Chapter 6 - THE RECORDING FROM NASSAU
The first recording lasted eleven minutes.
David’s voice was clear.
So was the voice of a banker named Felix Gruber.
Gruber explained a transfer structure involving shell companies in Panama, Luxembourg, and the British Virgin Islands.
David asked one question repeatedly.
“How difficult is this to trace back to me?”
Gruber answered carefully.
“If properly structured, difficult.”
Then David laughed.
“That’s the answer I paid for.”
Julianne’s voice appeared briefly.
“Can we order lunch?”
No one answered her.
The second recording was worse.
A lawyer explained that David’s authority over Lily’s trust could become vulnerable if I challenged the forged signatures.
David asked.
“What if Maya is no longer in the picture?”
The room went silent.
The lawyer answered.
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
David laughed.
“Divorce.”
He said.
“Relax.”
I exhaled.
At least that.
Then he continued.
“If I file first and establish that she has been emotionally unstable since her father died, can I keep control pending litigation?”
The lawyer answered.
“Possibly.”
There it was.
Not merely theft.
Preparation.
A story about me had already been written.
Grieving widow.
Anxious mother.
Unstable wife.
David planned to file for divorce after returning from the yacht.
He planned to ask for emergency authority over business and trust accounts.
He planned to say I had become irrational.
Julianne listened to the recording with her face buried in her hands.
“I thought he just wanted a clean divorce.”
Agent Reed looked toward her.
“He wanted control.”
Then came recording three.
David was laughing with someone on the yacht.
A male voice.
His chief financial officer, Martin Keller.
Martin said.
“If Maya checks Lily’s trust, we have a problem.”
David answered.
“She never checks anything.”
“She might after the transfer.”
“She trusts me.”
Martin laughed.
“That’s dangerous.”
David replied.
“For her.”
The recording ended.
I felt something inside me settle.
Not break.
Settle.
David had not become a different man on the yacht.
He had simply stopped hiding who he already was.
Agent Reed closed the laptop.
“We’re bringing Keller in.”
“What about Julianne?”
I asked.
Reed looked toward her.
“That depends on cooperation.”
Julianne looked at me.
“I’m sorry.”
I held her gaze.
“You knew you were sleeping with a married man.”
“Yes.”
“You knew I was calling.”
“Yes.”
“You saw the ICU message.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Yes.”
“And you stayed.”
She whispered.
“Yes.”
I nodded.
“Then save your apology for Lily.”
I walked away.
Behind me, Reed asked Julianne one final question.
“Why did you start recording David?”
May you like
Her answer followed me into the hallway.
“Because halfway through the trip, I realized I might be next.”
