Chapter 19 - The Account Nobody Checked
I invited Madison inside but asked Daniel to join us before she spoke.
He came from the kitchen, drying his hands on a towel.
Madison took a bank statement from her handbag and placed it on the table.
"I opened a savings account for Lily two years ago," she said.
Daniel frowned.
"I know about her savings account."
"Not this one."
The account had been created with gifts from Madison's relatives, not money from the Caldwell trust.
Over two years she had diverted much of it into the same risky property ventures that destroyed their joint savings.
The remaining balance was far smaller than it should have been.
Daniel sat down as though his knees had stopped holding him.
"You took from her?"
"I planned to put it back," Madison whispered.
"When?"
She couldn't answer.
I felt a deep, weary anger.
Lily had offered me her bed without a moment's thought.
Her mother had taken money meant for her future and concealed the loss beneath expensive clothes and extravagant vacations.
"You will give Rebecca the complete records," I said. "And you will cooperate with Daniel's lawyer concerning repayment and protecting the remaining assets."
Madison nodded.
"Will you call the police?"
"I will not conceal evidence," I answered. "The people responsible for the investigation will decide what follows."
She wiped her eyes.
For the first time, her distress did not look like a performance.
That didn't erase what she'd done.
It only made her human, which was harder to deal with than a villain who existed for the convenience of my anger.
Madison left after Daniel confirmed a safe arrangement for Lily and that they would contact their attorneys.
Marcus arrived later with the final preliminary review of the lodge's accounts.
The attempted ownership transfer had failed, and no employee retirement funds had been diverted.
Vale's allegations were contradicted by existing audits.
Owen's cooperation had helped reconstruct the compromised access trail.
There would be interviews, legal proceedings, and months of paperwork.
But Silver Pines was still ours.
I looked toward the mountains, thinking the worst surprise of Christmas had finally passed.
Then Marcus handed me one last envelope.
May you like
"We found this in Thomas's old desk," he said. "It's addressed to you, and it was never opened."
