Chapter 3 - THE PARTIES ELEANOR NEVER ATTENDED
Eleanor did not sleep.
By seven she had printed six months of property records at Marjorie’s condo in Beverly Hills.
The events were not family parties.
They had names.
Aster Beauty Summer Dinner.
Crown Motors Private Preview.
Maison Lune Campaign Shoot.
Vellum Spirits Founders Evening.
Eleanor remembered each date.
Vanessa had always given her a reason to be elsewhere.
The upstairs floors were being refinished.
Victor needed privacy with investors.
A chef was testing recipes for his birthday.
Vanessa wanted one evening without “staff moving around.”
Twice Vanessa booked Eleanor into a Santa Monica hotel and called it a gift.
Eleanor had thanked her.
She felt foolish now.
The event administrator account had been created fourteen months earlier from a laptop associated with the mansion.
The authentication record showed Eleanor’s email address had received the approval code.
Eleanor searched her old messages.
She found it.
Vanessa had been sitting beside her in the kitchen that night helping set up a new television.
“You’ll get a six-digit code,” Vanessa had said. “Read it to me.”
Eleanor had.
No forged signature.
No dramatic hacking.
Just trust used in a different direction.
Marjorie helped Eleanor retain a property attorney, David Kim.
David immediately made one point clear.
“Do not lock them out.”
“It’s my house.”
“And they’ve lived there for years. Their occupancy rights need to be handled properly.”
Eleanor appreciated that he did not sell her fantasy justice.
She could remove Vanessa’s property-management permissions immediately.
She could stop unauthorized third-party events.
She could preserve records.
Removing Victor and Vanessa from residence required proper notice unless they voluntarily left.
Eleanor approved the first three steps.
Vanessa’s administrator access ended at 9:22 a.m.
At 9:24, Vanessa called.
Eleanor declined.
At 9:25:
WHAT DID YOU DO?
At 9:26:
You’re going to damage Victor’s company.
Eleanor read that twice.
The mansion events were connected to Victor’s company?
Victor called at 9:31.
His voicemail sounded furious but confused.
“Vanessa says you canceled some marketing agreements. What agreements?”
Eleanor sat back.
That answered one question.
Victor knew the house was being used.
May you like
He did not know how.
Vanessa had apparently built an entire business arrangement between Eleanor’s property and Victor’s company without explaining it fully to either one.
