Chapter 12 - Reserve 47
Naomi Pierce did not sleep that night.
By the time Megan landed in Dallas, the forensic accountant had traced eleven transactions connected to Reserve 47.
The total was $1.9 million.
None of it had appeared in Jack’s criminal case.
The transactions were smaller than his later thefts and had been disguised as payments for cardiac equipment, pediatric transport and specialist consulting.
Every vendor looked legitimate at first glance.
None actually existed.
Gerald spread the documents across his conference table.
“Jack copied a system that was already operating.”
Megan stared at the names.
“Then why didn’t the previous investigation find it?”
“Because we were looking at companies connected to Jack, Lauren and Olivia.”
Naomi turned her laptop toward Megan.
“These transfers were authorized through St. Augustine’s internal finance portal. Whoever created them understood exactly how the foundation reconciled hospital expenses.”
“Marcus Vale.”
“Maybe.”
Naomi enlarged an access record.
The administrator credential belonged to Vale’s office.
But that was not proof that Marcus himself had used it.
Then Naomi opened another file.
A personnel report.
Three years earlier, a compliance analyst named Nora Briggs had accused the hospital finance department of improperly classifying several foundation payments.
Two weeks later, Nora resigned.
Her official file said she had left for personal reasons.
Megan remembered the envelope.
“Find Nora.”
Gerald nodded.
Naomi hesitated.
“There’s something else.”
She showed Megan a scanned document authorizing one of the transfers.
Megan’s signature appeared at the bottom.
Another forgery.
But beside it was Richard Hale’s signature.
Megan felt cold.
Her father had been dead for eight months when the document was signed.
Someone had forged a dead man’s name.
For the first time since Jack’s conviction, Megan felt the same anger she had experienced at Terminal C.
Only this time Jack was already behind bars.
Which meant there was still someone outside who believed the lies were buried safely.
May you like
Megan closed the file.
“Find Nora Briggs before whoever sent that envelope decides to disappear.”
