Chapter 18 - What Monica Said
We spent six hours in separate rooms at a federal building near Sacramento.
By sunset, I had repeated the story so many times it no longer sounded like mine.
The private jet.
The passport.
The accounts.
The trust transfer.
The USB drive.
Valery gave her statement too.
Daniel asked for a lawyer.
At 8:17 p.m., Agent Ortiz returned with two coffees.
“Monica Vale confirmed your husband’s involvement in a long-running fraud operation.”
I stared at the paper cup.
“My husband.”
The word felt ridiculous now.
Ortiz continued. “She claims he recruited targets by entering relationships, business partnerships, or advisory roles. She created financial structures behind the scenes.”
“How many?”
“We’re still counting.”
“Valery’s mother?”
“One of the earliest known victims.”
I closed my eyes.
“And me?”
Ortiz paused.
“Yes.”
It shouldn’t have hurt after everything I already knew.
It did.
“She says I was a target from the beginning?”
Ortiz chose her words carefully.
“She says you became a target before you became his wife.”
I looked away.
“But,” Ortiz added, “she also says Daniel delayed the final transfer for months.”
“Why?”
“She believes he developed real feelings for you and wanted to exit.”
I laughed.
A short, ugly sound.
“How comforting.”
“I’m not offering it as comfort.”
“Good.”
Ortiz slid a printed transcript across the table.
One line had been highlighted.
MONICA VALE: HE KEPT SAYING HE COULDN’T DO TO CLAIRE WHAT WE DID TO THE OTHERS.
I read it twice.
Then a second highlighted line.
MONICA VALE: THAT’S WHY I THREATENED VALERY.
I looked up.
“What does Valery have to do with this?”
Ortiz’s expression hardened.
May you like
“We think Monica knew she was working your flight before Daniel did.”
Private Jet Story - 20 Chapters
