Chapter 5

Nolan was served with a subpoena for the Cayman account.

He panicked.

He called me. For the first time, his voice wasn't calm.

"Claire. We need to talk. We can settle this. Reasonably."

"I'm listening."

"I'll give you the house. Free and clear. And $50,000. And we walk away. No trial. No scandal."

I almost laughed.

"You stole over $400,000 from me. You want to pay me $50,000 and walk?"

"The court costs will eat you alive. You're a teacher. You can't afford—"

"Goodbye, Nolan."

I hung up.

He called back. I blocked him.

The next day, his construction company announced an internal audit.

The embezzlement story was leaking.

Nolan was placed on administrative leave.

Two weeks later, he was fired.

I read about it on a local business blog.

"Commercial Construction Director Nolan Mercer terminated amid financial irregularities."

I didn't feel happy.

I felt relief. And exhaustion.

And something else.

Fear.

Because a desperate man with nothing left to lose is dangerous.

Delia hired a process server. We increased security at my apartment. I told the school front desk not to let him in.

One night, I heard a noise outside my window.

I called the police.

It was just a raccoon.

But I didn't sleep for three nights.

I called my dad's old friend. Ray. He had worked with Dad in refrigeration for twenty years. He was a big man with a white beard and gentle hands.

"Ray, can I ask you something?"

"Anything, little Claire."

"Did my dad ever talk to you about his will? About the house?"

Ray was quiet for a moment.

"Your dad called me two weeks before he died. Said he was updating everything. Said he wanted to make sure you were taken care of. Said Nolan seemed like a good man, but he wanted a second set of eyes on the paperwork."

My breath caught.

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him to take it to a lawyer he trusted. Not Nolan's lawyer. His own."

"Did he?"

"I don't know. He died before I could ask."

I hung up.

My dad had suspected.

Just a little. Just enough to try.

But he had run out of time.

I opened my FINAL AUDIT file.

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I'm doing this for you, Dad. I'm finishing what you started.