Chapter 3 - The Friendly Accountant
Samuel Reed had handled estates for forty years, but even he frowned when he studied the trust documents.
“The signatures are valid,” he said. “The account should have transferred to you six years ago.”
They met in Eleanor’s kitchen because Annabelle refused to enter a law office connected to the Vale family. Samuel spread bank records across the table while rain struck the windows.
Most of the original funds were gone.
Transfers had moved through shell companies, consulting accounts, and charitable foundations controlled by Diane. Some money had paid company debts. Some had purchased property. Nearly half a million dollars had been sent to an account registered to Martin Kessler, Vale Mercer’s chief financial officer.
Annabelle knew Martin well. He had taught her to read balance sheets when she was an intern. He brought doughnuts on Mondays and remembered everyone’s birthdays.
“He helped her,” Annabelle said.
“Or he can help us,” Samuel replied.
They arranged to meet Martin at a quiet café near the train station.
He arrived late, sweating despite the cold weather.
“I told Diane the transfers had to stop,” he said before sitting down. “She said the trust belonged to the family, and she was the family.”
“Why didn’t you report it?” Annabelle asked.
Martin looked ashamed. “Because she had evidence of my own mistake. Years ago, I approved a loan without proper review. It failed. She threatened to destroy me.”
Samuel slid a recorder onto the table.
“Are you willing to testify?”
Martin stared at it.
Before he could answer, his phone lit up with a message.
He read it and went pale.
Annabelle saw only one sentence before he turned the screen over.
Tell my daughter I enjoyed meeting her.
Martin stood so quickly his chair fell backward.
“She knows I’m here.”
He fled through the café door.
May you like
That night, Diane called Annabelle.
“You always ruin people who try to help you,” she said. “Just like your parents did.”
