Chapter 4: The Name Behind the Missing Millions
Lauren's smile disappeared the moment Daniel grabbed her wrist.
"Don't," he warned.
She looked down at his hand.
"Take your hand off me.""
"Lauren, you have no idea what you're doing.""
"Actually, Daniel, I think I'm the only person in this room who knows exactly what's happening.""
I stood between them, still holding my mother's phone.
"Both of you stop.""
Neither moved.
I looked at Lauren.
"You said you were about to tell me who stole the money. So tell me.""
She pulled her wrist free.
"Mom.""
I frowned.
"What?""
"Mom stole the money.""
The words came out so casually that I almost didn't understand them.
I looked at the phone.
"Mom?""
There was a rustling sound.
Then my mother's voice returned.
"Claire, your sister is lying.""
Lauren laughed.
"Of course I am. That's why you transferred the shares into my company, right?""
"Lauren, stop this immediately.""
"No, Mom. You stop.""
Lauren walked toward the coffee table and picked up the envelope.
"Do you remember the account you told me to use? The one you said was temporary? The one you promised nobody would ever trace back to you?""
My mother said nothing.
Lauren opened the envelope and pulled out a second document.
"Here. Claire should see this.""
She handed it to me.
It was a bank transfer authorization.
My father's company had transferred $2.4 million into an account belonging to Bennett Family Holdings.
The account had been opened shortly after my father's funeral.
The authorized signatory was Margaret Bennett.
My mother.
I stared at the document.
"Mom, what is this?""
"Claire, I can explain.""
"Then explain.""
My mother began speaking quickly.
"After your father died, there were outstanding debts. The company was struggling, and the lawyers advised me to move some money temporarily. It was supposed to be returned.""
"Two million four hundred thousand dollars?""
"It wasn't all at once.""
I looked at Lauren.
She nodded.
"Keep reading.""
The next page showed three separate transfers.
One went to an offshore investment company.
Another went to a luxury property account.
The third went to a private school in Switzerland.
I recognized the name of the school.
It was where Lauren had studied for two years when we were younger.
My mother had always told me that a family friend had paid for it.
I looked at Lauren.
"Did you know?""
She shook her head.
"I found out six months ago.""
"And you said nothing?""
"I tried.""
Daniel suddenly stepped forward.
"Claire, you need to understand that Lauren has been involved in this longer than she's admitting.""
I turned toward him.
"Then tell me what you know.""
He hesitated.
Lauren laughed without humor.
"Go ahead, Daniel. Tell her how you became the family's favorite fixer.""
Daniel ignored her.
"Your father discovered the missing funds before he died. He asked me to investigate.""
"Why you?""
"Because I worked in financial compliance at the time.""
I stared at him.
"You were a financial investigator?""
"Yes.""
"That's not what you told me.""
"I know.""
"What did you tell me?""
"That I worked in property investments.""
I remembered the conversations.
The dinners.
The evenings when he sat beside me on the sofa with his laptop open.
I'd thought he was reviewing property contracts.
I'd brought him coffee.
I'd kissed his forehead.
Meanwhile, he had apparently been investigating my own family.
"Did you find out my mother was stealing?""
Daniel nodded.
"Eventually.""
Lauren folded her arms.
"Eventually? You found out before the wedding.""
Daniel's expression hardened.
"Not all of it.""
"Enough to know.""
I turned toward him.
"Why did you marry me?""
He looked directly at me.
"Because I thought I could fix everything.""
I laughed.
"By lying to me?""
"Your father believed you were the only person who could legally take control of the company and stop the financial abuse.""
"So you married me to get access to the trust.""
"No.""
"Then what?""
Daniel looked at the documents.
"Your father had created a provision allowing the executor to manage the assets temporarily. I was supposed to supervise the company until you were ready to take control.""
"And you thought marrying me would make that happen?""
"Your father believed marriage would give you a stable legal household and prevent certain relatives from challenging the trust.""
I shook my head.
"That's ridiculous. A marriage certificate doesn't make someone financially responsible.""
"I know that now.""
"Now?""
He looked exhausted.
"Claire, I was twenty-nine. I thought I was doing something good. I thought I could protect you while keeping Lauren from destroying herself.""
Lauren burst out laughing.
"Protect her? You were protecting me.""
Daniel turned toward her.
"That's not true.""
"Then explain the apartment.""
He went silent.
I looked between them.
"What apartment?""
Lauren walked toward the fireplace.
"The apartment Daniel rented downtown. The one he told you was an office.""
My stomach dropped.
"What?""
She pulled out her phone.
"Would you like to see the lease?""
Daniel stepped forward.
"Lauren, don't.""
She turned the screen toward me.
There was a photograph of a rental agreement.
The apartment was a two-bedroom property overlooking the river.
The tenant was Daniel Mercer.
The additional authorized occupant was Lauren Bennett.
The lease had begun four years earlier.
Four years.
One year after Daniel and I married.
I looked at him.
"You had an apartment with my sister?""
He rubbed his face.
"It wasn't like that.""
"Then what was it like?""
"We used it for meetings.""
"Meetings?""
"Lauren was helping me trace the money.""
I pointed at the second bedroom listed on the lease.
"Did you need a bedroom for your financial investigations?""
Lauren's expression changed.
She looked almost embarrassed.
Then she said quietly:
"Sometimes I stayed there.""
The room became unbearably silent.
I felt my wedding ring pressing against my finger.
"How often?""
She didn't answer.
I turned toward Daniel.
"How often did my husband sleep in an apartment with my sister?""
Daniel's jaw tightened.
"Claire, there were times when we had nowhere else to discuss things privately.""
"That wasn't my question.""
He looked away.
And I understood.
I didn't need another confession.
The truth was already sitting in front of me, wearing two familiar faces.
I took off my wedding ring.
Daniel immediately stepped toward me.
"Don't do that.""
I placed it on the coffee table.
"Don't tell me what to do.""
"Claire, please.""
"You had five years to tell me the truth.""
Lauren looked down at the ring.
For a moment, I thought she might feel guilty.
Instead, she said:
"There's something else.""
I closed my eyes.
Of course there was.
"What now?""
Lauren reached into her handbag and pulled out a small black flash drive.
"These are the recordings.""
Daniel's face changed.
"What recordings?""
"The conversations at the apartment.""
He took a step toward her.
"Give me that.""
She backed away.
"Not a chance.""
I held out my hand.
Lauren placed the drive in my palm.
"What will I find on it?""
She looked at Daniel.
"Everything.""
I stared at the little piece of plastic.
"Everything about what?""
Lauren's voice dropped.
"The night your father died.""
My heart stopped.
My father had died from a sudden cardiac event.
At least, that was what we'd been told.
He had been found in his study one evening.
The doctors said he had suffered a massive heart attack.
There had been no suspicion of foul play.
My mother had cried for months.
Lauren had withdrawn from everyone.
And I'd spent years trying to make peace with losing him.
I looked at Daniel.
"What does this have to do with my father's death?""
He didn't answer.
Lauren stepped closer.
"Your father didn't die knowing the money was missing.""
I frowned.
"What are you saying?""
She looked directly into my eyes.
"He died trying to stop the transfer.""
Before I could respond, Daniel lunged for the flash drive.
Lauren screamed.
I stumbled backward.
The drive fell from my hand and slid beneath the coffee table.
Daniel dropped to his knees.
For a moment, all three of us scrambled across the floor.
Then my phone rang.
It was my mother.
I answered without looking away from Daniel.
Her voice was trembling.
"Claire, don't listen to Lauren. Whatever is on that drive, you must not let anyone hear it.""
I looked at the man who had shared my bed for five years.
"Why, Mom?""
My mother whispered:
May you like
"Because the recording will make you understand why your father was afraid of Daniel.""
And then the call disconnected.
