Chapter 14 - The Enemy Inside the Empire|
Margaret told me not to panic.
She said the new information required careful review, not conclusions. The account could have been used for a legitimate transaction, or it could be connected to something more serious. We would not know until the records were examined.
I understood her caution.
I also understood that the danger was no longer confined to a marriage.
The following day, Dante's legitimate business offices were searched under a court-authorized order. Investigators collected records from the accounting department, the security contractor, and several company servers. No one told me exactly what they were looking for, and I did not ask for information I wasn't entitled to receive.
Dante called me that evening.
“Did you know they were coming?”
“I knew the accounts were under review.”
“You could have warned me.”
“Would you have told me the truth if I had?”
Silence.
Then he said, “You're letting people destroy everything I've built.”
“I didn't create the accounts, Dante. I didn't approve the transfers. And I didn't sign those documents.”
“You think you're innocent in all of this?”
The question hit me like a slap.
“What are you accusing me of?”
“You were the owner of Northstar. Your name was on the paperwork.”
“Paperwork I didn't sign.”
“You managed our finances.”
“I managed household expenses and the family foundation. I never managed your private business accounts.”
“You could have asked more questions.”
I stared at the phone.
There it was: his attempt to make my trust into a form of guilt.
“You're right about one thing,” I said. “I should have asked more questions. But not asking questions does not make me responsible for your decisions.”
He breathed heavily.
“I need you to make a statement confirming that you understood the company structure.”
“I will make a truthful statement through my attorney. I won't say anything I don't know to be true.”
“You could help me.”
“I have helped you for thirteen years. I won't lie for you now.”
He ended the call.
That evening, a man I didn't recognize waited outside Margaret's office. He introduced himself as a representative of one of Dante's business partners and asked me to sign a document confirming that I had approved the Northstar transactions.
I refused.
He smiled politely.
“You may want to reconsider. Your husband is under pressure, and people are beginning to ask whether you were involved.”
“Then they can ask my attorney.”
His smile disappeared.
“Mrs. Morty, families survive by protecting one another.”
“Families survive by telling one another the truth.”
I walked away and immediately informed Margaret. She contacted the appropriate authorities and documented the encounter.
The next morning, Rocco called.
“Mrs. Morty, someone has been asking questions about your daily routine.”
“Who?”
“I don't know. The person approached one of our former security staff and offered money for information about where you stay.”
My stomach tightened.
“Did you tell Dante?”
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
“He instructed us not to approach you without your permission. He also asked that the information be passed to your attorney.”
That was the first time Dante had respected a boundary without arguing.
It didn't erase what he had done, but I noticed it.
Later that day, he sent a message.
I know you're angry. I won't ask you to come home. Please let me arrange security for you.
I showed it to Margaret.
She recommended an independent security assessment rather than accepting Dante's personnel. I agreed to have a licensed firm evaluate the risk and advise me on reasonable precautions.
I replied to Dante:
I will make my own security arrangements. Thank you for asking instead of deciding for me.
He responded only:
Understood.
For a moment, I wondered whether the man I had married was beginning to understand what respect looked like.
Then Margaret called with an update from the financial review.
The second account had received money from a company owned by Dante's most dangerous rival.
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The payment had been made two days before a shipment was attacked.
And the paperwork suggested that Northstar had been used to conceal who funded it.
