Chapter 3 - THE COMPANY THAT WAS DEAD
The company was called Blake Industrial Solutions.
It had been Oscar's dream.
Jared had grown up hearing about it.
His father had started the business in a rented garage when Jared was eleven.
For twenty years, Oscar had built it into a respected manufacturing repair company.
Then a major client went bankrupt.
Oscar lost almost everything.
He sold the company.
Or at least, that was what Jared had always believed.
The records Beverly showed him said something different.
Blake Industrial Solutions had never completely disappeared.
It had changed ownership.
Changed addresses.
Changed directors.
But its financial activity had continued.
And someone had been funding it.
Jared stared at the records.
"Who owns it?"
Beverly shook her head.
"That's where it gets complicated."
"How complicated?"
"The registered owner is a holding company."
"Who owns the holding company?"
"Another company."
"And that company?"
Beverly looked at him.
"Another."
Jared leaned back.
"This is a shell structure."
"That's what it appears to be."
"Why would my money go there?"
Beverly didn't answer.
Jared looked at the transaction dates.
Some of the transfers had happened shortly after his monthly deposits.
But not all.
Some were years older.
He suddenly remembered something.
His father had once told him that someone occasionally came to the apartment.
An old business associate.
Oscar had refused to give a name.
Jared had assumed it was a friend.
Now he wasn't sure.
"Did Lauren have access to Dad's original business records?"
Beverly nodded.
"According to the authorization documents."
Jared stared at the signature.
His wife's signature was there.
But something felt wrong.
He had known Lauren for fifteen years.
He had seen her sign documents thousands of times.
This signature looked almost identical.
Almost.
But not quite.
"Can you enlarge this?"
Beverly did.
Jared studied the letters.
The final stroke was different.
The pressure was different.
The signature was good.
Too good.
Jared whispered, "Someone copied it."
Beverly looked at him.
"That's what I thought."
"Then Lauren might not be the person who authorized these transactions."
"Maybe."
"Who else had access?"
Beverly opened another screen.
"That's the question."
Jared's phone rang.
Oscar.
Jared answered.
"Dad?"
Oscar's voice was quiet.
"Jared, come home."
"What happened?"
"I found something."
"What?"
"I found an old photograph."
"Of what?"
Oscar took a breath.
"Your mother."
Jared froze.
His mother had been dead for fourteen years.
"What does that have to do with the money?"
May you like
Oscar's voice dropped.
"She's standing beside the man who owns the company."
