Chapter 4 - HIS PARENTS HAD PAID FOR THE LIE TOO
Walter had wired David $120,000 from their retirement savings.
Teresa had argued against it at first.
Then David showed them what looked like a corporate relocation budget.
Luxury rental.
Foreign deposit.
Visa counsel.
Household setup.
He promised Halberd would reimburse most of it within ninety days.
Now we knew Halberd had no relocation plan.
Rachel requested the documentation.
Walter handed over printed copies.
The relocation letter used Halberd letterhead.
Human Resources signature:
MONICA REYES.
Rachel called Halberd.
Monica Reyes worked there.
She had not signed it.
The company opened its own investigation.
David had apparently created a convincing fake relocation package using internal templates.
Walter looked physically ill.
“That money was supposed to last us.”
Teresa sat beside him.
For the first time since I met her, she did not criticize me.
She did not speak at all.
Then I asked:
“Why were you moving in with us if you gave him enough money for housing?”
Teresa answered:
“Because David said Tokyo was too expensive to maintain two households.”
Of course.
They sacrificed money.
I sacrificed time.
David sacrificed nothing.
Then Rachel found another transfer.
Two days after Walter’s $120,000 reached David:
$80,000 moved into a new business account.
VANCE-COLE CAPITAL PARTNERS.
Not V.C. Capital.
Vance-Cole.
Vanessa’s surname was Cole.
Who was Vance?
Not David.
Vanessa’s first marriage had been to a man named Richard Vance.
She still used the name professionally in some financial registrations.
The company was hers and David’s.
Then $25,000 went to a luxury residential broker.
Manhattan.
Not Rome.
Not Tokyo.
A condominium lease application.
So why two tickets to Rome?
Rachel found the dates.
They were not moving immediately.
They planned a ten-day “launch retreat” in Italy.
David had invented a four-year Tokyo assignment to disappear from his marriage while actually remaining based in New York.
The cruelty was almost impressive.
He did not even intend to go far.
Then my phone rang.
Vanessa Cole.
I stared at the number.
Rachel said:
“Your choice.”
I answered.
Vanessa spoke first.
“Eleanor?”
“Yes.”
“I think David has lied to both of us.”
Of course.
Then she said:
“He told me you signed your divorce papers three months ago.”
I closed my eyes.
Another version.
Vanessa continued:
“And he told me his parents were moving into assisted living.”
Across the table, Teresa looked at me sharply.
“What did she say?”
I held up one finger.
Then Vanessa whispered:
“There’s something else. The diamond wasn’t for me.”
I opened my eyes.
May you like
“What?”
“He bought it for someone named Claire.”
