Chapter 6: The Man Behind the LLC
Raymond Carver was not difficult to find.
Patricia's paralegal located him within forty-eight hours — a business consultant based in the city, with a registered office address and a LinkedIn profile that listed seventeen years of experience in asset management and corporate restructuring.
His profile photo showed a heavyset man in his mid-fifties with a careful smile.
Patricia called me the morning they found him.
"He's the registered beneficial owner of Hartwell Consulting LLC," she said.
"It took some digging through the Delaware filing records, but his name appears on a secondary disclosure document that most people never bother to file correctly.
He did — probably because he thought it made everything look more legitimate."
"So Daniel transferred the condominium to an LLC that Ray controlled."
"Effectively, yes.
The transfer was structured to look like a business transaction — a consulting fee settlement.
But the timing, the amount, and the letter you found all tell a different story." A pause.
"I've also pulled the property records.
The condominium was listed for sale eight months ago.
It sold six months ago."
My stomach dropped.
"It's already sold."
"Yes.
But the proceeds are traceable.
They went into a joint account held by Hartwell.
We can follow the money from there." Another pause.
"Karen, I need you to do something for me.
I need you to call Chloe and ask her to look at the messages between Daniel and Ray on the second phone.
Specifically, I need any message that references the property, the LLC, or the word transfer."
I called Chloe that afternoon.
She picked up on the second ring.
"I've been waiting to hear from you," she said.
"My attorney needs you to look through the messages on the second phone.
Anything about a property, a transfer, or Hartwell."
A pause.
The sound of movement.
Then: "Okay.
I'm looking." A longer pause.
"There's a thread here.
Daniel and Ray.
Going back about two years." Her voice changed.
"Karen, there's a message here from Daniel that says — hold on — *the K settlement cleared, moving forward with the transfer next month.
She never asked about the condo.*"
I sat down.
"She never asked about the condo," I repeated.
"I'm sorry," Chloe said quietly.
"It's not your fault." I meant it.
"Can you screenshot that thread and everything else that mentions the property or the LLC?
Send them to my attorney directly — I'll give you her email."
"Yes.
Absolutely." A pause.
"Karen.
There's something else."
"What?"
"Ray came to the house.
Last week, before everything fell apart.
I didn't know who he was at the time — Daniel introduced him as an old friend.
They went into Daniel's office and closed the door.
I could hear them arguing but I couldn't make out the words." She stopped.
"When Ray left, Daniel was in a terrible mood.
He wouldn't tell me what it was about.
Two days later I found the second phone."
"Do you think Ray knew you'd found it?"
"I think Daniel told him something was wrong," she said.
"That message — *she's asking too many questions* — I think that was about me."
I thought about the timestamp.
Four days before Chloe called me.
"Chloe, listen to me.
Does Daniel know you've spoken to my attorney?"
"No."
"Keep it that way.
Don't tell him anything about what you've sent or who you've spoken to.
If he asks about the folder, tell him you threw it away."
Silence on the line.
"Will this actually work?" she said.
"Will any of this actually do anything to him?"
"I don't know yet," I said honestly.
"But Patricia thinks we have enough to reopen the settlement.
And if we can connect Daniel directly to the transfer through those messages—"
"He goes down for fraud."
"Yes."
Another silence.
"Good," Chloe said.
And for the first time since that night in the broken kitchen, she sounded like someone who had stopped being afraid.
Three days later, Patricia called again.
"I've identified the account the Hartwell sale proceeds went into," she said.
"It's a joint account.
Daniel Holloway and Raymond Carver, joint signatories."
"So Daniel has direct access to the money."
"He did.
Until seventy-two hours ago." A pause.
"The account was emptied four days ago.
A single wire transfer."
My chest went tight.
"Where did it go?"
"We're working on that.
But Karen — the fact that he moved the money means he knows something is coming." Her voice was steady.
"Which also means we need to move faster than I originally planned."
She told me what she needed next.
I hung up the phone and sat very still for a moment.
Then I picked it up again and dialed a number I hadn't called in two years.
My divorce attorney, Whitfield, answered on the third ring.
"Karen," he said, surprised.
"It's been a while."
"I need to ask you something," I said.
"During the asset disclosure process — did Daniel's team ever mention a property?
A condominium?"
A long pause.
"No," he said slowly.
"They did not."
"I need you to pull your files," I said.
May you like
"All of them.
Patricia Soares is going to be in touch."
