Chapter 7 - WHAT MY FATHER WAS REALLY INVESTIGATING
Colonel Reed found Gavin in the ballroom.
He wasn’t running.
That would have been too obvious.
He was standing beside Ward, calmly explaining why the gala should continue.
Reed walked straight toward him.
“Andrew was an Inspector General source.”
Gavin’s face did not move.
“That sounds dramatic.”
“The three marked transfers were controlled payments.”
Camilla came out behind us.
“What?”
Reed held up the letter.
“Andrew suspected Mercer Asset Management was routing money through vendors supplying Bennett Aeronautics.”
Gavin laughed.
“You think I was selling airplane parts?”
“Counterfeit navigation modules.”
The smile disappeared.
Reed continued.
“Components that failed military certification.”
Ward stepped away from Gavin.
That tiny movement said everything.
Gavin noticed.
“You bought distressed suppliers,” Reed said. “You resold parts through intermediaries. Andrew traced them back to you.”
“You have no evidence.”
I held up the blue ledger.
His eyes went to it.
There.
For the first time, Gavin looked genuinely afraid.
Not angry.
Afraid.
Reed nodded toward the book.
“That was the missing evidence.”
Gavin recovered quickly.
“A handwritten notebook proves nothing.”
“It proves enough to reopen an investigation.”
The military police officer nearest him stepped closer.
Gavin turned toward Camilla.
“This is what you wanted?”
Her expression twisted.
“What I wanted?”
“You wanted Andrew’s money. You wanted the house. You wanted your daughters protected. I handled the ugly parts so you could keep pretending you had clean hands.”
Camilla slapped him.
The sound cracked across the ballroom.
Nobody moved.
Gavin touched his cheek.
Then smiled.
“There she is.”
Camilla’s hand shook.
“You lied about Thomas.”
“I told you what you needed to hear.”
“You poisoned me against Andrew.”
“No. I gave your anger somewhere to go.”
She looked as though she might hit him again.
He leaned closer.
“You did the rest yourself.”
Camilla froze.
And that was the truth neither of us wanted softened.
Gavin had lied.
Manipulated.
Stolen.
But he had not ordered Camilla to humiliate me every morning.
He had not made her burn my father’s uniform.
He had not made her lock my bedroom door.
Those choices belonged to her.
Ward closed his folder.
“My company is withdrawing from tonight’s acquisition.”
Camilla turned.
“You can’t.”
“I can, and I am.”
Relief moved through me.
Then he added, “But the liens remain until a court determines they are fraudulent.”
Of course.
There was always one more chain.
Gavin adjusted his cuff.
“My firm holds the primary lien on this property.”
“You forged beneficiary consent,” I said.
“Prove it.”
“I was fifteen.”
“Your guardian executed documents.”
“With my fake signature.”
He smiled.
“Then perhaps your guardian committed fraud.”
Camilla went white.
He was going to sacrifice his own sister.
Brooke stepped forward.
“Uncle Gavin.”
“Stay out of this.”
“No.”
She sounded different.
Older.
“I remember something.”
His eyes narrowed.
Camilla turned.
“What?”
Brooke wrapped her arms around herself.
“When I was seventeen, Uncle Gavin brought papers to the lake house.”
Gavin’s jaw tightened.
“You’re confused.”
“No.”
Brooke looked at me.
“He told me Mom was refinancing the house.”
Camilla stared at her.
“I never refinanced the lake house.”
Brooke nodded miserably.
“I know that now.”
“What did he make you do?” Reed asked.
Brooke’s eyes filled.
“He had me sign as a witness.”
Gavin laughed.
“You signed hundreds of school forms, trust acknowledgments—”
“He gave me champagne first.”
Camilla went completely still.
Brooke continued.
“I thought it was funny. I thought I was being grown-up.”
“How many papers?” Reed asked.
“Maybe six.”
Gavin’s voice turned cold.
“Be very careful, Brooke.”
She looked at him.
“You always say that when somebody remembers something.”
Paige moved beside her sister.
Brooke took a breath.
“One page was blank except for signature lines.”
Camilla covered her mouth.
I understood.
Gavin had been building documents before I was old enough to know they existed.
Brooke began crying.
“I signed because he told me Mom already approved everything.”
Camilla looked at her brother like she had never seen him before.
“You used my daughter.”
Gavin shrugged.
“You used yours.”
The words hit Camilla.
Hard.
Then Gavin turned to me.
“You want justice, Nora? Fine. Ask her about your survivor benefits.”
My stomach tightened.
Camilla closed her eyes.
Gavin smiled.
“Ask her where six years of your father’s payments went.”
I looked at Camilla.
“What is he talking about?”
She said nothing.
“Camilla.”
Her voice was barely audible.
“Your military survivor benefits were deposited into a custodial account.”
“Where is it?”
She looked at me.
“I moved the money.”
Brooke whispered, “Mom…”
“How much?”
Camilla’s lips trembled.
“More than two hundred thousand dollars over the years.”
My ears rang.
“You stole from me.”
“I used some of it for the house.”
“How much?”
“Nora—”
“How much did you spend on yourself?”
She looked at the diamond bracelet on her wrist.
Then removed it.
She placed it on the table.
“I don’t know anymore.”
I stared at her.
Something inside me went completely quiet.
Colonel Reed stepped closer, but I raised one hand.
I didn’t need protection from this.
Not anymore.
Camilla whispered, “I will repay every cent I can.”
“That doesn’t give me six years back.”
“I know.”
“No, you don’t.”
My voice did not rise.
That made her cry harder.
Then Brooke spoke again.
“There’s something worse.”
Gavin turned sharply.
“Enough.”
Brooke looked terrified.
But she kept going.
“The night I signed those papers, Uncle Gavin made me sign one page twice.”
“What page?” Reed asked.
May you like
Brooke looked at me.
“The one with Nora’s name already printed on it.”
