Chapter 4 - MARCUS HAD USED MY BUILDING AS COLLATERAL ON PAPER
The lender documents were not enough to prove fraud by themselves.
Lucia knew better than to jump from suspicion to conclusion.
She sent everything to her attorney.
Then she called the bank’s compliance department through counsel.
By noon, they confirmed one fact:
Marcus had submitted a personal financial statement listing an “economic marital interest” in the Lincoln Park property.
Estimated value:
$2.6 million.
Lucia stared at the number.
The building belonged to her separate LLC.
It housed their apartment on the top floor and two medical offices below.
Marcus had no membership interest.
No deed interest.
No guarantee from Lucia.
But he had used the property to make himself appear wealthier.
Why?
Salgado Development Partners had borrowed $1.4 million.
Purpose:
Medical-office redevelopment.
Actual property purchased:
A mixed-use building in West Loop.
Lucia pulled the address.
Then froze.
Valeria lived there.
Not just in the neighborhood.
Inside the building.
Marcus’s company owned the apartment where his mistress lived.
Lucia leaned back slowly.
This was no impulsive affair.
Marcus had built infrastructure around it.
Then her attorney found another schedule.
Monthly payments from Salgado Development Partners:
Mortgage.
Renovation.
Furniture.
And:
VALERIA C. — CONSULTING — $8,000.
Lucia returned to Valeria’s room.
“Do you work for Marcus?”
Valeria frowned.
“No.”
“Do you receive eight thousand dollars a month?”
Her eyes widened.
“What?”
Lucia showed her the statement.
Valeria stared.
“I’ve never seen that money.”
Another fake expense.
Then who received it?
The destination account belonged to:
TS FAMILY MANAGEMENT.
Teresa Salgado.
Lucia almost laughed.
Her mother-in-law had been receiving eight thousand dollars a month under Valeria’s name.
For eleven months.
$88,000.
Teresa had not simply known about the affair.
She had been making money from the system surrounding it.
When confronted through counsel, Teresa denied wrongdoing.
She claimed Marcus paid her for “family property management.”
Then why use Valeria’s name?
No answer.
By late afternoon, Marcus was awake.
The first person he asked for was not Lucia.
Not Daniela.
Valeria.
A nurse recorded the request.
When Lucia finally entered his room, Marcus looked terrified.
“Is she alive?”
“Yes.”
“The baby?”
“Stable for now.”
He closed his eyes.
Then looked at Lucia.
“I can explain.”
Lucia almost smiled.
“No.”
His face changed.
“No?”
“I didn’t come for an explanation.”
She placed a sealed envelope beside his bed.
“What is that?”
“Service copy.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Of what?”
“Legal separation.”
His face went white.
Then she added:
“And a petition asking the court to review one hundred eighty thousand dollars transferred from Daniela’s education account.”
Marcus stopped breathing.
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He had expected Lucia to discover the affair.
He had not expected her to already know about the money.
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