Chapter 12 - THE GROOM'S REAL BUSINESS|
I called Evelyn immediately.
She advised me not to speak to Owen again without legal counsel present. But his statement had opened another question.
What had Ethan been planning?
Evelyn requested the corporate records for Northlake Holdings and the companies connected to Owen's consulting business.
The next day, she called.
“Claire, Ethan isn't just a wedding guest in this situation.”
“What does that mean?”
“He's listed as a director of Northlake Holdings.”
I sat down.
“Why would my brother-in-law be involved in Owen's company?”
“That's what we're trying to establish.”
The company had been registered using a virtual office address. It had no employees listed and no visible business operations.
Yet it had received hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Some of the payments had come from clients of Owen's consulting firm. Others had come from companies linked to Ethan's family.
Evelyn found a pattern.
Money entered Northlake, moved through the account opened in my name, and then went to a third company.
The final company had paid for Brooke's wedding.
I stared at the transactions.
“They used my name to move money.”
“That's one possibility.”
“And my sister witnessed the fake loan.”
“Yes.”
I looked at the wedding photographs on my phone.
The flowers, the expensive venue, the designer dress.
I remembered Brooke telling me how lucky she was to have a husband who would do anything for her.
I wondered how much of that wedding had been paid for with money stolen from me.
A detective called later that afternoon.
He wanted to interview me about the suspected fraud.
I agreed.
During the interview, he asked whether Owen had ever threatened me.
I told him about the messages, the argument, and the way he had tried to make me leave my home.
The detective took notes.
Then he asked about Lily.
I struggled to speak.
“He wasn't there when she was born.”
“Did he explain why?”
“He said he couldn't leave my sister's wedding rehearsal.”
The detective looked up.
“Your sister's wedding?”
“Yes.”
He exchanged a glance with his colleague.
“Do you know whether your husband and sister were in a relationship at that time?”
I nodded.
“I found photographs.”
The detective wrote something down.
Then he asked whether I had any reason to believe Owen had used the wedding as a cover for financial activity.
I thought about Brooke's confession.
I thought about the transfers.
And I thought about the message from the unknown number.
“I don't know,” I said. “But I think someone knew I was going to be distracted by the baby.”
The detective nodded.
“We'll look into it.”
That evening, Ethan called.
He sounded angry.
“Claire, I need you to stop dragging my name into this.”
“Then explain why your company received money through an account in my name.”
He was silent.
“Ethan?”
“You don't understand the business arrangement.”
“Then explain it.”
“I can't.”
“Because you don't want to, or because it's illegal?”
He hung up.
A minute later, Brooke sent a message.
Ethan says the police are asking questions. Please tell them you misunderstood everything.
I stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived.
If you keep going, Owen will lose everything.
May you like
I typed one reply.
He should have thought about that before he took everything from me.
