Chapter 11 - The Banker in the Picture
The man in the photograph was Martin Vale, the banker who had renewed Ricardo's business credit line three months earlier. Ricardo remembered his firm handshake, his promise to keep the company steady through a slow season.
"A photograph doesn't prove a conspiracy," Leah warned. "But it tells us where to ask questions."
At her office, they compared wire records with vendor invoices. Three suppliers had billed the company for steel that never arrived. Their addresses led to empty suites. One name appeared on every payment authorization: Brendan Shaw.
"He controlled the accounting system," Ricardo said. "He could prepare the wires. But my approval code was required."
Elena opened a calendar on Ricardo's phone. "You were in Lisbon when two went through. Celeste had your laptop at home."
Ricardo called his bank's fraud department and initiated a formal dispute. He didn't pretend he could freeze everything with a single phone call. Instead, he sat through questions, sent travel records, and asked the bank to preserve access logs.
Then a courier arrived at Leah's office. Inside was a notice: Celeste had asked a court to appoint her emergency guardian over Arturo, claiming he was being manipulated by Ricardo and Elena.
The petition described the kitchen incident as a fall. It said Arturo's statements couldn't be trusted.
Ricardo read the sentence twice: He has recently developed a fixation that family members are withholding food.
His father had been on his knees beside a dog bowl. Now Celeste was trying to turn that memory into evidence against him.
May you like
Leah looked toward the clock. "We have until Monday morning to answer."
And the workshop sale was scheduled for nine.
