Chapter 7
By midnight, Ethan had stripped off his navy tuxedo and changed into dark jeans and a plain black jacket.
He sat at his computer terminal, reviewing financial records from his late wife's estate with a private investigator named Marcus.
Marcus was a former NYPD detective who now operated an elite corporate intelligence firm in lower Manhattan.
"Look at this wire transfer from three weeks ago," Marcus said, pointing his pen at the glowing monitor screen.
A payment of two hundred thousand dollars had been routed from Victoria's private account to an offshore bank in the Cayman Islands.
The receiving account belonged to a logistics firm registered under the name Vance Global Holdings.
"Julian Vance," Ethan spat out, recognizing the name of the psychiatrist who signed the fake mental evaluation.
"Julian isn't just a doctor; he's Victoria's stepbrother from her mother's previous marriage," Marcus revealed.
"They've been using Vance Global Holdings to siphon capital out of private trusts for over five years."
Ethan leaned back in his chair, his mind piecing together the intricate spiderweb of corruption surrounding his family.
Clara's sudden death four years ago in a single-car accident on the Long Island Expressway had never been fully investigated.
At the time, the police ruled it an accidental skid on wet pavement during a heavy thunderstorm.
"Marcus, I want you to pull the original police report from Clara's fatal crash," Ethan ordered, his green eyes burning with sudden suspicion.
"I want to know who inspected her vehicle before she left the estate that night."
Marcus looked at Ethan with a grim expression, nodding slowly as he pulled out his secure tablet.
May you like
"If Victoria and Julian were targeting the trust four years ago, Clara's death wasn't an accident," Marcus stated quietly.
"It was murder."
