Chapter 9 - The Name on the Paper
Daniel stared at his mother's name.
For several seconds he seemed unable to understand the letters.
Marcus took the paper from Maya.
"Could be fabricated."
Daniel didn't answer.
Police surrounded Victor while paramedics worked.
The bullet had entered his upper shoulder.
He remained conscious long enough to whisper, "Don't trust the account."
Then he lost consciousness.
At the hospital, Daniel stood in a private corridor.
Maya sat nearby.
"Go home," he said.
"No."
"Maya."
"You'll pace whether I'm here or not."
"Probably."
"So I'll stay."
Daniel sank into a chair.
For the first time since she'd met him, he looked completely drained.
"My mother's name."
"Could be fake."
"Marcus said that."
"Marcus is smart."
Daniel laughed once.
"That's why I pay him."
Maya leaned forward.
"Do you believe Margaret stole money?"
"No."
"Then stop convicting her in your head."
"I'm not."
"You have the face."
"What face?"
"The one where you build six arguments against yourself before anybody else speaks."
He looked at her.
"How do you know?"
"Because I have one too."
Daniel considered this.
"What do you blame yourself for?"
Maya's smile disappeared.
"Not tonight."
"Fair."
At 3:00 a.m., Marcus arrived.
"The bank account exists."
Daniel stood.
"Owner?"
"Margaret Hayes."
Maya's stomach sank.
Daniel didn't move.
Marcus continued.
"But it was opened twelve years ago."
"She never mentioned it."
"Joint account."
"With whom?"
Marcus handed him the report.
Daniel read the second name.
"Thomas Hayes."
Maya asked, "Who is that?"
Daniel looked up slowly.
"My father."
Margaret's husband had died five years before Elena.
Daniel rubbed his forehead.
"The account predates the foundation."
Marcus nodded.
"And was supposedly closed after your father's death."
"Supposedly?"
"Someone reactivated it."
"When?"
"Three months before Elena discovered the missing money."
Daniel stared at the report.
"In my mother's name."
"Using digital authorization."
"Which could be forged."
"Yes."
Maya asked, "Where did the eleven million go?"
"Through that account briefly, then overseas entities."
Daniel stood.
"Someone used my parents' old account as a conduit."
Marcus nodded.
"That's my current theory."
"Who had access?"
"We're working on it."
At dawn, Margaret arrived.
Daniel had called her without explaining.
She entered the hospital lounge and immediately saw their faces.
"What happened?"
Daniel showed her the report.
Margaret read it twice.
Her hand began shaking.
"I closed this account."
"When?"
"After your father died."
"Who handled it?"
"Our financial office."
"Specifically?"
Margaret sat down.
"Victor."
Everyone went silent.
Daniel said, "Victor just admitted stealing from the foundation."
Margaret closed her eyes.
"But he claims someone else moved eleven million through your old account."
Margaret looked toward Victor's guarded hospital room.
"Is he saying I did?"
"We don't know what he's saying."
Margaret's face hardened.
"I didn't."
"I know."
Maya watched relief flash across Margaret's expression.
Daniel believed her.
Whatever their conflicts, that mattered.
Then Margaret remembered something.
"There was another signer."
Daniel frowned.
"Marcus said Dad."
"No."
Margaret shook her head.
"After Thomas got sick, we authorized a financial power of attorney."
"Who?"
"My brother."
Daniel stood very still.
"Uncle Richard?"
Margaret nodded.
Maya asked, "Where is he now?"
Daniel and Margaret exchanged looks.
Daniel answered.
"On my board."
Richard Vale was not merely a board member.
He was chairman.
Daniel's father's closest friend and Margaret's older brother.
After Thomas Hayes died, Richard had helped Daniel stabilize the company.
He had been at Elena's funeral.
He had held Noah during the burial.
Daniel sat again.
"No."
Margaret's voice broke.
"I gave Richard access to everything when Thomas was ill."
Marcus said, "Access doesn't prove involvement."
"No."
Margaret looked sick.
"But it explains how someone could reactivate the account."
Maya suddenly remembered Harold's recording.
Someone Daniel trusts completely.
Someone closer.
Not Claire.
Family.
Daniel heard the same thought.
"Richard."
At 7:15 a.m. his phone rang.
Richard Vale.
Daniel stared at the screen.
Marcus said, "Answer normally."
Daniel did.
"Uncle Richard."
"Daniel, I just heard about Victor. Are you all right?"
"Fine."
"Was this connected to Noah?"
"No."
"What happened?"
"Police are investigating."
Richard sighed.
"That company is becoming a circus. First the boy disappears, then that homeless woman is photographed at your house—"
Daniel's eyes hardened.
Maya noticed.
Richard continued.
"You need to get control of the press before Monday's board meeting."
"Why?"
"Shareholders are nervous."
"About my son?"
"About your judgment."
Daniel looked at Maya.
"What judgment?"
"You brought a stranger into your home."
Maya mouthed, Interesting.
Daniel said, "She saved Noah."
"She fed him a sandwich."
"Apparently that was enough."
Richard paused.
"I don't understand."
Daniel chose his words carefully.
"Noah spoke."
Silence.
Then Richard said, "That's… wonderful."
But the reaction came late.
Too late.
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
"You don't sound surprised."
"Of course I'm surprised."
"Who told you?"
"Nobody."
"You hesitated."
"Daniel, it's seven in the morning."
Marcus gestured to keep him talking.
Daniel said, "Did you know Elena suspected theft?"
Another pause.
"Why are you asking me this?"
"Answer."
"Elena had concerns about accounting."
"You knew."
"Everyone on the finance committee knew she could be obsessive about the foundation."
Maya's face changed.
Daniel's did too.
"Obsessive?"
"That's not what I meant."
"She discovered money missing."
"Small discrepancies."
"Eleven million dollars isn't small."
Silence.
Richard said nothing.
Daniel smiled without warmth.
"I never said where the money came from."
The line went dead.
Marcus immediately started issuing instructions.
"Police need to locate him."
Daniel stood.
But before anyone moved, Noah called Maya's phone.
She answered.
"Hey."
Mrs. Alvarez's frightened voice came through instead.
"Maya, is Mr. Hayes with you?"
"Yes."
Daniel took the phone.
"What's wrong?"
"Sir… Noah is gone."
Every drop of color left Daniel's face.
"What?"
"He was in his room twenty minutes ago."
"Lock the gates!"
"We did."
"Check the cameras."
"They're already checking."
Daniel looked at Marcus.
Marcus moved.
Maya's heart pounded.
Then Mrs. Alvarez whispered, "Sir, there's something else."
"What?"
"A note on Noah's bed."
Daniel closed his eyes.
"Read it."
Mrs. Alvarez's voice trembled.
"It says: 'I know where Mom went before she died.'"
Below it, Noah had written an address.
Daniel recognized it instantly.
May you like
Richard Vale's country house.
---
