Chapter 10 - The Money in Maya's Name
The money began with a charitable foundation Maya had helped establish after the wedding.
She wanted it to support children of military families facing housing crises.
She chose the name Homeward because it reminded her of every deployment reunion we had shared.
Julian praised the idea publicly and offered his family's accounting staff to manage the finances.
Maya remembered signing what she had believed were routine administrative forms.
Investigators found evidence that her signature had been used on transactions she had never reviewed.
Large sums had moved between affiliated contractors under vague descriptions.
The figures were not proof of fraud by themselves, but the pattern warranted further scrutiny.
Maya stared at a transaction bearing her name.
"I didn't authorize this."
Rachel asked her to make a careful timeline of every meeting where she had signed documents.
Maya recalled a late dinner at Evelyn's house and a stack of pages Julian had said needed signatures before morning.
"He told me to trust him," she said.
I thought about the schoolgirl who once spent an entire summer selling handmade bookmarks to fund a shelter renovation.
Her compassion had been turned into a convenient signature.
Ortiz warned us that financial investigations could take time and involve separate agencies.
I knew the temptation to demand immediate action.
I also knew the cost of shortcuts.
That evening, Marcus called my private number.
"Colonel, your daughter's future is getting expensive," he said.
"Talk to her attorney," I replied.
"We can make this disappear."
"You mean the investigation?"
He hesitated.
"I mean everyone's problems."
I ended the call and documented it.
Within an hour, a package arrived at Rachel's office.
Inside was an unsigned settlement proposal offering Maya a substantial payment in exchange for broad silence and withdrawal of claims.
Tucked behind the paperwork was a photograph of me at a military ceremony, taken from across a crowded room.
May you like
Someone had drawn a circle around my face.
