Chapter 5 - THE MONEY I NEVER SENT
By sunrise, I was sitting in my home office with three accountants and two detectives.
Mercer International Holdings was the parent company for most of my overseas investments.
I had never heard of payments to Cedar Vale.
Yet almost three million dollars had moved from subsidiary accounts into Larkspur Medical Properties over two years.
Every transfer carried legitimate authorization codes.
Some carried my digital signature.
I had approved none of them.
My chief financial officer, Daniel Price, looked sick.
"These approvals came through Simon's office."
I stared at him.
"Could Simon authorize them alone?"
"Not at this amount."
"Then how?"
Daniel hesitated.
"Rhea had administrative access to your travel accounts."
"Travel accounts aren't corporate accounts."
"They became linked after last year's system migration."
I remembered signing the paperwork.
Rhea had brought it to me before a flight to Singapore.
She had placed small yellow tabs beside every signature line.
I had trusted her enough not to read every page.
That trust had cost me.
Ortiz entered carrying a sealed evidence bag.
Inside was a silver bracelet.
Mara's bracelet.
I recognized the small moon charm.
"Where did you find that?"
"At Cedar Vale."
I reached for it before stopping myself.
Ortiz placed the bag on the desk.
"There was dried blood on the clasp."
I looked away.
"How did this happen?"
Nobody answered.
My phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
Ortiz saw it.
"Don't answer yet."
She connected recording equipment.
Then nodded.
I picked up.
"Hello?"
Rhea's voice came through.
"Did you enjoy Cedar Vale?"
Every person in the room became still.
"Where is Mara?"
"You should have stayed out of this."
"Where is my wife?"
Rhea laughed softly.
"Interesting choice of words."
My stomach turned.
"You've spent the last year telling everyone I was going to become your wife."
"I asked you a question."
"And I'm answering."
Her voice became colder.
"Mara was always your wife."
I forced myself to remain calm.
"Let me talk to her."
"No."
"Then let me hear her voice."
"No."
Ortiz wrote on the notepad.
KEEP HER TALKING.
I swallowed my anger.
"What do you want?"
"The blue book."
Mara's message flashed through my mind.
SHE NEEDS THE BLUE BOOK.
"I don't know what that is."
"Then find it."
"Where?"
"Ask your brother."
I looked at Ortiz.
She was already writing.
"Simon is with you."
Rhea laughed again.
"You still think Simon is important."
"What does that mean?"
"It means your brother is useful when he's afraid."
A sound came through the phone.
A woman's cough.
My entire body froze.
"Mara?"
Silence.
Then another cough.
I stood.
"Mara!"
A weak voice whispered something.
I could barely hear it.
But I knew that voice.
I had heard it every day for thirteen years.
"Caleb."
My hand covered my mouth.
Daniel turned away.
Ortiz watched the recorder.
"Mara."
"I'm here."
Before she could say anything else, there was a struggle.
Rhea returned.
"Now you believe your son."
"If you hurt her—"
"I've already hurt her."
The casualness in her voice terrified me.
"You have until tomorrow night."
"For what?"
"The blue book."
"I don't know where it is."
"Then I suggest you learn."
The call disconnected.
Ortiz immediately requested a trace.
I lowered the phone.
I could still hear Mara saying my name.
Alive.
Terrified.
But alive.
Behind me, a small voice spoke.
"Blue book?"
I turned.
Perrin stood in the doorway.
He had been listening.
He walked toward the desk.
"Mommy had a blue book."
Ortiz crouched.
"You saw it?"
Perrin nodded.
"Before she disappeared."
"Where?"
He pointed toward his old stuffed dog.
Except Scout was missing.
May you like
Perrin looked at me.
"She put the key inside him."
