Chapter 5: The Money She Was Hiding
Dad didn't touch his coffee.
He stared at the handwritten note as if the words might rearrange themselves into something less disturbing.
“What transfer?”” he repeated.
Daniel rubbed his palms against his jeans.
“I don't know everything. I wasn't part of the financial side. But Vanessa asked me to help her find out when you were away from the office and when you would be home.””
“Why?””
“She wanted to know when she could access your study without being interrupted.””
Dad's expression darkened.
“My study?””
Daniel nodded.
“She said there were documents in the safe.””
Laura leaned forward.
“Did you ever see her remove anything?””
“No. But I saw her photographing documents once.””
Dad sat back.
For years, he had allowed Vanessa access to almost everything in the house.
His office.
His computer.
His personal correspondence.
He had never imagined she might be using that access against him.
“What documents?”” he asked.
Daniel shook his head.
“I don't know. She told me they were old business records.””
Laura placed the handwritten note inside a protective folder.
“Daniel, did you receive payments from Vanessa?””
“Yes.””
“How much?””
“Eight thousand dollars altogether.””
Dad looked at him sharply.
“Eight thousand?””
Daniel nodded.
“She paid me in several transfers. I have the records.””
“And you accepted money to spy on my daughter?””
Daniel looked ashamed.
“Yes.””
I stared at him.
“Why did you stop?””
He looked directly at me.
“Because she told me what she wanted to do.””
“What did she want?””
Daniel took a breath.
“She wanted to create evidence that you were becoming emotionally unstable. She wanted to record arguments, make you angry, and then show your father only the parts that made you look bad.””
Dad's jaw tightened.
Daniel continued.
“She said if Richard believed you were causing problems in the house, he'd eventually ask you to move out. She wanted you gone before the property documents were finalized.””
Laura interrupted.
“What property documents?””
Daniel opened his envelope again.
He pulled out a photograph of a document with several pages.
It appeared to be a draft property transfer agreement.
Dad took it.
His eyes moved quickly over the first page.
Then he stopped.
“This is my property.””
Daniel nodded.
“I saw Vanessa carrying it.””
Dad examined the document more closely.
The agreement appeared to transfer a substantial interest in the family home to a company registered in Vanessa's name.
The date was three weeks earlier.
I looked at my father.
“Did you sign this?””
“No.””
Laura examined the signature page.
“Is this your signature?””
Dad shook his head.
“No. I never saw this document.””
Daniel leaned forward.
“She told me it was only a draft. She said she needed to prepare everything before asking you to sign.””
Laura looked at him.
“Did she ask you to obtain any signatures?””
“No.””
“Did she ask you to take photographs of any original documents?””
“Yes.””
Dad stood abruptly.
“I need to go home.””
Laura raised her hand.
“Richard, sit down.””
He remained standing.
“Someone has been using my office to prepare a fraudulent property transfer.””
“We don't know whether the document was ever submitted. We need to verify that before drawing conclusions.””
Dad sat again, visibly struggling to control his anger.
Laura turned to Daniel.
“Why didn't you come forward sooner?””
Daniel looked at his hands.
“Because I was afraid.””
“Of Vanessa?””
He nodded.
“She told me she knew people who could make trouble for me. She also reminded me that I had accepted money to spy on Emily. If I reported her, she said she would make sure I was charged for everything.””
Dad stared at him.
“You were dismissed because of her accusations.””
Daniel nodded.
“She told you I was stealing. I wasn't.””
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“I tried.””
Dad frowned.
Daniel continued.
“I called you twice. Vanessa answered both times and said you were busy. Then she told me you didn't want to hear from me again.””
Dad closed his eyes.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
I thought about how easily Vanessa had manipulated everyone around her.
She had convinced my father to fire a man who might have exposed her.
She had made me believe I was the problem.
And now she had apparently tried to use the same tactics to take control of the house.
Laura gathered the documents.
“Daniel, I need you to provide a formal statement and preserve the original messages. We also need the payment records and any communications you have with Vanessa.””
Daniel nodded.
“I'll give you everything.””
Dad looked at him.
“Why should I believe you now?””
Daniel didn't look away.
“You shouldn't have to believe me. You should check everything I give you.””
That answer seemed to affect Dad more than any apology could have.
The meeting ended shortly afterward.
Before leaving, Daniel approached me.
“I know saying I'm sorry doesn't fix anything.””
“No,” I replied.
He nodded.
“But I want you to know I didn't know she would physically hurt you.””
I looked at him.
“You knew she wanted to ruin my life.””
His face fell.
“Yes.””
I walked away without saying anything else.
On the drive home, Dad called his company's financial director.
He asked for an urgent review of several property-related transactions.
Then he called his bank.
By the time we arrived, he had discovered something else.
Three weeks earlier, someone had attempted to access a business account connected to the house renovation fund.
The transaction had been blocked because the authorization didn't match the account holder's security information.
The requested amount was $185,000.
Dad stared at the notification.
“That's the money Vanessa wanted transferred.””
I sat beside him.
“Could she have tried to steal it?””
“Possibly.””
He immediately contacted his bank's fraud department.
They advised him to freeze the affected account and review all recent authorization attempts.
Dad also asked Laura to arrange a forensic review of the documents and electronic records.
For the next several hours, our house felt like a crime scene.
The office drawers were opened.
Folders were examined.
Every document Vanessa had handled was placed aside for review.
At around four, Dad found something inside the bottom drawer of his desk.
A small black notebook.
It wasn't his.
The cover was made of leather, with a gold-colored clasp.
He opened it.
The first pages contained household expenses.
Then came a list of names.
Several were people connected to his construction business.
Beside each name were dates, amounts, and short handwritten notes.
I leaned closer.
“What's that?””
Dad turned another page.
His expression changed.
There was a section titled:
*People Who Could Cause Problems.*
My name appeared first.
Underneath it were three short sentences.
*Emily — emotional, stubborn, attached to deceased mother.*
*Possible leverage: inheritance, family memories, financial dependence.*
*Objective: remove from household before property transfer.*
I felt my stomach twist.
Dad closed the notebook.
“She's been planning this.””
He called Laura.
She arrived within the hour and photographed every page before placing the notebook in a secure evidence bag.
“Don't make any assumptions about the meaning of these notes yet,” she said.
“But they're certainly relevant.””
Dad walked to the window.
“She wrote about my daughter like she was a business obstacle.””
I looked at the notebook.
There were other names.
His business partner.
His accountant.
A woman who managed one of his investment properties.
And beside several of them were references to money.
Laura turned another page.
“Richard, have you ever discussed selling the house?””
“No.””
“Has Vanessa?””
“She mentioned downsizing once. I told her I wasn't interested.””
Laura continued examining the notebook.
Then she stopped.
“There's something here.””
She turned it toward us.
A handwritten entry dated six days before the pool incident.
*If Richard refuses to cooperate, Daniel will be blamed for the missing documents. Emily will be blamed for the confrontation. Keep the stories separate.*
I read it twice.
Dad's face went pale.
“She's been preparing excuses for everything.””
Laura closed the notebook.
“We need to establish whether this is her handwriting and whether the other documents are authentic.””
Then she looked at Dad.
“There's another matter. If Vanessa attempted to transfer property or access company funds without authorization, you need to notify the appropriate authorities.””
Dad nodded.
“I will.””
At six thirty, Laura left with copies of the evidence.
I went upstairs to shower.
When I returned, Dad was sitting alone in the kitchen.
He had two cups of tea on the table.
One was untouched.
I sat opposite him.
“Are you okay?””
He gave a tired laugh.
“That's supposed to be my question.””
I wrapped both hands around the warm cup.
“Dad, did you ever think she was capable of this?””
He shook his head.
“I thought she was difficult. I thought she was jealous of your relationship with me. I thought she wanted to feel secure in the house.””
He looked at me.
“I never thought she was trying to take it away from us.””
I swallowed.
“I don't think she ever wanted to be part of our family.””
Dad stared at the table.
“I think you're right.””
For several minutes, we sat quietly.
Then he reached across and covered my hand.
“Your mother trusted people too easily sometimes,” he said.
“I used to think I was different.””
I squeezed his fingers.
“Mom would want you to be happy.””
He nodded, his eyes shining.
“I know.””
That night, we secured the office and changed the passwords on every important account.
Dad also arranged for someone to inspect the locks.
I went to bed believing that, at last, Vanessa's plans were beginning to unravel.
But at 11:48 p.m., my phone vibrated.
A message appeared from an unknown number.
There was no greeting.
No explanation.
Just a photograph.
It showed Vanessa standing outside our house earlier that evening.
Beside her was a man I had never seen before.
The message underneath read:
*You think Daniel is the only person she hired? Ask your father who really owns the company listed on that property transfer.*
I read it again.
Then I called Dad.
He answered immediately.
“Emily? What's wrong?””
I sent him the photograph.
There was a long silence.
Finally, he spoke.
“That's not possible.””
“What?””
He sounded almost breathless.
“The company on that document…”
He stopped.
“Emily, I know that company.””
“Who owns it?””
May you like
Dad's voice dropped.
“Someone in my own family.””
