Chapter 15 - Someone Wanted Me Frightened Enough to Stop
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The account Jack's attorneys identified belonged to Meridian Crest Advisory.
At first glance, it appeared to have nothing to do with Maya.
The name was generic.
The registered office was in Delaware.
And the company had no obvious connection to my former accounting firm.
I felt ridiculous for suspecting my friend.
Then Thomas explained the problem.
“We can't identify the ultimate person controlling the funds from the records currently available.”
Jack stood beside the conference table.
“But Meridian Crest received a substantial portion of the diverted money.”
“How much?” I asked.
“Approximately nine hundred thousand dollars.”
My mouth went dry.
Nine hundred thousand.
And that was only the amount they had traced so far.
I looked at the summary.
The payments had been recorded as risk consulting, administrative support, and project management fees.
All vague.
All apparently designed to look routine.
I turned toward Jack.
“Could Marcus be behind it?”
“Possibly.”
“Could Jennifer?”
“Yes.”
“Could someone be using a company name to hide another person's involvement?”
Thomas nodded.
“That's one of the possibilities we're investigating.”
I thought about Maya's strange reaction.
Then I forced myself to stop.
I needed evidence.
Not another betrayal invented by my frightened imagination.
That evening, I returned home to find a large brown envelope beneath my front door.
There was no return address.
Inside were photographs.
One showed me entering Jack's attorney's office.
Another showed me speaking with Lena Ortiz.
The third was taken outside my own house.
Across the bottom of the final photograph, someone had written:
YOU CAN STILL WALK AWAY.
My hands began shaking.
I called Elena.
She instructed me to preserve the envelope and contact the police.
Then I called Jack.
He answered immediately.
“Clare?”
“Someone is watching me.”
His voice changed.
“Are you alone?”
“Yes.”
“Are you somewhere secure?”
“Inside my house.”
“Have you contacted the police?”
“I'm doing that now.”
“Good. I'm having Thomas coordinate with Elena about the security concerns.”
I sat at the kitchen table.
For the first time, I seriously considered stopping the investigation.
I wanted my life back.
I wanted to wake up without wondering whether another account existed in my name.
I wanted to walk into a grocery store without strangers recognizing me from Jennifer's gossip campaign.
Most of all, I wanted to stop being afraid.
When the officer arrived, I provided the photographs, envelope, and information about the previous threats.
The officer documented my report and discussed practical safety measures.
Afterward, I sat alone in the living room.
Then David called.
I answered.
“Clare, please tell me you're somewhere safe.”
I froze.
“How do you know I'm worried about my safety?”
He went silent.
“David?”
He exhaled.
“Jennifer called me.”
My stomach tightened.
“What did she say?”
“She said you're making people nervous.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
“Stop lying.”
He began crying.
“I swear, I don't know everything.”
Then he whispered:
“Clare, Marcus isn't the person making the decisions anymore.”
I sat upright.
“What does that mean?”
David's breathing became uneven.
“Someone is cleaning up the evidence.”
“Who?”
“I can't say.”
“David!”
He lowered his voice.
“I found out what happened to the last person who questioned the accounts.”
My skin went cold.
“What happened?”
“He lost his job. His reputation. Everything.”
I stared at the dark windows.
May you like
Then David said:
“And Clare, that was before Jennifer decided you were a problem.”
