Chapter 16 - The Transfer
Vanessa stopped answering her attorney's calls. Her hotel said she'd checked out, leaving behind a scarf and an unpaid room-service bill. Owen told investigators he didn't know where she was.
Daniel didn't believe him. But suspicion wasn't a location, and Ortiz wasn't interested in guesses.
The bank placed a hold on the outgoing Harbor transfer after receiving the fraud report and preservation request. Ben and Simone spent the day tracing legitimate payments, separating household costs from invoices nobody had approved.
"I keep thinking we should have caught it sooner," Ben said.
"We should have," Daniel answered. "Let's make sure nobody can use my signature like that again."
He changed account access, required two approvals for significant expenses, and made sure Ruth could review the trust directly without going through him. It felt strange to treat an ordinary family budget as a security problem. Then he remembered the iron.
That night the smart-home system sent a notice: UNRECOGNIZED REMOTE ACCESS ATTEMPT - NURSERY CAMERA.
DeShawn had already revoked Owen's credentials, so the attempt failed. But someone knew exactly which device to target.
Daniel photographed the alert and forwarded it to Ortiz.
"Could Vanessa be trying to watch us?" he asked.
"It could be her. We need the provider's records. Keep your doors locked, and don't confront anyone."
Daniel carried Noah into the living room. The baby fell asleep against his shoulder while rain tapped the windows. Ruth stayed over, not because Daniel couldn't manage a night, but because nobody should have to prove strength by refusing help.
At 1:14 a.m., the doorbell camera detected movement near the side gate. Daniel watched the live view from the hallway.
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A figure in a hooded raincoat stood beside the fence, staring toward the dark nursery window.
Then the figure raised a phone, and Daniel's own phone began to ring.
