Chapter 6: The Price of Betrayal
The following morning, I arrived at Catherine Bell's office at 8:30.
She had arranged for Arthur Bennett to attend, along with a forensic accountant named Michael Grant.
Three thick binders sat on the conference table.
There was also a laptop.
Catherine stood as I entered.
"Good morning, Nora.""
"Have you listened to the recording?""
"Twice.""
"And?""
She glanced at Michael.
"I think you should hear it yourself.""
I sat down.
Michael opened the laptop.
The recording began with the sound of a door closing.
Then Jason's voice.
"How much did you tell him?""
Brooke answered.
"Enough.""
"That's not what I asked.""
"Jason, relax. He's not going to talk.""
There was a brief pause.
Then Jason said, "You don't understand. If Bennett finds out about the second transfer, we're finished.""
Brooke laughed softly.
"He's retired.""
"He still has the original records.""
"Then get them.""
"I can't.""
"Why not?""
"Because Eleanor Whitmore kept everything. And Nora has the archive now.""
I felt my fingers tighten around the armrest.
Brooke's voice became quieter.
"Then we need to move faster.""
"Move what?""
"The money.""
Jason sighed.
"The restructuring isn't complete.""
"Then make it complete.""
"Daniel is supposed to handle Nora.""
"Your brother-in-law is useless.""
"Watch your mouth.""
Brooke laughed.
"Why? You're the one who married her.""
The recording continued for another minute.
Then Jason said something that made the room go silent.
"If Nora discovers the estate transfer, she'll find out about the original investment.""
Brooke replied:
"Then make sure she doesn't.""
Michael paused the recording.
I stared at the screen.
"What estate transfer?""
Catherine opened the first binder.
"That's what we've been trying to establish.""
She turned several pages.
"Three months before Eleanor died, an estate administrator authorized a payment of $160,000 from one of the trust's subsidiary accounts.""
"To whom?""
"An entity called Northbridge Advisory.""
I frowned.
"Who owns it?""
Michael answered.
"We're still tracing the ownership structure, but the company was incorporated in Delaware. Its registered agent is a law firm that also handled several transactions for Mercer & Table.""
I leaned forward.
"Are you saying Jason received money from my grandmother's estate?""
"Possibly.""
"Why?""
"We don't know yet.""
Catherine placed another document in front of me.
It was a copy of a payment authorization.
The signature appeared to be my grandmother's.
But something was wrong.
The signature was too neat.
Too perfect.
I had watched Eleanor sign hundreds of documents. Her handwriting had a distinctive slant, and the final stroke of her signature always curved upward.
This one didn't.
"That's not her signature.""
Michael nodded.
"We believe it may have been reproduced.""
I stared at the page.
"Who authorized the transfer?""
Catherine pointed to the bottom.
A name appeared beside the approval field.
Margaret Ellison.
The former board director.
The same woman whose signature I had seen in the original governance records.
I looked up.
"Why would Margaret approve a payment from my grandmother's trust?""
Catherine folded her hands.
"That's one of the questions we need to ask her.""
"Have you contacted her?""
"Yes. She agreed to meet tomorrow.""
I looked at the payment authorization again.
"Could this be connected to the $380,000 transferred to Brooke?""
Michael nodded.
"That's one possibility. We are following the money through the accounts.""
I leaned back.
For a moment, I thought about how easily Jason had moved through our marriage.
He had known exactly which promises to make.
Which problems to bring to me.
Which emergencies would make me put everything aside.
Now I wondered how many of those emergencies had been real.
"There's something else," Catherine said.
"What?""
"The CFO has agreed to provide a sworn statement. He says Jason instructed him to change the classification of several payments.""
"Did he know they were fraudulent?""
"He says he questioned the transactions. Jason told him the controlling investor had approved them.""
I stared at the table.
"Meaning me.""
"Yes.""
I looked toward Michael.
"Can you establish whether my signature was forged?""
"We can compare the documents with verified examples.""
"Do it.""
Michael nodded.
Catherine closed the binder.
"There's a more immediate issue. Jason has requested an emergency shareholder meeting.""
I frowned.
"Why?""
"He claims the company needs to approve a restructuring before the end of the month.""
"What's the restructuring?""
She slid another document toward me.
I read the first page.
Then the second.
A proposed acquisition of several commercial kitchens and event venues.
The acquiring entity was Mercer Hospitality Group.
The proposed transaction would transfer several valuable assets out of Mercer & Table.
"Is this company connected to Jason?""
Michael nodded.
"It was incorporated six weeks ago. Jason is listed as the sole director.""
"And what happens to Mercer & Table?""
"According to the proposal, the existing company would retain the liabilities, while the new entity would acquire selected operating assets.""
I stared at him.
"So he wants to move the valuable parts into a company he owns and leave the debt behind.""
"That's how the proposal reads.""
I looked at Catherine.
"Can he do that?""
"Not without proper approval. And certainly not without disclosing the related-party transaction.""
"Then why has he requested a meeting?""
"Because he believes he can secure enough support.""
I understood.
Daniel.
Brooke.
Possibly someone else.
Jason was trying to move before the investigation caught up with him.
"How many board members support him?""
"At the moment, we don't know.""
"Then let's find out.""
Catherine nodded.
"We can issue a formal notice requiring full disclosure of the proposed transaction.""
"Do it.""
She looked at me carefully.
"Nora, if we suspend Jason's executive authority, there will be consequences. He may attempt to challenge the decision.""
"Can he?""
"Yes. But the original investment agreement gives you significant authority if there is evidence of financial misconduct.""
I looked down at my grandmother's letter.
Never confuse being loved with being valued.
"Then I want the board meeting.""
"How soon?""
"Tomorrow.""
At noon, I returned to the mansion.
Samuel met me in the entrance hall.
"Mrs. Whitmore, there is a woman waiting in the library.""
"Who?""
"She says her name is Brooke Dalton.""
I stopped.
"Did she come alone?""
"Yes.""
I walked into the library.
Brooke stood beside the fireplace, holding a leather handbag.
She was wearing a cream blouse and dark trousers.
Her makeup was immaculate.
But her hands were shaking.
"Hello, Nora.""
"Brooke.""
She looked around.
"Beautiful house.""
"Thank you.""
"Jason told me you inherited it.""
"That's correct.""
She nodded.
"I suppose I should have expected something like this.""
I gestured toward a chair.
"Why are you here?""
She sat.
"Because Jason is making things worse.""
I remained standing.
"How?""
"He says you're planning to destroy Mercer & Table.""
"I'm planning to investigate its finances.""
"That's not the same thing.""
"No. It isn't.""
She looked down at her handbag.
"Jason says you're going to take control of everything.""
I almost smiled.
"Jason seems to have a lot to say about things he doesn't understand.""
Brooke's eyes flashed.
"You think you're better than us because you have money.""
I looked at her.
"No. I think people should be honest about where their money comes from.""
She stood abruptly.
"Don't lecture me.""
"Then don't come into my house asking me to protect your boyfriend.""
Her face changed.
"I didn't ask you to protect him.""
"Why are you here?""
She hesitated.
Then she said:
"Because I want out.""
I studied her.
"Out of what?""
"All of it.""
I said nothing.
Brooke reached into her handbag and pulled out a folded sheet of paper.
She placed it on the table.
It was a copy of an email.
The subject line read:
*TRANSFER COMPLETION — FINAL APPROVAL REQUIRED.*
The message was from Jason.
It instructed Brooke to move the remaining balance from BD Strategic Events into another account before the board meeting.
I looked at the date.
Yesterday.
"Why are you showing me this?""
She swallowed.
"Because Jason told me the money was his.""
"And you believed him?""
"He said the business was struggling and the payments were legitimate.""
"Did you know the company wasn't an approved vendor?""
Her eyes moved away.
"Not at first.""
"How much did you receive?""
She didn't answer.
"Brooke.""
"About $380,000.""
I looked at her.
"And where is it now?""
"Some of it is in my account. Some was transferred to another company.""
"Which company?""
She shook her head.
"I don't know.""
I sat down slowly.
"You accepted nearly four hundred thousand dollars from a company you worked for, through a business you created, and you don't know where the money went?""
Her voice cracked.
"Jason handled everything.""
I stared at her.
"That's not an excuse.""
"I know.""
For the first time, she looked genuinely frightened.
"He told me that if anything happened, I would be blamed. He said the company records showed me as the person responsible for the transfers.""
I looked at the email again.
That was entirely possible.
Jason had made her the visible recipient.
He had placed his mistress between himself and the money.
"Why didn't you go to the authorities?""
"Because I thought he would protect me.""
"And now?""
She swallowed.
"Now I think he plans to leave me with everything.""
I walked toward the window.
Across the street, Jason's front door opened.
He stepped outside, holding his phone.
He looked toward the mansion.
Then he noticed Brooke's car parked in my driveway.
His expression changed.
He began walking toward the gates.
I turned back to her.
"Does Jason know you're here?""
"No.""
"Does he know you brought me that email?""
"No.""
A car horn sounded outside.
Jason had reached the gates.
He was speaking loudly to Samuel.
"Tell Nora I need to see her!""
Samuel looked toward me through the doorway.
I nodded once.
"Let him in.""
Brooke's face went pale.
"Please don't tell him I gave you that.""
I looked at her.
"That depends on what happens next.""
Jason entered the library moments later.
He stopped when he saw Brooke.
"What the hell are you doing here?""
She stepped back.
"Jason, I can explain.""
He looked at the paper on the table.
Then at me.
His face went white.
"Give me that.""
I placed my hand over the email.
"No.""
He moved toward the table.
I stood.
"Don't.""
He stopped.
For several seconds, none of us spoke.
Then Jason looked at Brooke.
"You stupid woman.""
She flinched.
"Don't talk to me like that.""
"You have no idea what you've done.""
"You told me the money was yours!""
Jason laughed bitterly.
"Because it was supposed to be!""
I stared at him.
"Supposed to be?""
He turned toward me.
"Stay out of this, Nora.""
I looked at the email.
Then at the man who had thrown me out of his house less than twenty-four hours earlier.
"Jason, I think you've forgotten something.""
"What?""
I placed the email inside the folder.
"You no longer get to decide what happens to my company.""
His face tightened.
"Your company?""
I nodded.
"Yes.""
He took a step closer.
"You don't know anything about running Mercer & Table.""
"Perhaps not.""
I picked up my phone.
"But I know enough to recognize a man trying to empty it.""
His expression changed.
Then he looked at Brooke.
And suddenly, I understood something.
He wasn't angry because she had betrayed him.
He was angry because she had brought me evidence.
He turned toward the door.
"You're both making a terrible mistake.""
Brooke began crying.
Jason ignored her.
He walked out.
A moment later, I heard his car engine start.
I turned to Brooke.
"You're going to need an attorney of your own.""
She nodded.
"I know.""
"And you're going to tell the truth about every transfer.""
She wiped her eyes.
"Will you help me?""
I considered the question.
"I'll make sure the evidence is preserved. What happens after that depends on what the investigation establishes.""
She nodded again.
After she left, Catherine called.
"Nora, the emergency board meeting has been confirmed for tomorrow at nine.""
"Good.""
"There's another development.""
"What now?""
"The former CFO has just forwarded us an email from Jason.""
"About the restructuring?""
"No.""
Her voice lowered.
"It's about you.""
I went still.
"What does it say?""
Catherine paused.
"Jason instructed the CFO to prepare a report suggesting that you were mentally unfit to exercise control over the holding company.""
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
Then she continued.
"He wanted the report ready before the divorce became final.""
I looked toward the front gates.
Jason hadn't just been trying to take my company.
He had been preparing to make me look incapable of controlling it.
And if the document had been accepted, my brother might have become the person legally responsible for managing my inheritance.
I closed my eyes.
My grandmother had been right.
The betrayal wasn't simply about money.
It was about trust.
I opened my eyes and looked at Catherine's message as it arrived.
There was an attachment.
A draft letter.
At the bottom was a name I recognized.
Dr. Helen Cross.
My personal physician.
I stared at it.
I had never met anyone by that name.
But someone had apparently been paid to write a psychiatric assessment about me.
May you like
And the person who requested it had signed the authorization himself.
*Jason Mercer.*
