Chapter 10 - The Father’s Company
Robert Carter arrived at Claire’s office the next morning without an attorney.
That surprised everyone.
He looked twenty years older than he had at the baptism.
He sat across from me and placed a folder on the conference table.
“I need you to understand something before you hate me.”
I almost smiled.
“People keep saying that before telling me terrible things.”
Robert nodded.
“Fair.”
Claire sat beside me.
Detective Lewis had advised us not to conduct our own investigation, but Robert had voluntarily contacted my lawyer.
Claire recorded the meeting with his consent.
Robert opened the folder.
The fake vendor was called RC Logistics.
RC.
Robert Carter.
“I created it six years ago,” he said.
“What for?”
“A consulting project.”
“It hasn’t operated in four years.”
“So why did Daniel send company money to it?”
Robert looked ashamed.
“Because I gave him access to the bank account.”
Claire leaned forward.
“When?”
“About a year ago.”
“Why?”
“He said he needed a temporary place to receive freelance income.”
I stared at him.
“You never asked why he couldn’t open his own account?”
“I did.”
“And?”
“He said Jennifer was going through a difficult pregnancy and he didn’t want business complications affecting household taxes.”
Daniel had used my pregnancy as camouflage for everything.
Robert continued.
“Three months later, I noticed deposits I didn’t recognize.”
“How much?”
“Almost forty thousand.”
My chest tightened.
“What did you do?”
“I confronted him.”
“And?”
“He said he had taken a consulting contract.”
“Did you believe him?”
“No.”
Finally.
Someone had stopped believing Daniel.
“So why didn’t you tell me?”
Robert looked at the table.
“Because he begged me.”
Of course he did.
“He said he was under pressure.”
“He said Lily was coming.”
“He said he was trying to provide for his family.”
I shook my head.
“And you chose your son.”
“Yes.”
There was no excuse in his answer.
Only regret.
Claire flipped through the documents.
Robert had printed every transaction.
Several payments flowed from Harrison Medical Systems into RC Logistics.
Then into Carter Consulting.
Then elsewhere.
Chloe’s apartment.
Credit cards.
The Mexico tickets.
The baptism venue.
My hands curled.
“He used stolen company money for the party?”
“Some of it,” Claire said.
I looked at the $4,500 invoice copy.
Daniel had expected me to pay the final legitimate balance after funding the deposit with money he allegedly stole.
Robert pushed one more document toward me.
“This is why I came.”
It was a transfer request.
Scheduled.
Not completed.
$75,000 from RC Logistics to an offshore account.
The beneficiary name was hidden behind a corporate entity.
Claire examined it.
“When was this created?”
“Two days before the baptism.”
My stomach tightened.
“Why didn’t it process?”
“I froze the account after the party.”
Robert looked at me.
“Daniel called me last night.”
“What did he want?”
“He wanted me to reopen it.”
“For the seventy-five thousand?”
“Yes.”
“And what did you say?”
“No.”
Robert swallowed.
“Then he said if I didn’t help him, he would tell investigators you were involved.”
I stared at him.
“Me?”
“He said every account led back to the marriage.”
Claire’s expression hardened.
May you like
Then Robert added the part Daniel had not expected him to reveal.
“I recorded the call.”
