Chapter 3 - NORTHSTAR
Kayla called me before I called her.
“I need to talk.”
I met her at a coffee shop with Melissa on speaker.
No drama.
No hidden recorder.
Just notes.
Kayla looked terrible.
No makeup.
Hair pulled back.
No navy jacket.
“I formed Northstar because Daniel told me to.”
“When?”
“Eleven months ago.”
“What does it do?”
She looked embarrassed.
“I thought it was for freelance event consulting.”
“Do you do event consulting?”
“Some.”
“How much has it earned?”
“I don’t know exactly.”
That answer bothered me.
“You own the company.”
“I know.”
She pulled out her laptop.
“Daniel handled invoicing.”
Of course.
She showed me the business account.
Deposits from Daniel’s employer:
$18,500.
$22,000.
$31,000.
Repeated.
Total over ten months:
$287,400.
Kayla looked sick.
“I didn’t know it was that much.”
“Where did the money go?”
“Taxes. Rent. Travel. Some to me.”
“Some?”
She showed withdrawals to another account.
WESTON? Different story. Need keep Daniel surname unknown. Let's use DRC Holdings maybe. "MARCUS ADVISORY"? Better not duplicate. Use "DHM Strategic". Let's choose "Hawthorne Ventures". But Daniel likely account manager. We'll use "Davenport Holdings"? We don't know last name. Better generic "Merebridge Holdings LLC". Registered maybe Daniel.
Kayla clicked.
Transfers:
MEREBRIDGE HOLDINGS.
$40,000.
$35,000.
$60,000.
“What’s Merebridge?”
“I don’t know.”
Melissa searched while we sat there.
Then:
“It belongs to Daniel.”
Kayla covered her mouth.
I felt strangely calm.
The affair hurt.
This felt like evidence.
“What did he tell you Northstar was for?”
“He said his company couldn’t pay certain outside consultants directly because procurement was slow.”
“Did you provide services?”
“Some.”
“Worth almost three hundred thousand?”
“No.”
There.
Then I asked:
“Denver?”
Kayla looked away.
“He said Northstar was paying for the personal part.”
But the invoice showed Northstar client relations adjusting the balance.
Company-related money apparently helped cover personal travel.
Then Kayla said:
“There’s something worse.”
Of course.
“Daniel had me sign forms.”
“What forms?”
“Vendor certification.”
“Anything else?”
She opened a folder.
Insurance.
Retirement contribution.
Lease reimbursement.
And a line labeled:
DEPENDENT TRAVEL BENEFIT.
Dependent?
“Who?”
Kayla looked at me.
“My son.”
I froze.
“You have a son?”
“Yes. Ben. Six.”
Daniel had never mentioned him.
Kayla continued:
“He said the company allowed domestic-partner benefits for key account staff.”
“Were you his domestic partner?”
“I thought eventually.”
Not answer.
Then:
“He listed Ben under a company travel benefit.”
Why?
“Because Daniel took us to Orlando.”
Our husband had taken another woman’s child on vacation.
That hurt unexpectedly.
Then Kayla opened the beneficiary page.
Emergency household contact:
Daniel.
Secondary authorization:
ME.
My full legal name.
I stared.
“I did not authorize this.”
“I know that now.”
Someone had used my identity to make Kayla’s household benefits look legitimate.
Then Melissa said:
“Do not touch anything else. Save copies of what Kayla lawfully controls.”
Good.
Kayla nodded.
Then whispered:
“There’s one document you need to see.”
A rental agreement.
Luxury apartment in Brooklyn.
Tenant:
Northstar Client Relations.
Occupants:
Kayla Reed.
Ben Reed.
And one additional authorized resident:
Daniel.
He had built another home.
May you like
Not metaphorically.
Literally.
