Chapter 17 - Before Midnight
The financial team moved faster than I had ever seen. Independent counsel sought emergency restrictions on disputed transfers while the bank's fraud department reviewed the unusual activity. I signed authorizations only after Priya explained each one.
"We don't need heroics," she said. "We need a record no one can tear apart later."
At six, Martin called my private number.
"You are embarrassing the hotel," he said.
"I'm investigating where its money went."
"Daniel wouldn't have wanted a public scandal."
"Don't tell me what my husband wanted."
"He trusted me."
"And you used that trust as a key."
A long silence followed. Then Martin spoke in a voice I'd never heard from him before.
"You can't keep every secret and still keep the company. Choose."
He hung up.
I forwarded the call record to Priya, then went to see Lily at the protected hotel. She sat cross-legged on the bed drawing a rose with every crayon in the box.
"Is the mean man in trouble?" she asked.
"The grown-ups are finding out what happened."
"Did I do something wrong because I was sleeping?"
The question struck me like a blow.
"No. Absolutely not. You were tired. The people at the desk were wrong to make you feel unwelcome."
"You looked sad."
"I was sad. But not because of you."
She wrapped both arms around my neck. "Daddy would tell them to be nice."
"He would," I whispered.
At 11:42 p.m., Priya called. The bank had flagged the transfer before final settlement. But Pike had responded with a lawsuit seeking an immediate injunction against my control of the trust.
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Attached to his filing was a notarized document allegedly signed by Daniel two weeks before his death.
It named Martin Vale as successor trustee.
