Chapter 6 - THE MONEY IN EMMA’S NAME
Emma had never seen the account.
The bank confirmed it existed.
Opened nine months earlier.
Beneficiary: Emma Catherine Hale.
Balance: zero.
Pending transfer: twenty million dollars.
Emma stared at the bank officer.
“Who opened it?”
“Documentation indicates you did.”
“I didn’t.”
The signature looked like hers.
The identification scan was hers.
Even the security questions were correct.
Someone had constructed a financial identity around her.
Tyler sat beside her.
Emma turned.
“You did this.”
“If I did, why show you?”
“To control when I discovered it.”
Tyler nodded.
“Good argument.”
Emma hated him a little for respecting it.
The bank officer explained that the transfer had been initiated from a Hale Atlantic subsidiary.
If completed, it would look like Emma had stolen company funds.
“Cancel it.”
“We can freeze it temporarily.”
“Do it.”
Outside, Tyler said, “Someone is building suspects.”
“Vanessa gets the abusive-wife story. You get the revenge story. I get the theft story.”
“And Richard?”
Emma looked at him.
“The unstable-old-man story.”
Tyler nodded.
“Four believable explanations.”
“For what?”
“For whatever happens next.”
Emma called Vanessa.
“Meet me.”
Vanessa refused.
Emma told her about the twenty million dollars.
Vanessa arrived twenty-five minutes later.
They met in a hotel lounge.
Emma expected denial.
Instead, Vanessa said, “I know.”
Emma stared.
“You know?”
“I found the account two weeks ago.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I thought you opened it.”
Emma almost laughed.
“Of course you did.”
“You haven’t exactly been close to your father.”
“So?”
“So Richard’s estate is worth approximately four hundred million dollars. You are his only child. You suddenly return while he is medically vulnerable.”
Emma leaned forward.
“You think I’m trying to steal from him?”
“I considered it.”
“At least you admit it.”
Vanessa sipped water.
“I consider everyone.”
Emma studied her.
“Even Tyler?”
“Especially Tyler.”
Emma glanced at him.
Tyler smiled.
“Feeling is mutual.”
Vanessa looked at Emma.
“You want to know why I really filed for guardianship?”
“Yes.”
“Richard asked me to.”
Emma went still.
“When?”
“Five days before the crash.”
“Why?”
“He believed someone was forging his authorizations.”
Tyler frowned.
“He didn’t tell me that.”
“He didn’t trust you.”
“He hired me.”
“He hires people he doesn’t trust all the time.”
Emma asked, “Then why is Dad fighting the guardianship?”
Vanessa’s expression tightened.
“Because after the crash, he changed.”
“Or because you changed his medication.”
Vanessa leaned forward.
“If I were drugging Richard to steal his company, why would I create a public legal proceeding that requires independent medical examinations?”
Again.
Logic.
Always logic.
Emma said, “Maybe because you knew the doctors would support you.”
Vanessa smiled faintly.
“Better.”
“What?”
“That’s an actual theory.”
Emma’s phone rang.
Richard.
She answered.
“Dad?”
His breathing was fast.
“Emma, listen to me.”
“Where are you?”
“I left the hospital.”
“What?”
“I remembered where I put the file.”
“What file?”
“The proof.”
“Proof of what?”
A sound behind him.
A door opening.
Richard whispered:
May you like
“Oh, God.”
Then the line went dead.
