Chapter 6 - They Came to Arrest the Wrong Woman
Celeste stood dramatically.
“What is happening?”
The performance was excellent.
One officer approached me.
“Claire Vale?”
“Yes.”
“We need to ask you about allegations involving financial fraud.”
Grant stepped away from me.
That tiny movement told the entire room whose side he was on.
Henry immediately intervened.
“My client answers nothing without counsel.”
Celeste covered her mouth.
“This can't be true.”
I almost applauded.
The accusation claimed I had diverted foundation funds using accounts Dad had created for me.
Forged records.
Again.
They were building a complete story.
Unstable daughter.
Greedy daughter.
Criminal daughter.
Grant approached me carefully.
“Claire, did you do something?”
I looked at him.
“My husband is asking whether I stole from my father?”
He lowered his voice.
“I'm trying to help.”
“No. You're trying to decide whether the police believe your paperwork.”
His face changed.
Only slightly.
But enough.
Celeste heard.
So did Henry.
The officers didn't arrest me.
They requested an interview.
Their mistake was assuming they were the only investigators involved.
By that afternoon, federal authorities had the hard drive.
The “children” Dad referenced weren't literal children.
They were subsidiary charities.
Twelve of them.
All fake.
And every one eventually connected to Grant.
But Daniel discovered something else.
A thirteenth organization.
One Dad hadn't created.
Its director was listed as Claire Vale.
Me.
The organization had been established seven years earlier.
One year before I married Grant.
He hadn't joined the conspiracy after our wedding.
May you like
He had married me because of it.
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