Chapter 14 - Claire Bennett's Signature
The name on the original harbor accounts was Claire Bennett.
Nora's mother.
She stared at the decrypted files until the letters blurred.
CLAIRE BENNETT - AUTHORIZED SIGNATORY.
Payments connected to Vincent Vale's laundering network had moved through an account carrying her signature.
"No," Nora said.
Daniel sat beside her.
"She wasn't part of it."
"Her name is right there."
"Because I put it there."
Nora turned slowly.
Daniel looked sick.
Twelve years earlier, he discovered the criminal payments after some had already passed through a family consulting company he and Claire jointly owned.
He had used Claire's pre-authorized signature stamp on routine filings.
Vincent's people copied it.
When Daniel realized what happened, it looked as though Claire had approved millions in illegal transfers.
That was the leverage Vincent used.
If Daniel testified, Claire could be charged too.
"So you ran to protect Mom."
"At first."
"And then?"
"Then I realized running also protected you."
Nora stood.
"Stop saying that."
Daniel flinched.
"Every person in this story says they lied to protect me. Mom. Evelyn. Adrian. You. Do you know what all that protection gave me? Twelve years of grief."
No one answered.
She turned to Adrian.
"And you kept the drive."
"Yes."
"Because it could hurt my mother?"
"Partly."
"What was the other part?"
Adrian looked at Daniel.
Daniel closed his eyes.
Nora knew there was more.
"Say it."
Adrian did.
"The drive also proved my father was not the highest person in the network."
"Who was?"
Adrian opened a decrypted ledger.
One initials column repeated beside the largest transfers.
R.S.
Nora had seen those initials all her life.
Richard Shaw.
Dominic's father.
Former Boston police commissioner.
The man who had led the original investigation into Daniel's disappearance.
Nora looked at Dominic.
His face had gone white.
"My father?"
Then his phone rang.
May you like
A single text from an unknown number.
SON, COME HOME ALONE.
