Chapter 5 - THE INVESTIGATORS
The two investigators introduced themselves as Special Agent Reyes and Special Agent Collins.
Neither smiled.
We moved into a private conference room.
Gavin demanded to come.
They refused.
Miriam sat beside me.
Daniel remained near the door.
Agent Reyes placed a file on the table.
“Ms. Hart, do you recognize this?”
It was the thirty-two-million-dollar loan guarantee.
My name appeared on the final page.
My signature beneath it.
I stared at the handwriting.
It looked almost perfect.
Almost.
“That isn’t mine.”
Reyes watched my face.
“You’re certain?”
“I sign my middle initial on financial guarantees.”
The signature simply read Olivia Hart.
“No middle initial.”
Miriam leaned forward.
“My client has never authorized this document.”
Agent Collins opened another file.
“What about this?”
A second guarantee.
Then a third.
My stomach dropped.
“How many are there?”
Reyes didn’t answer immediately.
“Six.”
I looked at Miriam.
Even she seemed surprised.
“Total exposure?”
Collins spoke.
“Approximately eighty-four million dollars.”
For several seconds I heard nothing except the hum of the air conditioner.
Eighty-four million.
Gavin hadn’t forged my signature once.
He had built an entire financial structure around it.
Reyes continued.
“We began reviewing MercerArc after a bank filed a suspicious activity report.”
“Because of the offshore transfers?”
“Yes.”
“And Gavin?”
“We’re not discussing targets.”
That meant yes.
Then Collins turned a laptop toward me.
Security footage.
A bank office.
Gavin sat at a conference table.
Beside him was someone I recognized immediately.
My cousin, Andrew Hart.
I stared.
“No.”
Miriam whispered, “Olivia…”
Andrew worked for Hart Capital.
Junior compliance officer.
Family.
The person who had introduced Gavin to several lenders.
Onscreen, Andrew handed Gavin a folder.
Agent Collins paused the video.
“We believe Mr. Hart helped authenticate the forged guarantees.”
I felt something inside me break.
Gavin’s betrayal hurt.
Andrew’s was different.
Andrew had grown up with me.
Christmas mornings.
Family vacations.
My father’s funeral.
He had stood beside me when I inherited my trust responsibilities.
I shook my head.
“Why?”
Reyes looked at me.
“We were hoping you could tell us.”
The conference-room door opened suddenly.
Daniel stepped in.
His expression was grim.
“Olivia.”
“What?”
“Your cousin Andrew is downstairs.”
My blood went cold.
“With the board?”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
“He’s trying to leave the hotel.”
Agent Reyes stood immediately.
“Where?”
“Underground garage.”
The agents moved.
I followed.
Miriam grabbed my arm.
“You don’t need to go down there.”
“Yes, I do.”
We took the service elevator.
When the doors opened, Andrew was running toward a black SUV.
“Andrew!”
He froze.
Slowly, he turned.
His face collapsed when he saw the federal agents.
“Olivia.”
I walked toward him.
“Tell me you didn’t do it.”
He looked at the floor.
That told me everything.
“Why?”
Andrew’s eyes filled with tears.
“He promised me equity.”
I stared at him.
“You sold my name for stock?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
He shook his head.
“You don’t understand.”
“Make me understand.”
Andrew looked toward the elevators.
Then he whispered:
“Gavin wasn’t the one who started this.”
I frowned.
“What does that mean?”
His face twisted with fear.
May you like
“It means someone in your family gave him permission.”
Before I could ask who, the garage lights suddenly went out.
