Chapter 6 - THE ACCOUNTANT WHO KNEW TOO MUCH|
The accountant's name was Thomas Reed.
He had worked for Bennett Holdings for eleven years before resigning abruptly six months earlier. According to Daniel, Thomas had suffered a nervous breakdown and left the company because he could no longer handle the pressure.
According to the contact information in Sarah's father's letter, Thomas had left because someone had asked him to falsify financial records.
Sarah called the number.
A cautious male voice answered.
"Who gave you this number?"
"My name is Sarah Bennett. My father was Robert Ellis."
Silence followed.
Then the man said, "Where can we meet?"
They arranged to meet at a crowded coffee shop near the courthouse. Sarah brought Evelyn, who insisted that all discussions involving potential evidence be documented properly.
Thomas arrived carrying a worn leather folder.
He looked older than his photographs, with tired eyes and the guarded expression of someone who had spent months expecting a knock at the door.
"Your father helped me once," he explained. "Years ago, he discovered that a company I audited was using charitable donations to conceal questionable transfers. He helped me report it without losing my professional license."
Sarah listened carefully.
"Why did you leave Bennett Holdings?"
"Because Daniel wanted me to approve transfers that had no legitimate business purpose."
"Did you?"
"At first, I thought the documentation was incomplete. Then I discovered that the same money was being moved through three different companies."
Thomas opened the folder.
Inside were spreadsheets, copies of emails, and transaction summaries.
"These are copies of records I was authorized to access. I preserved them before leaving. My attorney advised me not to release anything without a proper request, but I believe the information could help establish what happened."
Evelyn reviewed the documents.
"Do you have proof that Sarah's signature was forged?"
"Not yet. But I have the original authorization template and the audit log showing that the transfer was entered using Daniel's credentials."
Sarah felt a cold weight settle in her stomach.
"How much money?"
Thomas named a figure large enough to make her grip the edge of the table.
"Why would he do this?" she whispered.
"Debt," Thomas answered. "Pressure from investors. Or the belief that he could move the money before anyone noticed."
Evelyn closed the folder.
"This will need to be verified independently. We won't jump to conclusions."
Thomas nodded.
"There's one more thing."
He removed a printed email.
The message had been sent from an executive account shortly before Thomas resigned.
Once the divorce is finalized, the remaining assets can be transferred without further complications. The wife will have no standing to challenge the structure.
The sender's name was Daniel Bennett.
Sarah read the sentence twice.
"He planned this before the gala."
"Yes," Thomas said.
"Before he invited me?"
Thomas looked uncomfortable.
"I believe so."
The humiliation at the gala had not been an impulsive act of cruelty.
It had been part of a larger effort to make Sarah appear unstable, isolated, and incapable of challenging him.
Evelyn collected the documents.
"We'll preserve these and determine the appropriate legal steps."
Sarah stood, her hands trembling.
Outside, the afternoon sun reflected off the courthouse windows.
For months, she had wondered whether she had failed as a wife.
Now she understood that Daniel had been preparing to remove her from the life they'd built while using her name to protect himself.
Her phone rang.
A text appeared from an unknown number.
You should stop digging. Your baby deserves a peaceful life.
Sarah stared at the screen.
Then she forwarded the message to Evelyn.
For the first time, she wasn't frightened by the threat.
May you like
She was angry.
And she intended to find out who believed they had the right to threaten her child.
