing.<\/p>\n<p>The lake appeared pale through the trees.<\/p>\n<p>Dad parked near the old launch.<\/p>\n<p>I had been there as a child.<\/p>\n<p>Mom packed sandwiches.<\/p>\n<p>Dad complained about mosquitoes.<\/p>\n<p>Vanessa always wanted to leave early.<\/p>\n<p>Ordinary memories now felt like artifacts from another family.<\/p>\n<p>Dad stepped out.<\/p>\n<p>He wore no wire anyone could see.<\/p>\n<p>The sheriff had hidden a transmitter beneath his shirt.<\/p>\n<p>Officers were positioned across the shoreline.<\/p>\n<p>We remained behind trees several hundred yards away.<\/p>\n<p>For ten minutes, nothing happened.<\/p>\n<p>Then a man appeared on the dock.<\/p>\n<p>Older.<\/p>\n<p>Thin.<\/p>\n<p>Gray-haired.<\/p>\n<p>No lowered shoulder.<\/p>\n<p>No crooked imitation.<\/p>\n<p>Dad stopped.<\/p>\n<p>Even at a distance, I saw his body recognize the man before his mind did.<\/p>\n<p>Victor.<\/p>\n<p>The real Victor walked slowly toward him.<\/p>\n<p>They stopped fifteen feet apart.<\/p>\n<p>Neither spoke.<\/p>\n<p>The years between them seemed almost visible.<\/p>\n<p>Dad finally said, \u201cYou look terrible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou look worse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad shook his head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cForty years and that\u2019s what you\u2019ve got?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwenty-seven.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFelt longer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor looked toward the lake.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo did mine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad did not hug him.<\/p>\n<p>Victor did not try.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy here?\u201d Dad asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClara liked this place.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou spoke to my wife behind my back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe found me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe was better at finding people than you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad almost smiled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat sounds like Clara.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe contacted me after Raymond confessed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad\u2019s expression changed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did she want?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe truth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you give it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy only some?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause I was still angry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad laughed bitterly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor something I didn\u2019t do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know that now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen did you learn?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClara showed me the original trust records.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe proved Raymond lied?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you stayed away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor looked ashamed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad stepped closer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou knew I didn\u2019t steal from you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you let me believe you stole from me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor\u2019s face tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did steal from you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad stopped.<\/p>\n<p>Victor continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot the way Raymond made it look.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He admitted taking money from company accounts.<\/p>\n<p>At first, he thought he was reclaiming inheritance.<\/p>\n<p>Later, he knew better.<\/p>\n<p>By then he had debts.<\/p>\n<p>Criminal contacts.<\/p>\n<p>People who expected him to keep moving funds.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI could\u2019ve come home,\u201d Victor said.<\/p>\n<p>Dad\u2019s voice cracked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou could have.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was ashamed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s not good enough.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad looked toward the lake.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. I don\u2019t think you do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor accepted that.<\/p>\n<p>For a while, they listened to water touch the dock.<\/p>\n<p>Then Dad asked about Elliot.<\/p>\n<p>Victor\u2019s face hardened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRaymond killed him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re certain?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBrake line.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad closed his eyes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cElliot wanted out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOut of what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe mirrored accounts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor explained.<\/p>\n<p>Raymond created parallel accounts while managing Margaret\u2019s trust.<\/p>\n<p>One legitimate.<\/p>\n<p>One used for moving disputed funds.<\/p>\n<p>One used for money that never belonged to either family.<\/p>\n<p>Dad frowned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat money?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClients.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhose clients?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRaymond\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The original family dispute had become cover for a broader financial crime.<\/p>\n<p>Raymond moved other people\u2019s money through structures tied to the Cole company and old land trusts.<\/p>\n<p>Victor helped.<\/p>\n<p>Elliot helped.<\/p>\n<p>Martin altered records.<\/p>\n<p>When Mom discovered discrepancies, she thought she was tracing stolen family money.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, she found evidence of a larger scheme.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow much larger?\u201d Dad asked.<\/p>\n<p>Victor shook his head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI never knew.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMillions?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTens?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad looked sick.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRaymond did that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe started as the organizer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen why protect me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause he regretted it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad laughed bitterly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cConvenient.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClara made him regret it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That sounded plausible.<\/p>\n<p>Victor continued.<\/p>\n<p>Mom forced Raymond to confront what his scheme had done.<\/p>\n<p>Margaret died believing her sons had betrayed each other.<\/p>\n<p>Ruth died believing the Coles stole from her.<\/p>\n<p>Victor became a criminal.<\/p>\n<p>Dad nearly lost his business.<\/p>\n<p>Martin became trapped in falsified records.<\/p>\n<p>Elliot tried to escape.<\/p>\n<p>Raymond eventually agreed to dismantle it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe created the restitution account,\u201d Dad said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd mirrors?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne stayed open because not all money could be identified.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Harold, listening remotely, muttered something.<\/p>\n<p>I leaned toward the receiver.<\/p>\n<p>Victor continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cElliot knew the system.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDaniel does too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor looked at Dad sharply.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou found Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe found you first.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDaniel has been watching the restitution structure for years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad frowned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause he believes Elliot\u2019s family deserves the money.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad sighed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor almost smiled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou see the pattern.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverybody thinks they deserve something.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat do you think you deserve?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor\u2019s expression changed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That surprised Dad.<\/p>\n<p>Victor continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI came back because someone used my identity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDaniel?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProbably.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd mine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo create activity that would make the old trustee system unlock secondary reviews.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad frowned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor explained.<\/p>\n<p>Certain dormant accounts required identity verification from historic beneficiaries before funds could move.<\/p>\n<p>By generating documents under Edward and Victor\u2019s identities, someone could trigger a process.<\/p>\n<p>Then challenge account ownership.<\/p>\n<p>Then redirect money while legal claims tangled.<\/p>\n<p>Harold whispered, \u201cManufactured dispute.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Exactly what Grant had attempted with the house.<\/p>\n<p>The house fraud had been a smaller rehearsal of the same tactic.<\/p>\n<p>Dad realized it too.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVanessa\u2019s property transfer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRichard was testing whether identity documents would survive review.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad\u2019s face hardened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith my daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRichard didn\u2019t care who he used.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad waited.<\/p>\n<p>Victor lowered his eyes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI care that Vanessa got pulled into it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad\u2019s voice sharpened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe wasn\u2019t pulled. She walked.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFair.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad asked about Robert Bell.<\/p>\n<p>Victor gave a bitter smile.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRobert used to make identification packages.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFake documents.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAmong others.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy imitate you now?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDaniel needed witnesses to think I was active.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad looked toward the mist.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo Martin names me. Cameras show Robert. Everyone chases Victor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile Daniel works elsewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad turned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s why I called you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The sheriff shifted in the vehicle.<\/p>\n<p>I leaned closer.<\/p>\n<p>Victor continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDaniel needs Clara\u2019s final authorization.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNatalie has it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPart of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe phrase.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you know it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad\u2019s disappointment was immediate.<\/p>\n<p>Victor added, \u201cBut I know why Clara gave it to Natalie.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad went still.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTell me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor looked toward the trees.<\/p>\n<p>For one frightening second, I wondered if he knew exactly where I was hidden.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe trusted Natalie because Natalie remembered things without understanding their value.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad frowned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClara tested all three children.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll three?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe year before she died.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I felt a chill.<\/p>\n<p>I remembered nothing resembling a test.<\/p>\n<p>Victor continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe asked each of them about family memories.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad looked confused.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat memories?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOrdinary ones.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mom apparently asked Vanessa what she remembered about Grandma Margaret.<\/p>\n<p>Vanessa remembered jewelry.<\/p>\n<p>Furniture.<\/p>\n<p>Who inherited what.<\/p>\n<p>She asked our older brother\u2014who had lived overseas for years\u2014what he remembered about Dad\u2019s business.<\/p>\n<p>He remembered equipment, trucks, the warehouse.<\/p>\n<p>Then she asked me.<\/p>\n<p>Dad looked toward the hidden vehicles.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did Natalie say?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor smiled faintly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe said she remembered the sound of Clara peeling apples in the kitchen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My throat tightened.<\/p>\n<p>I did remember.<\/p>\n<p>The knife tapping the cutting board.<\/p>\n<p>Thin spirals of peel.<\/p>\n<p>Mom humming.<\/p>\n<p>Dad looked toward the trees as if he could see me.<\/p>\n<p>Victor said, \u201cClara told me Natalie noticed people more than property.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad swallowed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe chose her because she didn\u2019t care about the money.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That should have felt comforting.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, it made Mom\u2019s death feel close enough to touch.<\/p>\n<p>Victor continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe also knew Natalie remembered exact language.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I thought of Mom\u2019s notes.<\/p>\n<p>Her jokes.<\/p>\n<p>Her repeated phrases.<\/p>\n<p>Dad asked, \u201cThen Natalie knows the phrase.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProbably.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWithout knowing she knows it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad looked frustrated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat narrows it beautifully.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor almost laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe gave Natalie a sentence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat sentence?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad stared.<\/p>\n<p>Victor raised both hands.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClara didn\u2019t trust me either.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For the first time, Dad smiled genuinely.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSmart woman.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe smartest.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The shared grief softened both men.<\/p>\n<p>Then Victor\u2019s expression changed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe don\u2019t have much time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad stiffened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDaniel took Martin.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou know that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRobert called me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRobert works for Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWorked.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe realized Daniel planned to blame him for the hospital transfer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere is Robert?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHiding.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHelpful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe gave me one thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor reached slowly into his coat.<\/p>\n<p>Immediately, the sheriff\u2019s hand went to his weapon.<\/p>\n<p>Dad noticed the movement in the distant trees.<\/p>\n<p>Victor noticed too.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI told you to come alone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad shrugged.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve become less trusting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor almost smiled.<\/p>\n<p>He removed a folded paper.<\/p>\n<p>Dad took it.<\/p>\n<p>A printed screenshot.<\/p>\n<p>Text messages.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel and Richard.<\/p>\n<p>Dad read.<\/p>\n<p>His face hardened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor pointed.<\/p>\n<p>Richard wrote:<\/p>\n<p>ONCE NATALIE AUTHENTICATES, MOVE THE MIRROR BEFORE THE COURT FREEZE.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel answered:<\/p>\n<p>IF SHE REFUSES, USE THE FAMILY.<\/p>\n<p>Dad\u2019s hand trembled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat family?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor looked toward the trees.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVanessa.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My stomach dropped.<\/p>\n<p>Dad\u2019s voice became low.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat about her?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDaniel knows she\u2019s the easiest pressure point.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad looked furious.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s under police protection.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor\u2019s eyes moved toward the road.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere\u2019s Grant?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMissing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen Daniel already has his route.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad immediately reached for the transmitter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSheriff.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>We were already moving.<\/p>\n<p>The sheriff started the vehicle.<\/p>\n<p>Dad looked back at Victor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re coming.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor shook his head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot yet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause Daniel still thinks you hate me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood. Keep doing it publicly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad almost smiled.<\/p>\n<p>Then turned serious.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou said Clara was protecting Natalie from whoever killed Elliot.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRaymond killed Elliot.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRaymond is dead.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor\u2019s expression darkened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s what Clara believed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad stopped.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor looked toward the lake.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRaymond\u2019s body was identified after his car burned.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor nodded once.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe used Robert Bell\u2019s documents network too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad\u2019s face went white.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re saying Raymond might be alive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m saying Clara never proved he was dead.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The sheriff shouted from the vehicle.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEdward!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad stepped backward.<\/p>\n<p>Victor called after him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne more thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad turned.<\/p>\n<p>Victor\u2019s voice carried across the fog.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDaniel isn\u2019t protecting the mirror account from Raymond.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad frowned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s paying someone from it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor answered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe same person who taught him how the whole system worked.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad stared.<\/p>\n<p>Victor said the name.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRaymond Shaw.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=30001\">Click here to continue reading: PART 17: Victor Claimed Raymond Was Still Receiving Money, but the Account Trail Led to a Place Dad Had Visited Every Week for Years<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dad did not go to the lake alone. He argued about it for nearly an hour. Victor had been explicit. Come alone. The sheriff was more explicit. Absolutely not. By &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29973,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30000","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\/30000","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=30000"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30000\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30046,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30000\/revisions\/30046"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/29973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}