Chapter 3 - Five Years Earlier

Rachel stared at the photo until her eyes hurt.

"Five years ago, you didn't know me."

Daniel looked at the screen.

"I didn't."

"Then why was someone using my name?"

"I don't know."

She laughed once, without humor. "That answer is getting old."

The police arrived twenty minutes later. Two officers photographed the broken glass, Rachel's cheek, the scattered papers, and the security camera above the front porch.

Officer Bell asked, "Do you want to press charges?"

"Yes," Rachel said immediately.

Daniel looked relieved.

Rachel noticed that.

Vanessa had spent years in his life. Yet he did not defend her, excuse her, or ask Rachel to keep the peace. Whatever secret existed, Daniel was afraid of Vanessa, not loyal to her.

That should have comforted Rachel.

It didn't.

After the officers left, Daniel called his attorney, Melissa Grant.

Melissa arrived after nine, still wearing courtroom heels and carrying a laptop bag.

She read the demand letter twice.

"This is fake," she said.

Daniel exhaled.

"The letterhead?"

"Real firm. Fake document. I know one of the partners. They did not send this."

Rachel handed over the wire confirmation.

Melissa's face changed.

"This part may be real."

"How?" Rachel asked.

Melissa zoomed in on the routing information. "Westbridge Holdings was one of Daniel and Vanessa's companies during their marriage. It was dissolved after the divorce."

Daniel leaned over the screen. "I never authorized a transfer to Rachel."

"Maybe you didn't."

Melissa looked at him carefully.

"Who had signing authority?"

"Me. Vanessa. And our accountant, Peter Shaw."

Rachel folded her arms.

"Where is Peter now?"

Silence.

Daniel finally said, "He died three years ago."

Melissa kept reading.

"There's something else. The transfer date is the same day you and Vanessa signed your final settlement."

Daniel frowned. "That's impossible."

"Why?"

"Because that morning, Westbridge had less than fifty thousand dollars in cash."

Melissa rotated the laptop toward them.

"Then explain this."

A second transaction sat directly above the transfer.

$300,000 had entered Westbridge only eleven minutes earlier.

The sender was a company Rachel knew very well.

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Morgan Clinical Systems.

Her father's company.