Chapter 5 - THE TWELVE MILLION DOLLAR TRANSFER
The first transfer alert arrived at 9:07 p.m.
I nearly missed it.
The trust's financial controller, Rebecca Lin, had been monitoring emergency expenses from Miami.
She called my satellite phone.
“Olivia, are you somewhere secure?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I need you to listen carefully.”
Her voice sounded wrong.
“What's happened?”
“A transfer request just hit the trust's banking system.”
“How much?”
“Twelve million dollars.”
I went still.
“To whom?”
Rebecca hesitated.
“A newly registered company called Vance Strategic Holdings.”
Sloane.
I stood.
“Has the money moved?”
“No. It requires dual authorization.”
“Who submitted it?”
“Grant's finance director.”
“Under what authority?”
Rebecca took a breath.
“An emergency operations reimbursement.”
I almost laughed.
An emergency reimbursement.
For twelve million dollars.
While eighty-seven people were sheltering from a hurricane.
Rebecca continued.
“There's something else.”
“What?”
“The request cites a board resolution from last month.”
I frowned.
“There was no trust board meeting last month.”
“I know.”
“Send me the resolution.”
Seconds later, the document appeared.
It bore my name.
My title.
And a signature that looked remarkably like mine.
Except it wasn't.
I knew my own handwriting.
The signature was close.
But the final stroke was wrong.
And the document claimed I had attended a meeting in Nassau on a day I had been in Chicago attending my aunt's funeral.
I stared at it.
Grant hadn't merely betrayed me romantically.
He had apparently been preparing to take control of my father's assets.
“Freeze the transfer,” I told Rebecca.
“Already done.”
“Preserve every authorization record.”
“Yes.”
“And notify outside counsel.”
Rebecca hesitated.
“Olivia, this could become a criminal investigation.”
I looked toward the storm shutters.
“Then we need to make sure the evidence is handled properly.”
At 9:26 p.m., another message arrived from Grant.
I need you to sign the emergency reimbursement approval. It's routine.
I stared at it.
He had no idea the request was already frozen.
I replied:
Send me the supporting documents.
His answer came almost immediately.
Stop being difficult.
I smiled without humor.
The man who had left me on an island during a hurricane was accusing me of being difficult because I wanted to see the paperwork for twelve million dollars.
Then Rebecca called again.
“Olivia.”
“Yes?”
“I checked the corporate registration.”
“And?”
“Vance Strategic Holdings was formed eight months ago.”
I closed my eyes.
Eight months.
Grant's affair had not been an impulsive mistake.
May you like
It had been a business arrangement.
And I was beginning to understand its purpose.
