Chapter 3 - THE FIRST LIE
“Tell me exactly what I’m looking at.”
Adrian paced his home office while his attorney, Daniel Price, spoke over the phone.
“It authorizes Vanessa Cole as a temporary financial representative for the Mercer Foundation.”
“I never gave her that authority.”
“I know.”
“Then how did this get filed?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”
Adrian stared through the window toward the backyard.
“How much access did she get?”
“Potentially a lot.”
“How much, Daniel?”
A pause.
“Up to eight hundred thousand dollars without additional board approval.”
Adrian stopped moving.
“That’s impossible.”
“It shouldn’t be possible.”
“But?”
“But someone used your digital authentication credentials.”
Adrian felt cold.
Only three people had ever had physical access to the secure device he used for foundation approvals.
Himself.
His assistant, Lauren.
And—
Vanessa.
Two months earlier, Adrian had broken his wrist skiing with Sophie.
He remembered asking Vanessa to bring him the device from his office.
She had held it for less than five minutes.
He had thought.
“Freeze everything.”
“Already doing it.”
“Call the bank.”
“Done.”
“Police?”
“Not yet. We need to establish what actually happened.”
Adrian heard footsteps.
He turned.
Sophie stood in the doorway holding a stuffed rabbit.
“Daddy?”
His face softened instantly.
“I’ll call you back.”
He hung up.
Sophie walked inside.
“Is Vanessa gone?”
“Not yet.”
Almost on cue, the front door slammed downstairs.
Vanessa.
Adrian stepped into the hallway.
“Sophie, stay here.”
He went downstairs.
Vanessa stood in the foyer beside two suitcases.
Her mascara had run slightly, but she was no longer crying.
“You froze my card.”
“Yes.”
“That card was for wedding expenses.”
“That card belonged to the foundation.”
Her eyes flickered.
Just once.
Enough.
“You know what I’m talking about, don’t you?”
Vanessa crossed her arms.
“I know you’re being paranoid.”
Adrian walked closer.
“Did you forge my authorization?”
“No.”
“Did you access my security device?”
“No.”
“Did you move foundation money?”
“No.”
Three answers.
Too fast.
Adrian studied her.
Vanessa picked up her suitcase.
“I hope someday you realize what Sophie is doing.”
His expression hardened.
“What exactly is Sophie doing?”
“Manipulating you.”
Adrian almost laughed.
“She’s eight.”
“She knows exactly how to use Emily against you.”
The second Vanessa said Emily’s name, Adrian’s face changed.
“Get out.”
“You can’t spend the rest of your life worshiping a dead woman.”
“Get out.”
“You’re letting a child control your life.”
Adrian opened the door.
Vanessa stepped outside.
Then she stopped.
“You think Sophie told you everything?”
He said nothing.
Vanessa smiled faintly.
“She didn’t.”
Adrian’s heart skipped.
“What are you talking about?”
But Vanessa simply walked away.
That night, Adrian sat beside Sophie’s bed.
He waited until she was almost asleep.
Then he asked quietly,
“Sweetheart… what else happened when I wasn’t around?”
Sophie’s eyes opened.
For several seconds, she didn’t speak.
Then she whispered,
“She locked me in Mommy’s closet.”
Adrian felt every muscle in his body go rigid.
“When?”
May you like
Sophie swallowed.
“More than once.”
