Chapter 8: The Unknown Number
She sat in a coffee shop two blocks from the bank for forty minutes.
She ordered a latte she didn't particularly want and looked at the unknown number on her phone for a long time.
Then she typed: *Who are you?*
The reply came in under a minute.
*My name is Sandra Reeves.
Daniel is my husband.
Was my husband.
We separated four months ago.*
Claire set the cup down.
*I found out about the holding company when I was going through our finances during the separation.
I found out about Marcus and the property when I hired my own investigator.
I didn't know who you were at first.
When I found out, I didn't know whether to contact you.*
Claire typed: *What made you decide to?*
A pause.
Then: *I saw a photograph of your daughter.
On Marcus's phone — my investigator pulled it from a cloud backup.
She was in a school play.
She was wearing a paper crown.
And I thought — she doesn't know any of this is happening.
Someone should make sure she still has something left when it's over.*
Claire read the message twice.
Then she typed: *Would you be willing to speak with my lawyer?*
*I already have everything ready.
I've been ready for three weeks.
I was waiting to see if you needed it.*
*I need it.*
*I'll call him tomorrow morning.*
Claire put the phone down on the table.
Outside, Miami moved past the window — ordinary and bright and entirely unaware.
A bus.
A food truck.
Two teenagers on bicycles.
The world continuing at its usual speed.
Her phone rang.
Patrick.
"Sandra Reeves just emailed me," he said.
"She has bank records, internal communications between Marcus and Daniel going back twenty-two months, and a second property — a condo in Scottsdale that we didn't know about." A brief pause.
"Claire, with what we already have and what she's providing, this is not a civil matter anymore.
This is wire fraud.
Possibly more."
"What does that mean for the timeline?"
"It means I'm referring this to a colleague who handles federal financial crjmes.
It means Marcus and Daniel are not going to be able to negotiate their way out of this.
And it means the assets — the house, the condo, the holding company — are recoverable." He paused again.
"It also means this is going to take time.
Months, possibly longer."
"I know," Claire said.
"Are you all right?"
She looked out the window.
May you like
"I'm going to catch my flight home," she said.
"I need to call my daughter."
