Chapter 10: Consequences, Named and Specific
Victoria's solicitors submitted a full cooperation agreement to the fraud investigation team on the morning of the forty-eighth hour.
She did not fight the interim ruling.
She did not attempt to contest the witness statements.
She instructed Harland Peck — through separate counsel, since Harland was now a cooperating witness against her — to provide the fraud team with every document, email, and account record they requested.
Ruth called me when the cooperation agreement was filed.
"She's admitted to instructing the backdating of the amendment," Ruth said.
"She's admitted to authorizing the transfer through Meridian Slate.
She's named two additional individuals — associates of Harland's — who facilitated the account structure in Geneva."
"And Daniel?"
"She's confirmed his directorship was nominal.
That he was not informed of the full nature of the transfer.
The fraud team has reviewed his statement and the emails he preserved.
They've indicated he's unlikely to face charges, given the evidence of his cooperation and the timeline."
I was standing at the window of the hotel room, looking out at the London skyline.
Grey sky, the river somewhere beyond the buildings.
"What does she face?" I said.
"Fraud.
Breach of fiduciary duty.
Conspiracy to defraud the estate.
The SRA has already opened a parallel proceeding against Harland — he'll lose his practicing certificate.
The two Geneva associates are subject to international proceedings.
Victoria — " Ruth paused — "is looking at a custodial sentence if the Crown Prosecution Service decides to charge.
The cooperation agreement reduces the exposure, but it doesn't eliminate it."
I let that settle.
"The twelve million?" I said.
"The Swiss accounts have been identified.
The court has issued a recovery order.
It won't all come back immediately — some of it moved through additional layers — but the majority is recoverable.
We're looking at full recovery within eighteen months."
I thanked her and ended the call.
I sat on the edge of the bed.
The letter was still on the desk where I had left it the night before.
I had read it four times now.
I had stopped trying to read it without my throat tightening somewhere around the third paragraph, so I had simply accepted that and kept reading anyway.
My phone buzzed.
A message from Daniel.
*I heard from Ruth.
Thank you for what you said to the fraud team about my cooperation.
I know you didn't have to.*
I looked at the message for a moment.
Then I typed back: *Father said you weren't a bad man.
Only a weak one.
He said weakness isn't the same as cruelty.
I'm choosing to believe him.*
Three minutes passed.
*Can I buy you dinner?* Daniel wrote.
*Not to talk about any of this.
Just dinner.*
I looked at the message.
*Yes,* I wrote back.
*Not tonight.
Soon.*
I set the phone down.
Outside, a thin winter sun had appeared between the clouds.
It lit the rooftops for a few minutes — pale, unhurried — and then the clouds closed again.
I picked up my father's letter one more time.
*Take care of the airline.
Take care of Daniel.
Take care of yourself.*
Three things.
In that order.
Which was, I realized, exactly the order I would have put them in myself.
I folded the letter carefully and placed it back in the envelope.
Then I opened my laptop, pulled up the AeroVance board calendar, and began to schedule the meetings I had been waiting eleven months to hold.
There was a great deal of work to do.
I found, for the first time in a long time, that I was looking forward to it.
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