Chapter 3 - THE INVESTIGATOR'S FILE
Elias Grant met Daniel in a quiet coffee shop in Midtown.
He arrived carrying a thin brown folder.
Daniel hated how calm the man looked.
"How long were you working for Amy?"
"Six weeks."
"Why?"
"She believed you were having an affair."
Daniel looked away.
"She was wrong."
"Maybe."
Daniel stared at him.
"What did you find?"
Elias opened the folder.
"Vanessa Cole isn't your mistress."
Daniel frowned.
"What?"
"She's been working with you to identify the person stealing from your company."
"How do you know?"
"Because I followed her too."
Daniel stared at the photographs.
Vanessa entering warehouses.
Vanessa meeting accountants.
Vanessa leaving a federal building.
Then Elias placed down another photograph.
Daniel recognized the man immediately.
"That's Andrew Harrison."
His younger brother.
Daniel's stomach dropped.
"Why was he meeting Vanessa?"
"Because Vanessa hired him."
"What?"
"Three weeks ago."
Daniel leaned forward.
"Why?"
Elias slid another document across the table.
"Your company has been losing money through a chain of shell companies."
Daniel scanned the numbers.
Millions.
"Where does the money go?"
"Eventually?"
He pointed to one company.
Northstar Maritime Holdings.
Daniel's face went pale.
"That's impossible."
"Why?"
"Northstar was dissolved twelve years ago."
Elias nodded.
"On paper."
Daniel looked up.
"What does this have to do with Amy?"
Elias hesitated.
"Your wife discovered something before you did."
"What?"
"She found a transfer."
"Which transfer?"
"A $4.8 million payment."
"To whom?"
"Northstar."
Daniel stared.
"Who authorized it?"
Elias pushed forward the final page.
Daniel's signature appeared.
He went still.
"I didn't authorize this."
"I know."
"Then someone forged my signature."
"Correct."
"Who?"
Elias pointed to the bottom of the document.
There was an internal authorization code.
Daniel recognized it.
His executive assistant had access.
But only three people knew the secondary security phrase.
Daniel.
Andrew.
And Vanessa.
He immediately stood.
"I need to find Amy."
Elias closed the folder.
"There's more."
Daniel stopped.
"Your wife hired me because she believed you were cheating."
"And?"
"I discovered she was being followed."
Daniel's expression changed.
"By whom?"
"I don't know."
"Then what do you know?"
Elias leaned closer.
"Someone broke into her car."
"When?"
"Two weeks ago."
"Did she tell me?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because she was afraid you were involved."
Daniel closed his eyes.
The accusation hurt.
But he couldn't blame her.
He had spent months keeping secrets.
Elias continued.
"After the break-in, Amy asked me to investigate one more thing."
"What?"
"Vanessa."
"Why?"
"Because she believed Vanessa wasn't interested in you."
Daniel stared.
"What was she interested in?"
Elias opened the folder.
"Your company."
That afternoon, Daniel went to Vanessa's office.
She was waiting.
"You know."
"I know enough."
She sighed.
"Does Amy know?"
"She's gone."
Vanessa closed her eyes.
"Where?"
"I don't know."
"You need to find her."
"I am."
"No."
Vanessa stood.
"You need to understand something first."
"What?"
"Your wife wasn't my enemy."
Daniel frowned.
"Then why did you send those messages?"
Vanessa pulled out her phone.
"I didn't."
She showed him.
The messages had been sent from a number almost identical to hers.
One digit different.
Daniel stared.
Someone had impersonated Vanessa.
Someone had wanted Amy to believe they were having an affair.
"Who?"
Vanessa whispered:
"Andrew."
Daniel's blood ran cold.
His own brother had deliberately destroyed his marriage.
But Vanessa wasn't finished.
"There's something else."
"What?"
She placed a sealed envelope on the desk.
"I found this in your father's old office."
Daniel opened it.
Inside was a photograph of his father with a much younger Amy.
Daniel stared.
"What is this?"
May you like
Vanessa looked at him.
"That's what you need to ask."
