Chapter 5 - Nineteen Million Dollars
The forensic accountant arrived with three laptops and no patience for wealthy people.
Her name was Leah Chen.
She had spent twelve years tracing money through shell companies for federal prosecutors before opening a private practice.
Rebecca had worked with her twice.
“She’s expensive,” Rebecca warned.
Adrian almost laughed.
“My COO may have stolen nineteen million dollars and helped kill my wife.”
Leah set her bag on the dining table.
“Then you can’t afford a cheap accountant.”
Within six hours, she found the first fracture.
Ravenstone Advisory existed.
Technically.
It was incorporated in Delaware, registered through a commercial agent, and owned by another company called Caligo Holdings.
Caligo was owned by a trust in Nevada.
The trust beneficiary was concealed.
But one thing was not.
“Bank routing,” Leah said.
She enlarged a transfer record.
“Ravenstone paid $310,000 to a Manhattan interior design firm last year.”
Adrian frowned.
“So?”
“The design firm renovated your Fifth Avenue apartment.”
Adrian stared.
“I paid for that personally.”
“Apparently someone reimbursed your designer through Ravenstone.”
Thomas cursed softly.
Leah opened another transaction.
Ravenstone paid a yacht charter company.
Vanessa had rented a yacht for Adrian’s birthday.
Another transfer covered jewelry from a Madison Avenue boutique.
A diamond necklace Vanessa had given Adrian on their wedding anniversary.
He had joked that she was spending his own money to buy him gifts.
He had been more right than he knew.
“She was laundering stolen company money through our marriage,” Adrian said.
Leah shook her head.
“Not laundering, exactly. Spending. But yes, household expenses can help hide distributions.”
Adrian’s stomach turned.
Every gift became evidence.
Every luxury Vanessa had presented as affection now smelled like theft.
Natalie entered.
She had been cold toward Adrian since arriving.
Claire’s sister had never approved of his marriage to Vanessa.
Now she looked at the spreadsheet.
“You married the woman six months after she started paying for your life with stolen money?”
“Twelve months after Claire died.”
“Does that make it better?”
“Natalie.”
“No. You don’t get to say my name like I’m being unreasonable.”
Leah quietly gathered her papers.
Rebecca motioned for everyone else to leave them.
Adrian waited until the room was empty.
Natalie folded her arms.
“Claire called me four days before she died.”
Adrian’s anger disappeared.
“What did she say?”
“That she thought Vanessa was sleeping with you.”
“We weren’t.”
Natalie laughed without humor.
“You kissed her.”
Adrian froze.
“How do you know?”
“Claire knew.”
His face drained.
“She knew?”
“She saw a garage security photo.”
Adrian sat down.
The secret he had hidden for eighteen months had never been secret.
Natalie’s eyes filled.
“She was humiliated, Adrian. Not because of one kiss. Because Vanessa was her friend.”
“I ended it immediately.”
“You shouldn’t have started it.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
He looked toward the ceiling.
Sophie was upstairs.
“How much did Claire tell you about Ravenstone?”
“Almost nothing. She said she found something at the company and that people were lying.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because two days later she was dead. Then you spent months telling everyone the crash was an accident. Then Vanessa started sleeping in your house.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
Natalie’s voice softened only slightly.
“I thought Claire was paranoid about Vanessa because her marriage was collapsing.”
“So did I.”
“That’s the problem.”
His phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
A man said, “Mr. Vale?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Samuel Briar.”
Adrian stood.
Briar Automotive.
Rebecca immediately began recording notes.
Adrian put the call on speaker.
“I heard police are asking about your wife’s vehicle.”
“Where are you?”
“Pennsylvania.”
“Why?”
Silence.
Then Samuel said, “Because I got scared.”
“Of Vanessa?”
“Of her brother.”
Grant.
Adrian gripped the table.
“What happened to Claire’s SUV?”
Samuel breathed shakily.
“Your wife brought it in because the brake warning light kept coming on.”
“Claire?”
“Yes. Mrs. Claire Vale.”
“And Vanessa picked it up?”
“She came with Grant Keller.”
Adrian looked at Rebecca.
Samuel continued.
“Mr. Keller said they needed the vehicle immediately. I told them it wasn’t safe.”
“What did they do?”
“Grant offered me twenty thousand dollars to clear the warning code.”
Adrian felt sick.
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Then why didn’t the warning appear before the crash?”
Silence.
“Samuel?”
“I don’t know.”
Adrian heard the lie.
Rebecca wrote on paper:
DO NOT PUSH TOO HARD.
Adrian ignored her.
“Did you touch the brakes?”
“No.”
“Did Grant?”
“I don’t know.”
“Were they alone with the vehicle?”
Samuel stopped breathing for a second.
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Maybe fifteen minutes.”
“What happened?”
“I went into the office to call Claire.”
Adrian’s hand tightened around the phone.
“Did you reach her?”
“No.”
Samuel’s voice broke.
“When I came back, Grant was under the hood.”
Rebecca pointed sharply to herself and mouthed: Let me.
She spoke.
“Mr. Briar, this is Rebecca Shaw. Are you willing to give a statement to law enforcement?”
Silence.
“I already made a mistake.”
“What mistake?”
Samuel whispered, “After the crash, Grant paid me fifty thousand dollars.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
“For what?”
“To tell investigators Claire had refused the repair.”
Adrian felt the room tilt.
The original report said Claire declined service and drove away.
Samuel continued.
“She didn’t. She left the car with me.”
Rebecca’s voice stayed steady.
“Why are you talking now?”
“Because somebody came to my house yesterday.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know. He left an envelope.”
“What was inside?”
Samuel began crying quietly.
“A picture of my granddaughter leaving school.”
The call ended.
Adrian immediately called Detective Brooks.
Samuel did not answer when they tried him again.
But the call had changed everything.
This was no longer only fraud.
No longer only abuse.
No longer merely suspicion.
Grant had paid a witness to lie after Claire’s death.
Leah returned to the room, her face pale.
“I found the beneficiary.”
“Of Caligo?”
She nodded.
“Not Vanessa.”
Adrian looked surprised.
“Who?”
Leah turned her laptop around.
CALIGO FAMILY TRUST.
Beneficiary:
May you like
MARTIN COLE.
Vanessa’s attorney.
