been protecting my marriage from my wife.
I took the statement.
“Harold sees this today.”
Mom nodded.
Then whispered, “After what happened this morning, I think he should see everything.”
The next day, Vanessa called thirty-eight times before lunch.
I didn’t answer.
I was sitting in Harold’s office with Mom.
The first thing Harold told us was that the three highlighted transfers weren’t the real problem.
They were only the ones Mom had noticed.
His assistant had spent the morning pulling eighteen months of statements.
He placed a folder on the conference table.
“This is preliminary,” he said.
“How bad?” I asked.
Harold removed his glasses.
“Approximately forty-seven thousand dollars.”
Mom went pale.
Heat rose into my face.
“All to Vanessa?”
“Or entities linked to her business.”
My phone vibrated again.
Call number thirty-four.
I turned it facedown.
Harold continued.
“Some transfers were authorized through online banking using your mother’s
