Chapter 5: The Account That Shouldn't Exist
Carol had the name of Jason's financial advisor — a man named Richard Paull — cross-referenced against public filings within two hours of my call.
I was sitting in her office again, Lily asleep on the small sofa in the corner under Carol's spare blazer, when Carol turned her monitor toward me.
"Paull set up a secondary account in Jason's name fourteen months ago," she said.
"The same month as the mortgage refinance."
"What kind of account?"
"A discretionary investment account.
Which on its own is unremarkable.
But the funding source is the equity pulled from the refinance." She pointed to a column of figures.
"Your marital home's equity was liquidated and moved into an account you have no access to and no legal knowledge of.
That is not a gray area, Emily.
That is dissipation of marital assets."
"Can you prove the connection?"
"Not yet.
But Paull has a regulatory filing history, and one of those filings has an irregularity I've already flagged to a forensic accountant I work with.
If the money moved the way I think it moved, there will be a paper trail." She leaned back.
"Here's what I need you to understand.
Jason may not have fully understood what he was doing.
Diane may have orchestrated this and used him as the vehicle.
That distinction matters for how we proceed."
"It doesn't matter to me," I said.
"It will matter to a judge."
I looked at Lily's sleeping face.
The swelling on her cheek had faded to a yellowish shadow.
"Then explain it to the judge," I said.
"I need you to explain it in a way that makes sure she never wakes up in that family's orbit again."
Carol's phone rang.
She glanced at the screen and held up one finger.
"It's opposing counsel," she said.
"Jason retained someone.
They're calling to discuss terms."
"Already?"
"Diane retained someone.
Jason is a passenger." She picked up the phone.
"Carol Voss." A pause.
"Yes.
My client is present." Another pause, longer.
Her expression shifted — not alarm, but the particular stillness of someone recalibrating.
"I see.
And your client is prepared to put that in writing?" She looked at me across the desk.
"Hold, please."
She lowered the phone.
"They're offering a settlement.
Full custody to you.
No visitation dispute.
In exchange for dropping any financial claims against the estate."
The room was very quiet.
Lily made a small sound in her sleep and turned her face into the blazer.
"They're trying to protect the money," I said.
"Yes."
"Which means they're afraid of what we'll find."
"Yes."
I looked at Carol.
"Tell them no."
She put the phone back to her ear.
"My client declines." She listened.
"I understand your client's position.
My client's position is that we'll see you in court." She ended the call and set the phone down.
"They'll escalate."
"I know."
"Diane will make this personal."
"It has always been personal," I said.
"I'm just the only one who's been keeping score."
Carol almost smiled.
"Richard Paull's office address is in the filing.
I'm sending a forensic subpoena request to his firm Monday morning." She closed the folder.
"Get some sleep this weekend, Emily.
Starting Monday, they'll be looking for anything they can use."
My phone buzzed on the edge of her desk.
A text from a number I now recognized as Brooke's.
It read: *You have no idea what our family is capable of.
Drop this now while you still can.*
I screenshotted it and handed the phone to Carol.
May you like
She added it to the folder without comment.
It became Exhibit Thirty-Nine.
