Chapter 7 - The Money That Kept Changing Names
The forensic accountant was a woman named Allison Price.
Evelyn kept the Monday appointment.
She simply moved it from Charlotte to a conference room in her attorney’s office and attended with a sheriff’s investigator aware of the review.
No one called it proof of attempted murder.
It was financial evidence.
That distinction mattered.
Allison spent four days tracing payments from Cross Ridge Holdings.
The first pattern appeared under consulting expenses.
Blue Laurel Advisory.
Ridgeline Strategy.
Mountain Asset Review.
Different names.
Similar amounts.
Similar invoice language.
All approved through finance.
All tied to projects Mara supervised.
Over eighteen months, $734,000 had moved through those accounts.
Some payments were legitimate.
Too many were not.
The money eventually fed into a private real-estate development Mara had personally guaranteed outside Hendersonville.
Evelyn stared at the spreadsheet.
“She invested company money in her own project?”
“Not directly,” Allison said. “The transactions were layered through vendor reimbursements. But that's where a significant portion appears to have ended up.”
Colin swore under his breath.
Evelyn said nothing.
She remembered Mara defending that development two years earlier.
Boutique townhomes.
Mountain views.
High-end buyers.
Then interest rates climbed and the project stalled.
Mara had told everyone her exposure was small.
Apparently it was not.
Allison slid another document across the table.
“There’s also this.”
Three days before Evelyn disappeared, Mara authorized a $40,000 cash withdrawal from an operating reserve.
Purpose:
Emergency land-acquisition expenses.
Cross Ridge had purchased no land that week.
Evelyn read the authorization twice.
Colin stood.
“That’s the payment.”
“We do not know that,” Evelyn said.
He turned toward her.
“Mom.”
“We know she withdrew money.”
“Forty grand in cash three days before you were put in a grave.”
“I understand the timing.”
Colin looked furious.
“Why are you still protecting her?”
Evelyn met his eyes.
“I protected her before because I trusted her.”
She tapped the document.
“I’m being careful now because I don’t.”
That evening Mara called six times.
Evelyn answered the seventh.
“You went through company records without me,” Mara said.
“I own the company.”
“I run the finance department.”
“Not anymore.”
Silence.
Evelyn continued.
“Effective tomorrow, you’re on administrative leave.”
Mara inhaled sharply.
“You can’t do that based on Colin’s accusations.”
“I’m not.”
“Then based on what?”
“Seven hundred thirty-four thousand dollars.”
For several seconds, Mara said nothing.
When she finally spoke, her voice was much quieter.
“Mom, there are things about that money you don’t understand.”
May you like
Evelyn looked at the cash-withdrawal authorization.
“Then you should start explaining.”
