Chapter 7 - The Audit
The morning after the Fourth of July brought brilliant blue skies over Lake Briar. At 8:00 AM, Arthur Vance arrived with a forensic accountant team to conduct a full review of the estate accounts Daniel had been managing during his tenure as informal manager.
By noon, the findings were staggering. Over eighteen months, Daniel had diverted nearly $140,000 from the land preservation fund into a shell corporate account registered under Vanessa’s name to pay off her personal luxury credit cards and fund her failing boutique agency.
"This is embezzlement and wire fraud, Ruth," Arthur explained, spreading the bank statements across the sunny kitchen table. "If you press charges, Daniel faces significant prison time, and Vanessa will be listed as a co-conspirator."
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I sat with a warm cup of coffee, looking out at the calm water. "Draft the formal demand letter, Arthur. Full restitution of every penny within ninety days, or the evidence goes directly to the District Attorney. No special favors for my son."
When Daniel received the formal demand letter that evening at his temporary budget hotel room, he called me twelve times in a row. I let every single call go to voicemail.
