Chapter 10 - Vanessa Comes In
Vanessa surrendered three days later.
Not to police.
To Evelyn.
She arrived wearing a baseball cap, sunglasses, and no makeup.
For the first time, she did not look glamorous.
She looked scared.
I sat across from her in a secure conference room.
“You look different,” I said.
She removed the glasses.
“So do you.”
“What did you expect?”
“A wreck.”
“That was Daniel’s mistake too.”
She looked down.
“I deserve that.”
“Yes.”
Silence.
Then she placed a small flash drive on the table.
“What’s that?”
“My insurance.”
“Against Daniel?”
“Against everyone.”
Evelyn reached for it.
Vanessa stopped her.
“I want a written proffer agreement first.”
“You’re not in a position to dictate.”
“I have emails Daniel deleted.”
That got our attention.
“And?”
“Audio of Vale discussing payments.”
“And?”
She looked at me.
“Proof Daniel planned to frame you.”
“We already have some.”
“Not like this.”
She slid over a printed transcript.
Daniel: Claire’s name is clean.
Vale: Until it isn’t.
Daniel: That’s the point.
My jaw tightened.
Vanessa continued.
“He started building it years before the affair.”
I looked at her.
“Why?”
“Because your shares protected the company.”
“What?”
“If investigators ever tied him personally to bribes, he could claim you controlled the financial side.”
I felt something inside me go very still.
Daniel had not just stayed married because it was comfortable.
He stayed because I was useful.
Vanessa watched my face.
“I didn’t know at first.”
“At first.”
“No.”
“When did you know?”
“Eight months ago.”
“And you stayed.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
She looked ashamed.
“Because he promised me the company.”
There it was.
No excuses.
Good.
I preferred ugly truth.
“What changed?”
“He promised me the company.”
I almost smiled.
“That’s what you just said.”
“No.”
She looked up.
“I mean he promised it to me while secretly transferring control to Vale.”
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“He was using me too.”
“Did that surprise you?”
“Yes.”
“Then we both learned something.”
She nodded.
Evelyn leaned forward.
“Where’s Daniel?”
Vanessa hesitated.
Then gave us an address.
An abandoned marina warehouse.
“He’ll be there tomorrow night.”
“With the ledger?”
“Yes.”
“How do you know?”
“He contacted me.”
“Why?”
“He wants a passport.”
“Can you get him one?”
“No.”
“Does he know that?”
“No.”
I looked at Evelyn.
Then at Vanessa.
“You’re going to meet him.”
Her face went pale.
“I knew you’d say that.”
“No wire if you don’t want one.”
She stared at me.
“You think I trust federal agents now?”
“I don’t care who you trust.”
I leaned closer.
“But Daniel trusts himself.”
“That’s his weakness.”
Vanessa swallowed.
“What do I say?”
“Nothing clever.”
May you like
I smiled.
“Just let him talk.”
