Chapter 9: What Monday Brought
Claire's written disclosure arrived at Grace's office at nine forty Monday morning.
It was forty-one pages.
Grace called me at ten.
"She gave us everything.
Raymond's initial approach, Vanessa Pryce's involvement from the beginning, the full transfer schedule, the LLC structure, the Florida property, and three additional names — people Vanessa had worked with on similar arrangements in the past two years."
"Three additional names."
"Two are in the middle of divorces.
One has already settled — but if the funds were moved before settlement, the agreement may be voidable." Grace paused.
"The AG's office is going to want to talk to Claire directly.
Her attorney knows.
She's agreed."
"What does she get in exchange?"
"Reduced civil exposure.
The criminal referral for her specifically will note her cooperation.
It doesn't eliminate consequences, but it changes the shape of them." A pause.
"Raymond and Vanessa Pryce don't have that option anymore.
They didn't cooperate.
They threatened."
I set my coffee down.
"When does the AG move?"
"My contact there says warrants are being drafted.
Probably Wednesday or Thursday."
"For both of them?"
"Raymond for fraud, conspiracy, and conversion of marital assets.
Vanessa Pryce for fraud, conspiracy, and potentially racketeering given the pattern across multiple cases." Grace's voice was steady and precise, the way it always was when she was giving me information she knew would land hard.
"Daniel, the Florida property — the forensic accountant confirmed that forty-one thousand dollars of the sixty-three came directly from your savings account.
That's traceable and documented.
The remaining twenty-two came from a third source we're still identifying."
"A third source."
"Yes.
We don't know yet if it's another victim or a separate account Raymond held.
Either way, it's part of the investigation now."
I sat down at the kitchen table.
Lily was at school.
Noah was with Patricia for the morning.
The house was very quiet.
"Grace," I said.
"The sixty-three thousand.
The properties.
Is any of it recoverable?"
"The Florida property is frozen pending the investigation.
If it was purchased with traceable stolen funds, you have a strong civil claim.
The local property is more complicated because there are two names on the deed — Raymond and Vanessa — but the same argument applies." She paused.
"I won't promise you a number.
But yes.
A meaningful portion of it is recoverable."
"Okay."
"How are you doing?"
I looked at the table.
There was a drawing Lily had left there the night before — a house with four windows and a sun in the corner and two figures in the yard, one tall and one small.
She had written *me and daddy* underneath in careful first-grade letters.
"I'm okay," I said.
"The hard part is mostly behind you," Grace said.
"What's coming now is paperwork and waiting."
"I can do paperwork and waiting."
"I know you can." A brief pause.
"Lily's name is in the AG file.
Noah's too.
The pediatric records, the photographs, the emergency room documentation.
All of it."
"Good."
"It matters, Daniel.
What happened to them — it's part of the record now.
It doesn't get quietly settled away."
I looked at the drawing on the table.
"Thank you, Grace," I said.
"For all of it."
May you like
"That's what you pay me for," she said.
"Though I'll admit this one I'd have done for less."
