Chapter 13 - The Grandmother's Price
Celeste invited me to dinner in the penthouse whose rent had been paid by corporate distributions.
Claire insisted on joining me.
We arrived with a written agreement that the discussion could be recorded by consent.
Celeste refused the recording but accepted that attorneys would take notes.
She had set a table for four although only three of us were expected.
At the vacant place stood a photograph of Adrian as a boy.
"He used to be so sweet," she said.
I wanted to ask what she believed had changed him.
Instead I asked for the ledger.
Celeste poured water into a crystal glass.
"Give the family office its money back, and perhaps I can help."
"Any evidence relating to suspected fraud belongs with the investigators, not a private bargain," Claire said.
Celeste gave a brittle smile.
"Your lawyer has no imagination."
"My lawyer has ethics," I answered.
For a moment I saw the familiar contempt in Celeste's eyes.
She accused Dad of secretly controlling everyone, then accused me of doing the same.
I remembered years of dinners where she praised Adrian's success while asking me to remain invisible.
"I don't want to control your family," I said.
"I want you to stop spending money you were never entitled to."
Her hand shook.
She set down the glass.
Then she told us that Peter had kept duplicate books because Adrian demanded that certain expenses never appear beside his name.
She admitted keeping one copy after Peter vanished.
She said the ledger was stored in a private bank box.
I asked whether she would turn it over through her attorney.
She agreed to discuss it only after consulting him.
We left without the book.
That was frustrating but not failure.
An hour later Claire received notice from Celeste's lawyer that the documents would be preserved pending review.
The next morning Celeste tried to cancel her agreement.
Her attorney refused to destroy evidence.
By afternoon he had reported receiving threats from someone using Peter Lowell's former email address.
At dusk I received a photograph of the blue ledger again.
This time it was open to a page with three names.
Peter Lowell.
May you like
Adrian Voss.
And the third name was my own.
