Chapter 9 - The Geneva Accounts
The Swiss trail changed the case.
Whitmore Risk SA was legitimate.
The accounts surrounding it were not.
Rebecca brought in forensic accountant Nina Patel, a former federal investigator.
Within three days she traced eleven suspicious payments from Whitmore subsidiaries into reinsurance contracts, then into entities controlled by Charles.
Total:
$42.7 million.
Caroline’s estimate had been almost exact.
Another $9.4 million flowed into accounts tied to Vanessa.
Adrian stared at the spreadsheets.
“She stole nine million?”
Nina shook her head.
“Not directly. Consulting fees. Deferred compensation. Property options.”
“Money laundering?”
“Potentially. I’m not making a legal conclusion yet.”
Rebecca pointed toward the dates.
“The transfers accelerated after Caroline disappeared.”
Adrian understood.
“They thought they’d won.”
Nina opened another file.
“Then something changed eighteen months ago.”
Payments stopped.
“Why?”
“Vanessa began receiving money from Charles personally.”
Adrian frowned.
“Blackmail?”
“Possibly.”
Rebecca asked, “How much?”
“Three hundred thousand dollars a month.”
Adrian stared.
Vanessa had been blackmailing Charles.
Or Charles had been paying for silence.
That explained the photograph.
Partnership without trust.
Keene obtained records showing Vanessa had purchased a $6.2 million condominium through an LLC Adrian had never heard of.
The closing occurred four months after he proposed.
He felt stupid.
Again.
“Was anything real?” he asked Rebecca.
She did not answer.
He called Vanessa.
His attorney had told him not to.
He did anyway.
She answered.
“Adrian.”
“Three hundred thousand a month.”
Silence.
“Charles pays you.”
Vanessa laughed softly.
“You should listen to your lawyers.”
“What did you have on him?”
“You already know.”
“Caroline?”
Another silence.
Adrian’s pulse accelerated.
“What happened at Ashcroft House?”
Vanessa whispered, “Ask Charles.”
“I’m asking you.”
“You won’t believe me.”
“Try.”
Vanessa breathed slowly.
“Caroline signed nothing.”
“Then?”
“Charles lost control.”
“What does that mean?”
“He threatened her.”
“With what?”
“You.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
“What about me?”
“He told her the company approvals would make you look like the architect of the fraud.”
“That’s why she stayed quiet.”
“Yes.”
“Then what?”
Vanessa’s voice became strained.
“Caroline escaped.”
Adrian stood.
“What?”
“She got out.”
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
“You were there.”
“I left first.”
“Why did you go to Ashcroft?”
“To convince her to sign.”
“You kidnapped her?”
“No.”
“You held her against her will.”
“I didn’t bring her there.”
“Who did?”
Vanessa said nothing.
“Damon?”
Silence.
Adrian knew.
“What happened after she escaped?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where did she go?”
“I DON’T KNOW!”
Vanessa’s voice cracked.
Then softer:
“I swear.”
Adrian heard something unexpected.
Fear.
“Why did you help fake the lobby footage?”
“Because Charles told me Caroline had fled after taking evidence.”
“That doesn’t answer me.”
“Because by then I had committed enough crimes that exposing him exposed me too.”
Adrian leaned against the table.
“Did you think she was alive?”
“For months.”
“Then?”
Vanessa went silent.
“Then what?”
“Damon found something.”
“What?”
A long pause.
“Her phone.”
“Where?”
“Near the Hudson.”
Adrian’s breathing stopped.
“Why wasn’t it given to police?”
“Because Charles had it.”
“What was on it?”
“I never saw.”
“Vanessa.”
“He destroyed it.”
The line disconnected.
Adrian immediately called Keene.
Her response was grim.
“If true, suppression of evidence in a missing-person case changes a lot.”
“Can we arrest Charles?”
“Not based on a phone call you made against legal advice.”
Adrian slammed his palm onto the desk.
Rebecca raised an eyebrow.
He looked at his hand.
Then sat.
“Fine.”
Progress.
That evening Sophie asked to see Caroline’s video again.
Adrian hesitated.
Rebecca suggested a child therapist first.
Sophie protested.
“It’s Mommy.”
Eventually they let her watch only the first gentle segment.
Caroline appeared.
Sophie smiled.
Then pointed.
“Daddy.”
“What?”
“Mommy’s necklace.”
Adrian looked.
A thin silver chain with a small compass pendant.
Caroline wore it constantly.
Police never found it.
Sophie touched Milo’s pink bow.
“Vanessa has that.”
Adrian turned.
“What?”
“The necklace.”
“Where?”
“In her green box.”
Adrian’s heart began pounding.
“How do you know?”
“She showed me when she said Mommy left because she didn’t love us.”
The room went silent.
Adrian whispered, “When did she say that?”
May you like
Sophie looked confused.
“All the time.”
