Chapter 9: Thursday
Patricia Soames's office was on the fourth floor of a building downtown, with a waiting room that felt deliberately calm — neutral colors, no sharp edges, a water feature in the corner that I found more irritating than soothing.
Carol sat beside me.
I had asked her to come this time.
Patricia herself was a compact woman in her early sixties, with reading glasses pushed up on her head and the kind of handshake that meant business.
She spread the documents across the conference table without ceremony.
"I've reviewed everything Renata provided," she said.
"Combined with your bank records, we have a clear picture." She tapped the email printouts.
"These are the most significant piece.
Marcus advised Glen Farrow on a structured asset concealment strategy.
He used specific language — threshold management, parallel account architecture, buffer account technique.
This isn't someone who stumbled into financial deception.
He designed it."
Carol exhaled slowly beside me.
"He then applied the same strategy to his own marriage," Patricia continued.
"The Riverside account, the systematic withdrawals from the joint account, the secondary account in his mother's name — all of it follows the same pattern he outlined to Glen."
"What are our options?" I said.
"Option one: civil divorce proceedings, aggressive asset recovery.
We use the financial evidence to ensure you receive your full legal share plus the hidden assets.
Likely outcome — you recover the majority of what was taken, plus a favorable settlement."
"Option two?"
"We refer the financial evidence to the district attorney's office.
The emails, combined with the account structure, may support a fraud charge.
That process is outside our direct control, but I can facilitate the referral." She looked at me over her glasses.
"That option carries more uncertainty.
It also carries more consequence for Marcus."
"And his mother?"
Patricia's expression didn't change.
"Pauline signed as a joint account holder on funds that can be demonstrated to have been diverted from a marital estate.
She has exposure."
The room was very quiet.
"I want option one," I said.
"And I want you to send the referral."
Patricia nodded once, as if she'd expected exactly that answer.
"I'll need you to sign the initial filing today.
I'll prepare the referral letter separately." She slid a document across the table.
"Once Marcus is formally served, he will be legally prohibited from moving any funds.
If he attempts to do so after service, that becomes a separate criminal matter."
I picked up the pen.
Carol put her hand on my arm.
Not to stop me.
Just to be there.
I signed.
Patricia gathered the documents efficiently.
"He'll be served tomorrow morning.
I'd recommend you're not in the house when it happens."
"I'll stay at Carol's."
"Good." She stood.
"One more thing." She paused at the end of the table.
"Renata asked me to tell you something.
She said to tell you that the first week after she filed was the hardest.
And that it gets easier faster than you expect."
I looked down at the signed page.
May you like
My name in my own handwriting.
"Tell her thank you," I said.
