Chapter 12 - The Engagement Was a Trap
The secret trust was called Harbor Fund.
Thomas had created it through shell charities because he believed public settlements would be buried in appeals for years.
Dirty method.
Good purpose.
That was becoming the story of my father.
The original six hundred thousand had grown through investments and private donations.
Current estimated value: forty-eight million dollars.
Most of it was gone.
Paid into Whitmore Care vendors that did not exist.
Dominic stared at the records.
"Vanessa's family has been draining medical money from the same people Halcyon poisoned."
Celeste had already left, promising through a smile that we were "misinterpreting old documents."
I called that rich-person language for please don't find the receipts.
Vanessa came to the estate that afternoon.
Dominic told her what we found.
She sat down slowly.
"Mom said Harbor Fund was a scholarship foundation."
"Did you sign vendor approvals?" Dominic asked.
Vanessa looked at him.
"You know I did."
My eyes narrowed.
"How?"
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
"Because that's why we're engaged."
I looked between them.
Dominic did not deny it.
Vanessa continued.
"Our engagement was never romantic. It was an alliance. I gave Dominic access to Whitmore board materials. He gave me protection from my mother."
I stared at Dominic.
"Your billionaire mafia engagement is a business arrangement?"
"More or less."
"You people are exhausting."
Vanessa almost smiled.
Almost.
Then she said, "I found irregular Harbor payments six months ago. That's when I started looking for Thomas Carter."
"And found me instead."
"Yes."
"Then decided humiliation was a search technique."
She looked ashamed.
"I thought you might mention something your father left you. I was cruel because cruelty made you angry, and angry people reveal things."
"You could have asked."
"Would you have answered?"
"No."
"Exactly."
I hated that she had a point.
I hated more that it did not excuse her.
Dominic said, "We need Harbor Fund's master account."
Vanessa nodded.
"Mom keeps old family trust documents in the Whitmore foundation vault."
"Can you access it?"
"Not anymore."
"Why?"
She held up her phone.
A board notice had just gone out.
Vanessa Whitmore had been removed from every company position for "mental health concerns."
Her mother had erased Julian.
Now she was erasing Vanessa.
Then my phone rang.
Private number.
A man whispered, "Avery?"
I recognized the voice from the old tournament videos.
Julian.
"Don't go near the foundation vault," he said.
"Where are you?"
"Your father already took the real ledger."
"Then what is in the vault?"
He breathed hard.
"A list of everyone who helped him."
A pause.
"Including Linda Carter."
---
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