Chapter 3 - The Shadow of the Will
The next morning, I met Arthur Vance in a dimly lit booth at a high-end steakhouse downtown. The restaurant wasn't open to the public yet, but Arthur was the kind of man who didn't wait for business hours. He sat with a cup of black coffee, his rugged, weathered face showing no emotion as I slid into the booth across from him.
"You're calmer than I expected for a woman whose husband just publically replaced her," Arthur said, his sharp eyes assessing me.
"I don't waste energy on emotion, Mr. Vance," I replied, opening my tablet and sliding it across the table. "I deal in numbers. And right now, the numbers are very bad for the Sterling family."
Arthur looked down at the screen. I had compiled a comprehensive flowchart showing the cash flow of the Sterling Group over the past five years. Specifically, I had highlighted a series of multi-million dollar transfers from a shell company called Vance Construction—Arthur's own firm.
Arthur's eyes narrowed. "Where did you get this?"
"I'm a forensic accountant," I said. "Tracking hidden assets is my specialty. Daniel has been using your construction projects to launder money from his mother's offshore accounts. He convinced Vanessa to act as the intermediary, using her personal accounts to facilitate the transfers. If the federal authorities look into this crash, they'll inevitably audit Vanessa's accounts. She won't just face traffic charges, Mr. Vance. She'll face federal money laundering charges."
Arthur's fist clenched on the table, the wood creaking under his strength. "That boy... he told me Vanessa was safe. He said he was going to marry her and secure her future."
"He lied," I said. "Daniel and Patricia are using your daughter as a shield. If the Sterling Group collapses, Vanessa is the one whose name is on the fraudulent accounts. She will go to federal prison, and her baby will be born behind bars."
Arthur stared at the flowchart, his jaw tight with silent fury. "What do you want, Mara?"
"I want my divorce," I said. "And I want the Sterling Group dismantled. But to do that, I need the password to Patricia’s private ledger. It's kept on a secure server at their family estate. Only Daniel and Patricia have access to it."
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Arthur leaned back, a cold, calculating look entering his eyes. "Patricia’s estate is a fortress. She has security cameras, motion sensors, and guard dogs. You can't just walk in there."
"I don't need to walk in," I said. "I need Daniel to invite me. And you are going to help me make that happen."
