Chapter 4 - The First Time Daniel Looked at the Numbers
Daniel did not confront Vanessa.
For once, he resisted the instinct to move before thinking.
He called the bank.
The household account had been created specifically for Margaret’s care: Daniel deposited money monthly, and Margaret contributed from her pension and investment income.
Vanessa had a debit card because she handled groceries, pharmacy pickups, household supplies, and contractor appointments.
The bank representative could not interpret the transactions for him.
She could only provide records.
Daniel downloaded six months.
There were ordinary charges.
Groceries.
Medical supplies.
Grace’s payroll.
Wheelchair transportation.
Then there were transfers.
$2,400.
$3,100.
$1,850.
All going to a business Daniel did not recognize.
Vesper House Studio LLC.
He searched the name.
Nothing useful appeared except a Kansas business registration.
Registered agent:
Vanessa Mercer.
Daniel sat back.
He had never heard of Vesper House Studio.
Margaret watched him from across the breakfast room.
He turned the laptop toward her.
“Mom, do you know this?”
Her eyes narrowed.
She shook her head.
Daniel pointed to Vanessa’s name.
Margaret immediately slapped her palm against the wheelchair arm.
Yes.
Then she pointed toward Grace’s empty chair.
Daniel understood.
“Grace found this?”
Margaret nodded.
Daniel called her.
Grace answered after four rings.
“I’m not ready to come back.”
“I’m not asking you to.”
Silence.
“I found the account transfers.”
Grace exhaled.
“So did I.”
“When?”
“Three weeks ago.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“I tried.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
Of course she had.
Grace continued.
“I asked Vanessa first because I thought there might be an explanation. She told me it was a design business she was starting.”
“Did Mom authorize the transfers?”
“No.”
“How do you know?”
“Because your mother saw one of the statements.”
Daniel looked at Margaret.
Grace said, “She became extremely upset. Vanessa told me Margaret was confused.”
Margaret was physically disabled.
Her speech was gone.
Her mind was intact.
Daniel suddenly remembered how often Vanessa had recently used words like confused, declining, agitated, difficult.
He had accepted them because they fit the story everyone expected after a stroke.
“How much is missing?”
“I don't know.”
Daniel calculated the transfers visible on the account.
Nearly twenty-six thousand dollars.
He felt sick.
Grace lowered her voice.
“There’s something else.”
“What?”
“The morning before the dinner, I told Vanessa I was going to show you everything.”
Daniel stared toward the dining room.
The dumped meal.
The plate pushed into Grace’s hands.
The instant accusation.
The planted jewelry.
None of it looked spontaneous anymore.
May you like
Vanessa had not merely humiliated Margaret.
She had been building a reason for Daniel to stop trusting the one person who had found the money.
