Chapter 3 - The Woman Behind Meridian
Melissa Carter looked almost exactly like the old photographs in Ava’s room, only harder.
Blonde hair cut to her shoulders.
Expensive coat.
Tired eyes.
She stood in my foyer like she had every right to be there.
Daniel shut the door behind her.
“What is she doing here?” I asked.
Melissa answered first.
“Trying to stop you from making a mistake.”
I almost laughed.
“You mean the fraud investigation?”
Daniel said, “Claire, listen.”
“No.”
“Just listen.”
“I have spent years listening.”
Melissa took off her coat.
“I’m not here to fight.”
“Then you picked a strange house.”
Ava came halfway downstairs.
“Mom?”
Melissa’s expression changed instantly.
“Ava.”
“You’re here.”
“I am.”
Ava rushed down.
For a moment, the financial disaster disappeared.
She hugged her mother.
Melissa held her tightly.
Daniel watched with a complicated expression.
I watched all three of them.
Family.
That word had hurt me earlier.
Now it simply clarified something.
I stepped toward the kitchen.
Daniel followed.
“Claire.”
“What?”
“We need to fix this before the bank freezes payroll.”
“You mean before the bank examines the transactions.”
Melissa entered behind him.
“Those transactions were legitimate.”
I turned.
“Then you won’t mind explaining them.”
She crossed her arms.
“I owned Meridian Consulting.”
“Owned?”
“It closed two months ago.”
“How convenient.”
“It was a real company.”
“What did it provide?”
“Development consulting.”
“To Daniel?”
“Yes.”
“Two hundred fourteen thousand dollars’ worth?”
Melissa hesitated.
“Yes.”
I looked at Daniel.
“What developments?”
He said nothing.
Melissa did.
“Land acquisitions.”
“Where?”
“Colorado Springs.”
“Which properties?”
Silence.
I nodded.
“Exactly.”
Melissa looked irritated.
“You think you uncovered some conspiracy because you found transfers.”
“I found forged signatures.”
“That had nothing to do with me.”
“You received the money.”
“For services.”
“Show me the invoices.”
Daniel stepped between us.
“Stop.”
I looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because this is going nowhere.”
“No, Daniel. It is finally going somewhere.”
Ava stood nearby now.
She was listening to every word.
Melissa noticed.
“Ava, sweetheart, maybe go upstairs.”
“No.”
Daniel opened his mouth.
Ava cut him off.
“No. Both of you keep telling me half-truths. I’m staying.”
For once, I agreed with her.
Melissa sighed.
“Fine.”
She looked at me.
“The Meridian payments were real.”
“Then produce the contracts.”
“I don’t have them.”
“Why?”
“The company shut down.”
“Companies do not burn every document when they close.”
Her mouth tightened.
Daniel said, “Claire, you’re treating this like a courtroom.”
“My attorney will.”
That changed the air.
Melissa looked at Daniel.
“You said she hadn’t filed yet.”
Daniel looked away.
I caught it.
“You knew she was going to come talk to me?”
Melissa answered.
“He called me from the car.”
“Of course.”
Ava looked between them.
“You two talk more than you told me.”
Melissa said, “Sometimes.”
“How often?”
“Ava.”
“How often?”
Daniel answered.
“Once in a while.”
She stared at him.
“You’re lying again.”
Nobody corrected her.
I went to the dining table and opened the financial file.
“Meridian received money on February 4, March 11, April 2, April 28, June 13, July 1, and August 16.”
Melissa’s face shifted at the last date.
Tiny.
But I saw it.
“August 16,” I repeated.
Daniel said, “What about it?”
I looked at Melissa.
“You tell me.”
“Nothing.”
“You reacted.”
“I didn’t.”
Ava whispered, “That’s my birthday.”
I looked at her.
August 16.
Of course.
I turned to Daniel.
“You transferred thirty-eight thousand dollars to Melissa’s company on Ava’s birthday.”
No answer.
“Why?”
Daniel rubbed his jaw.
“It was timing.”
Melissa interrupted.
“Yes.”
I looked at her.
“What?”
“It was timing.”
“Timing for what?”
She glanced at Ava.
Then at Daniel.
“No.”
Ava stepped closer.
“Mom.”
Melissa looked sick.
“Don’t.”
“Tell me.”
Daniel said, “Melissa.”
Ava raised her voice.
“Tell me!”
Melissa finally spoke.
“The money wasn’t for business consulting.”
Silence.
I felt no satisfaction.
Only dread.
“What was it for?” I asked.
Melissa sat down.
“For a settlement.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
Ava whispered, “What settlement?”
Melissa looked at her daughter.
“One involving me.”
“Who were you paying?”
“My former business partner.”
“Why?”
Melissa’s hands tightened together.
“Because he had records.”
“What kind?”
“Financial records.”
I laughed without humor.
“This family really has a theme.”
Melissa ignored me.
“My former partner claimed I diverted investor funds.”
“Did you?”
She looked down.
“That’s complicated.”
Ava said, “That means yes.”
Melissa’s eyes flashed.
“I made mistakes.”
“How much money?”
“Enough.”
Daniel said, “Ava, your mother was under pressure.”
I turned on him.
“So you stole from our equity to cover her misconduct?”
“I didn’t steal.”
“You forged my name.”
“I intended to repay it.”
“Before or after the bank discovered the collateral?”
Melissa said, “I asked him not to involve you.”
“How considerate.”
She looked at me.
“You think I enjoyed taking the money?”
“I think you took it.”
“It kept me out of court.”
“And put me in debt.”
Daniel said, “I was trying to protect Ava.”
I stared at him.
“How?”
“If Melissa got prosecuted, Ava would find out.”
Ava laughed.
“You mean like right now?”
Daniel looked devastated.
She continued.
“You risked your house so I wouldn’t know Mom committed fraud?”
Melissa snapped, “I was never charged.”
“Because Dad paid someone.”
“Because the claim was resolved.”
“With Claire’s money?”
That hurt Melissa.
Good.
Ava looked at me.
“I didn’t know.”
“I know.”
Then she looked at Daniel.
“And you made me think Claire was the problem.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“You always defend me when I’m mad at her.”
“I defend you because you’re my daughter.”
“You never tell me when I’m wrong.”
That silenced him.
Ava’s voice cracked.
“I lied today.”
Melissa looked at her.
“About what?”
Ava wiped her face.
“I said Claire shoved me.”
Daniel turned.
“What?”
“She didn’t.”
The room changed again.
Daniel stared at his daughter.
“You said—”
“I lied.”
“Why?”
Ava looked at him.
“To see if you’d believe me.”
Daniel’s face went blank.
“And you did.”
He looked toward me.
I held his gaze.
There it was.
The truth he had refused at the barbecue.
Ava walked upstairs.
Melissa started after her.
Ava turned.
“No. Not tonight.”
Then her bedroom door shut.
Melissa stood frozen.
Daniel sat at the table.
For several minutes, nobody spoke.
Finally he said, “Claire, I’m sorry.”
I waited.
“I should have listened.”
“Yes.”
“I shouldn’t have told you to leave.”
“No.”
“I was angry.”
“You were certain.”
He looked at me.
“What?”
“You were certain I was guilty.”
“I wasn’t thinking.”
“That is not better.”
Melissa reached for her coat.
“I should go.”
“Yes,” I said.
Daniel stood.
“Melissa.”
She shook her head.
“No. She’s right.”
Then she looked at me.
“I’m sorry about the money.”
“That is a very small sentence for a very large betrayal.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
She did not answer.
Then she walked out.
Daniel remained.
“I can fix this.”
“No.”
“Please stop saying no to everything.”
“Then stop asking me to undo consequences.”
He leaned against the table.
“What happens now?”
“The bank investigates.”
“And us?”
“I don’t know.”
He looked genuinely afraid.
I almost comforted him.
Almost.
Then my phone rang.
My forensic accountant.
I answered.
“Hello?”
“Claire, I found something.”
Daniel watched me.
“What?”
“The Meridian payments weren’t the only unexplained transfers.”
My stomach tightened.
“How many?”
“Four.”
“To whom?”
“A company called North Peak Holdings.”
Daniel’s face drained of color.
I saw it immediately.
He knew that name.
My accountant continued.
“The account is connected to a property in Boulder.”
“What property?”
“A condominium.”
Daniel whispered, “Claire.”
I raised a hand.
The accountant said, “The deed is under a trust.”
“Whose trust?”
There was a pause.
“Claire, I think you need to sit down.”
I did not.
“Tell me.”
“The beneficiary is listed as Ava Whitmore.”
I looked at Daniel.
He closed his eyes.
May you like
Then my accountant added:
“But Ava isn’t the only beneficiary.”
