Chapter 6 - Kendra Starts Talking
Kendra did not leave immediately.
Fear made her practical.
She sat on the edge of the sofa and called an attorney.
Then another.
Then a third.
By noon, she understood the problem.
Her name appeared in three shell companies.
Victor had transferred money through two of them.
One had paid for her car.
Another had paid the lease on a private studio she claimed was for consulting work.
Kendra had signed documents.
She had not read all of them.
Greed rarely bothered with fine print.
At twelve forty-three, Russell received a call.
He entered my father’s office.
“Kendra Vale wants to cooperate.”
My father looked disgusted.
“Already?”
Russell almost smiled.
“Apparently loyalty is sensitive to liquidity.”
I was standing near the window.
“What does she want?”
“Immunity from company civil claims.”
“And in exchange?”
“Emails.”
My attention sharpened.
“What kind of emails?”
Russell looked at me.
“Victor and Eleanor.”
I turned around.
“My mother-in-law?”
“According to Ms. Vale, Eleanor helped Victor coordinate several payments.”
Arthur stood.
“For what purpose?”
“That is what Kendra would like to explain.”
We met her at three.
Kendra arrived wearing sunglasses despite the storm clouds.
She removed them once the conference room door closed.
Her eyes were swollen.
I could not tell whether she had been crying or simply had not slept.
She looked at my cheek.
For the first time, she appeared embarrassed.
“I didn’t know he would hit you.”
I studied her.
“You were sitting five feet away.”
“I froze.”
“You laughed after he locked me outside.”
Her face reddened.
“I was scared.”
“No.”
My voice remained soft.
“You were comfortable.”
Kendra looked down.
That landed harder.
Russell placed a recorder on the table.
“Why did Eleanor Hayes communicate with you about Meridian vendors?”
Kendra swallowed.
“Because Victor trusted his mother.”
She opened her phone.
“She introduced him to a man named Dennis Cole.”
Russell stopped moving.
My father looked toward him.
I knew that name.
Dennis Cole controlled a subcontracting network Meridian had flagged twice for irregular billing.
Kendra continued.
“Eleanor said Dennis could move money without creating obvious connections.”
My stomach tightened.
“Victor told me the money was his.”
Russell asked the obvious question.
“And when did you learn it was not?”
Kendra looked at me.
“About eight months ago.”
“Did you stop?”
“No.”
“Why?”
Her voice became smaller.
“Because by then I had too much to lose.”
I understood that answer.
It was ugly.
But it was honest.
Russell leaned forward.
“What else?”
Kendra unlocked a hidden message folder.
“Eleanor was planning something for the divorce.”
I frowned.
“What?”
Kendra hesitated.
“She wanted Victor to make sure Olivia looked unstable.”
My father’s face became still.
May you like
Kendra pushed the phone across the table.
“She wanted everyone to believe Olivia had been stealing from him.”
