Chapter 9 - THE BABY THEY USED AS A WEAPON
I refused to investigate Brooke's pregnancy as though an unborn child were evidence of anyone's moral worth.
Rebecca agreed that we should not speculate about paternity.
But the photograph showed a continuing connection between Brooke and the former contractor who had accessed my company's records.
That was relevant.
We asked our investigator to document their business dealings using lawful public information.
He found that Caleb owned a small records-management company servicing GLW Family Holdings.
Brooke's signature appeared on payments to it.
The same day, Brooke called me from a blocked number.
“Please don't tell Trent I spoke to you,” she whispered.
“Why?”
“Because he thinks I've ruined everything.”
I heard traffic in the background.
She sounded younger and more frightened than she had at the gate.
“Gloria says you're trying to take my baby,” she said.
“I've never threatened your child.”
“Then why is she saying you filed something against me?”
“I haven't.”
Brooke began crying.
She told me Gloria had made her sign documents concerning the baby's future financial support.
Brooke had believed they were standard arrangements for a family trust.
Later she noticed one page referring to insurance beneficiaries and another to relocation consent.
“She said it's how rich families do things,” Brooke whispered.
I remembered all the times Gloria had used that exact phrase to make unreasonable demands sound ordinary.
“Bring the documents to an independent lawyer,” I said.
“Not Gloria's lawyer, and not Trent's.”
Brooke hesitated.
“If I help you, will you protect me?”
“I can tell the truth about what you do,” I said.
“I can't promise you immunity from consequences.”
She ended the call.
Two hours later, Rebecca received a letter accusing me of contacting Brooke to harass a pregnant woman.
The letter demanded that I surrender the mansion and resume the payments in exchange for an end to the publicity campaign.
Attached was a proposed settlement.
It would transfer assets worth millions to Trent and require me to waive claims concerning GLW Family Holdings.
Rebecca circled the confidentiality clause.
“They want the investigation stopped more than they want the house,” she said.
I asked why.
Daniel had an answer.
He had discovered that the $65,000 monthly transfers were not the only income flowing into GLW.
A lender had advanced money against the properties the family purchased.
Some loans appeared to rely on financial representations using my company's name.
My company had not guaranteed those loans.
If someone had made the lenders believe otherwise, we could be looking at a much larger scheme.
A minute later my phone received a photograph of a hand resting on a table.
There was a familiar diamond ring on the finger.
My engagement ring, which I had left behind at the mansion.
Underneath the image was a demand.
May you like
Sign tonight, or tomorrow the ring goes to the police with your fingerprints on something far worse.
