Chapter 9 - THE MEMORY
Claire sat silently in Richard's study.
She stared at the photograph.
Something about it bothered her.
Then she remembered.
Six months earlier, she had worked briefly for a financial consulting company.
One client had asked her to review several unusual transactions.
The client's name had been hidden.
But the account numbers were visible.
Claire remembered one of them.
She reached for a notebook.
"I've seen this account."
Ethan looked at her.
"Where?"
"At my old job."
Richard leaned closer.
"What did you see?"
Claire explained that the company had been investigating suspicious transfers involving several shell corporations.
One name appeared repeatedly.
Vale Holdings.
Richard's expression hardened.
"Marcus."
Claire nodded.
"But there's more."
She searched her memory.
"There was another account connected to it."
"Whose?"
Claire hesitated.
"I don't know."
Richard looked at Ethan.
Ethan shook his head.
"I've never heard of it."
Claire suddenly remembered the account number.
She wrote it down.
Richard's financial adviser entered the number into a secure system.
The result appeared.
Everyone went silent.
The account was registered under a trust.
The beneficiary was anonymous.
But the trustee had a name.
Evelyn Cole.
Ethan looked stunned.
"My mother?"
Richard went pale.
"Evelyn died ten years ago."
Claire stared at the screen.
"Then someone is using her identity."
Richard slowly sat down.
Ethan whispered.
"Why?"
Before anyone could answer, every light in the mansion went out.
The security system beeped.
Then a voice came through the intercom.
"Richard."
Everyone froze.
May you like
It was Marcus.
"You should have stayed out of my business."
