Chapter 11 - THE SIGNATURE
“I signed it.”
Julian didn’t deny it.
That hurt more than another lie would have.
We sat inside the bank’s private room while Clara stared at him in disbelief.
“You told me you stopped,” she whispered.
“I tried.”
Julian explained that seven months earlier Victor had contacted him secretly.
The Hale Foundation was facing an audit.
Victor needed one final transfer routed through an old research account.
Julian refused.
Then Victor produced medical invoices from Julian’s grandmother’s final years.
Arthur had paid them.
But apparently the payments had come from the same questionable foundation accounts.
Victor threatened to release records making Julian’s dead grandmother appear involved in fraud.
“So you signed?” I asked.
“One document.”
“For how much?”
“Two hundred thousand.”
My stomach turned.
“That makes you part of it.”
“I know.”
“Why didn’t you go to the police?”
“Cowardice.”
At least he didn’t call it protection.
Julian looked directly at me.
“I spent seven months trying to build evidence against Victor without destroying everyone Arthur tried to protect.”
“And instead you nearly got your wife killed.”
His face broke.
“Yes.”
Silence filled the room.
Then Clara opened the final paper file.
Inside was a handwritten list of dates.
One matched the day my brakes were damaged.
Beside it were initials.
V.H.
But another set of initials appeared beside Victor’s.
D.S.
I stared at them.
“Who is D.S.?”
Julian went completely still.
Clara whispered the answer.
“Daniel Sterling.”
I frowned.
“Who?”
Julian looked at me with something close to shame.
May you like
“My father.”
The man Julian had told me was dead twenty years ago was apparently alive.
