Chapter 9 - The Signature That Wasn't Hers
The independent auditor called the next day. The missing sum was not a rounding error. It was more than a million dollars spread across payments for repairs, housing placements, and counseling sessions that appeared never to have happened.
Ridgepoint Services had been registered by a lawyer who had once represented Vanessa in a property dispute. Priya insisted we let investigators trace the accounts rather than guessing at their destination. She also found an emergency resolution ready for the foundation board. If approved, it would give Vanessa temporary control over the oversight committee's records and bar Clara from reviewing the books.
"You can refuse to sign," Priya told me.
"I already refused."
"Your sister may not need your signature if she persuades enough trustees."
The proposed suspension came with a psychiatric assessment of Clara from a clinic Clara had never visited. It described her as volatile, dangerous around children, and unable to make sound judgments. A doctor had supposedly signed it. When Priya contacted the clinic, no one there recognized the letterhead.
I showed Moreno. "This was prepared before Vanessa pushed the stroller."
"That's why the timing matters," she said. "It's evidence of planning. Not the whole case, but part of it."
That evening Olivia asked to meet me in the parking lot outside Nina's building, with Clara nearby. She looked impossibly young in her oversized hoodie.
"Aunt Vanessa didn't just tell you Clara was dangerous," she said. "She told me Clara would send me away when Emma got older. She said I wasn't really part of the family anymore."
My throat tightened. "I'm sorry I didn't see it."
"That's not all." Olivia handed me an old birthday card from Vanessa. Inside was a note: You're smart. Don't let Clara trick your father. Save anything unusual on your phone.
May you like
Olivia had taken the advice literally and recorded several arguments. One clip began with Vanessa saying, "If Clara won't back off, I'll give Adrian a reason to throw her out."
Then another voice answered, "And if the baby gets hurt?"
