Chapter 12 - THE EVIDENCE IN HIS OFFICE
Daniel had made one mistake.
He believed that taking his laptop would erase the evidence.
But Vanessa knew about a second computer he kept in his investment office, an old machine he used for documents he didn't want synchronized with his main accounts.
She gave the information to Rebecca.
We didn't attempt to enter the office ourselves.
Instead, Rebecca passed the details to the investigator handling the suspected financial fraud.
Several days later, the investigator contacted us with an update.
Records obtained through the proper legal process showed that Daniel had been communicating with a business associate about the acquisition for months.
The messages described the commercial property as a way to move borrowed funds through a series of accounts.
One message was particularly revealing.
Once the trust assets are secured, we can settle the old obligations and keep enough to start over.
Another message referred to Eliam as "the useful signature."
I read that sentence with a mixture of anger and pity.
Eliam had made a terrible decision, but Daniel had never regarded him as a partner.
He'd regarded him as a tool.
The investigation also uncovered evidence that Daniel had misled several other investors.
The property transaction wasn't an isolated mistake.
It appeared to be part of a broader pattern of deceptive financial dealings.
Vanessa cooperated fully with the investigators. She turned over her messages, financial records, and the documents Daniel had given her.
Eliam did the same.
He admitted that he had signed a guarantee without reading it carefully and concealed his financial problems from me.
Those admissions didn't erase his responsibility, but they helped establish what he'd known and when he'd known it.
A week later, the lender confirmed that the disputed application would not proceed.
The trust remained untouched.
My house remained mine.
For the first time since discovering the lie, I allowed myself to believe that the worst might be behind us.
Then Rebecca called with an unexpected development.
"The investigator found evidence that Daniel intended to transfer money overseas," she said. "But there is a problem."
"What problem?"
"The account he planned to use belongs to someone else."
I sat upright.
"Who?"
May you like
Rebecca paused.
"The records point to a company controlled by a person your family knows."
