Chapter 8 - the man who had been watching her)
The private investigator's name was Thomas Vale.
Vivian had never met him.
But Julian had paid him eleven thousand dollars over three months.
Rachel discovered the payments through Carter Development.
"Why would he investigate you?" Rachel asked.
Vivian had several theories.
None of them were comforting.
"Assets."
Rachel nodded.
"Likely."
"He wanted to know what I owned before filing."
"Possibly."
Vivian looked at the payment history.
Three invoices.
Research services.
Asset review.
Background verification.
Julian had not merely decided to leave.
He had studied her.
Calculated her.
Tried to determine what could be taken.
Vivian felt anger now.
Real anger.
The kind that warmed the chest and sharpened the edges of everything.
Rachel noticed.
"Don't let this make you reckless."
"It won't."
"Good."
"I want to know what he found."
Rachel hesitated.
"We can't compel Vale without process."
"Then we use process."
"We will."
Vivian stood.
Her office suddenly felt too small.
She walked toward the window.
For months Julian had accused her of monitoring him.
Meanwhile he was the one hiring someone to investigate his wife.
"How far back?"
"First invoice was ninety-two days ago."
Vivian counted backward.
Three months.
Around the time Julian first mentioned Elena.
"Maybe Elena wasn't the beginning."
Rachel looked up.
"What do you mean?"
"Maybe the affair came after the plan."
"Possible."
That possibility disturbed Vivian more.
An impulsive affair was selfish.
Planning an exit while gathering intelligence was something else.
At noon, Vivian received a message from an unknown number.
We should talk before Julian destroys everyone around him.
No name.
Vivian forwarded it to Rachel.
Rachel called the number from her office line.
A man answered.
Thomas Vale.
By 2:00 p.m., they were sitting across from him in Rachel's conference room.
Vale was in his late fifties.
Gray suit.
Tired eyes.
He carried no folder.
"I need to be careful," he said. "Julian was my client."
Rachel answered.
"Then you should be."
Vale nodded.
"I can't disclose privileged communications if applicable. But investigative work isn't automatically privileged, and I won't participate in fraud."
Vivian watched him.
"Did he ask you to do something illegal?"
"No."
"Then why are you here?"
Vale looked at her.
"Because he lied to me about why I was investigating you."
Vivian waited.
"He told me you were concealing marital assets."
"I wasn't."
"I know."
Vale folded his hands.
"He wanted a complete picture of your finances."
"What did you find?"
"That most significant assets predated the marriage or belonged to your trust."
"And?"
"He was disappointed."
Rachel glanced toward Vivian.
Vale continued.
"Then his questions changed."
"To what?"
"Whether the trust could be challenged."
Vivian's stomach tightened.
"He asked if your mother's estate had any procedural defects. Whether the house could be characterized as marital. Whether your consulting business had used marital funds."
"He was building arguments."
"Yes."
"When did Elena enter the picture?"
Vale's eyebrows rose.
"So you know."
"She wore my robe yesterday."
Vale leaned back.
"Then things are further along than I thought."
Vivian's expression hardened.
"Answer."
"I first saw her with Julian seventy-eight days ago."
"You followed him?"
"At his request, I was documenting household schedules."
Vivian stared.
"Household schedules?"
"He wanted to know when you usually worked late."
The room became silent.
Vivian's voice was almost a whisper.
"He paid you to determine when I wouldn't be home?"
Vale looked uncomfortable.
"I didn't understand that was the purpose at first."
"But you did eventually."
"Yes."
"And continued?"
"For a while."
Rachel interrupted.
"What changed?"
Vale looked at Vivian.
"Your husband asked me to document evidence that you had abandoned the marital residence."
Vivian nearly laughed.
"I worked late three nights a week."
"I know."
"He wanted to call that abandonment?"
"Potentially."
Vale rubbed his jaw.
"Then he asked whether I could verify that certain valuables were present in the house."
"What valuables?"
"Jewelry. Artwork. Collectibles."
Vivian thought of Beatrice's message.
What about the jewelry?
A cold wave moved through her.
"Did he intend to take them?"
Vale shook his head.
"He didn't say."
"What did you tell him?"
"That most items appeared documented in the trust inventory."
"And?"
"He became angry."
Vivian sat back.
Of course.
Julian had expected a treasure chest.
Instead he found labels.
Receipts.
Ownership records.
Vale reached inside his jacket.
He removed a small flash drive.
Rachel immediately raised a hand.
"What is that?"
"Copies of my reports to Julian."
"You can't simply give us client work product."
"I can provide records of my own observations if subpoenaed. I'm telling you they exist."
Rachel did not touch the drive.
"Then hold it until we handle this properly."
Vale nodded.
Vivian appreciated that.
She wanted evidence.
Not shortcuts that could later become problems.
"Why contact me now?" Vivian asked.
Vale looked at her for a long time.
"Because Julian called me last night."
"What did he want?"
"He wanted photographs."
"Of what?"
"You with another man."
Vivian stared.
Rachel's face hardened.
"There is no other man."
"I told him that."
"What did he say?"
Vale hesitated.
Then answered.
"He said find one."
Vivian's hands went cold.
Rachel leaned forward.
"Exact meaning?"
"I asked if he wanted me to fabricate evidence. He said he wanted me to be creative."
Vivian said nothing.
Vale continued.
"I ended the relationship."
"When?"
"Last night."
"And then you messaged me?"
"Yes."
Vivian looked at Rachel.
The divorce was no longer simply about an affair.
Julian had planned financial deception.
Asset concealment.
Possibly manufactured infidelity allegations.
And he had been using company money to pay for it.
Vale stood.
"I'll cooperate with lawful requests."
Rachel nodded.
"We'll contact you."
After he left, Vivian remained still.
Rachel closed the conference room door.
"You need to change the locks."
"Already did."
"Security codes?"
"Done."
"Passwords?"
"Yesterday."
"Good."
Rachel sat across from her.
"You need to understand something."
Vivian looked at her.
"Julian may panic now."
"He already is."
"Panicked people do stupid things."
"So do arrogant people."
"He's both."
Vivian nodded.
Her phone buzzed.
A text from Julian.
We need to talk alone tonight. No lawyers. No Elena. No parents.
Vivian read it.
Then another arrived.
I made mistakes. We can fix this.
Vivian looked at Rachel.
"He wants to reconcile."
Rachel gave a humorless smile.
"No. He wants access."
Vivian knew she was right.
Still, part of her wanted to hear what Julian would say now that the performance had collapsed.
Not because she hoped for an apology.
Because she wanted to understand the architecture of his betrayal.
Vivian typed a reply.
7 p.m. Public place. Rachel will know where I am.
Julian responded immediately.
Fine.
Then another message appeared.
Please come without turning this into another business meeting.
Vivian stared at it.
For six years Julian had mocked the very skills that kept rescuing him.
Now those skills were the only reason he could not destroy her.
She typed nothing else.
May you like
At seven, she intended to listen.
And this time, she would hear every word.
