Chapter 6: The Transfer Scheduled in My Name
Vanessa’s smile vanished.
“Put the call on speaker,” I said.
Lucy touched the screen.
A woman’s voice filled the room.
“This is Alice Grant from Commonwealth Bank.
Who am I speaking with?”
“Daniel Hale.
My name appears on those transfers.”
“Mr.
Hale, did you authorize a payment of $2.4 million to Northstar Consulting?”
“No.”
John moved toward the elevator.
The security officer raised one hand.
“Please remain where you are.”
Alice continued.
“The instruction was submitted under your credentials, but the verification code went to a telephone ending in 7742.”
I looked at Vanessa.
She hid her phone behind her back.
“Read the last four digits,” I said.
“No.”
Eleanor held out her hand.
“Vanessa.”
“You don’t control me.”
“I am asking whether you used your husband’s name to take another two million dollars.”
Vanessa looked at John.
“Say something.”
He buttoned his jacket.
“I had no access to her phone.”
Her mouth fell open.
“You sent me the code.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Lucy turned the laptop around.
“Your message to Vanessa is still in my local folder.”
John stared at her.
“The archive was erased.”
“The server archive was erased.
My laptop copy wasn’t connected.”
Lucy clicked a message.
JOHN: SEND THE CODE.
DANIEL TAKES THE FALL AFTER THE AUDIT.
Vanessa backed away from him.
“You promised we would leave together.”
“You misunderstood our relationship.”
“You told me you loved me.”
John’s expression did not change.
“I told you what kept you cooperative.”
The room went quiet enough to hear Vanessa’s breath catch.
She turned toward me.
“Daniel, listen to me.
John manipulated me.”
“You sold your mother’s home.”
“He said we would put the money back.”
“You copied my signature.”
“He said no one would be hurt.”
Eleanor stepped forward.
“I came home from rehabilitation and found strangers measuring my bedroom.”
Vanessa looked down.
“You told the estate agent I had moved overseas,” Eleanor said.
“You packed my photographs into rubbish bags.”
“I needed the sale to happen quickly.”
“You needed me to disappear.”
Vanessa’s eyes filled, but her voice sharpened.
“If you give those documents to the bank, I’ll tell everyone Daniel pressured you into changing your will.”
Eleanor went still.
“That is your answer?” she asked.
“You threaten me?”
“I’m giving you a choice.”
“No,” I said.
“You’re trying to frighten an elderly woman because John abandoned you.”
Vanessa pointed at me.
“You are not taking my mother from me.”
“You left her without a home.”
“She is still my mother!”
“And I was still your husband,” I said.
“That didn’t stop you.”
Alice’s voice came through the phone again.
“Mr.
Hale, I need verbal confirmation.
Should the midnight transfer be rejected and referred to our investigators?”
“Yes.”
Vanessa grabbed the phone from Lucy.
“No!
Daniel approved it!”
“Mrs.
Hale,” Alice said, “the code was sent to your number.”
John pressed the elevator button again.
This time the doors opened, revealing two bank investigators and a uniformed officer.
John turned toward the private stairwell.
The security officer blocked his path.
“Going somewhere?” I asked.
John took a small storage drive from his pocket and closed his fist around it.
Lucy pointed.
“That contains the offline ledger.”
“Hand it over,” the officer said.
John looked at Vanessa.
“This is your fault.”
She stared at him as though she no longer knew him.
May you like
He lifted the drive above a half-full champagne glass.
“One step closer,” he said, “and nobody gets the ledger.”
