Chapter 8: What Was on the Phone
Rosalind looked at the photographs for a long time without speaking.
They were at Daniel's hotel room — Daniel, Rosalind, and a man named Philip Osei who had been Rosalind's colleague for eleven years and specialized in financial crjme.
Sarah's second phone sat on the table between them, its screen showing image after image that Sarah had captured on a single afternoon when Gerald had left his laptop open.
Philip leaned forward and enlarged one of the photographs.
"These are shell company transfers," he said.
"Significant amounts.
Routed through at least three jurisdictions." He scrolled slowly.
"This one here — this is a property transfer.
The apartment Sarah is living in.
It's not in her name."
"Whose name is it in?" Daniel asked.
"A company.
Which is owned by another company.
Which traces back—" Philip scrolled again.
"To Harmon.
He owns the building.
He owns the apartment.
She has no tenancy agreement, no legal standing.
If he chose to, he could remove her with almost no notice."
The room was very quiet.
"He's kept her completely dependent," Rosalind said.
"No assets in her name.
No lease.
I'd wager her bank account has him as a secondary holder."
"It does," Daniel said.
"She told me Tuesday.
She has access to a household account.
He reviews the statements."
Philip sat back.
"The financial irregularities here are significant enough to interest the authorities on their own.
But combined with what you've told me about the hospital documentation — the false de@th record—"
"Can that be proven?" Daniel asked.
"It can be investigated.
If the document was falsified, there will be a record of who produced it.
Hospitals have audit trails.
It won't be fast, but it can be done." Philip looked at him.
"The more immediate question is the child."
"Lena."
"If she is your biological daughter — and I understand you believe she is — then you have legal standing to apply for a paternity determination.
That changes the picture considerably.
Harmon has no biological or legal relationship to the child.
Once paternity is established, his ability to use Lena as leverage over Sarah is significantly reduced."
Daniel looked at the phone on the table.
"She trusted us with this," he said.
"I know," Rosalind said.
"Which is why we do this right.
No shortcuts.
Nothing that gives Harmon a reason to run or retaliate before we're ready."
"He has someone watching the building."
"Then we don't go near the building." Rosalind folded her hands.
"Sarah needs to keep her routine completely normal for the next two weeks.
No changes.
No signs that anything is different.
Can she do that?"
"She's been doing it for four years," Daniel said quietly.
"She knows how."
Philip gathered the photographs into a folder.
"I'll start making calls this afternoon.
Discreetly.
I have a contact in the financial crimes unit who owes me a conversation." He paused at the door.
"One thing.
The transfers I saw — some of them are recent.
Within the last six months.
Whatever Harmon is doing, it's ongoing.
That makes him more dangerous, not less.
He has current reasons to protect himself."
He left.
Rosalind and Daniel sat in silence for a moment.
"She's going to have to leave the apartment," Daniel said.
"When this moves, she'll need somewhere to go immediately."
"I've already looked into it.
There's a serviced flat two miles from here.
Month-to-month.
Paid in cash.
I booked it this morning under my name." Rosalind looked at him steadily.
"I've been doing this since Tuesday.
I wasn't going to wait."
Daniel looked at his sister.
"Ros."
"Don't." She shook her head slightly.
"She's family.
Lena is family.
That's enough."
He nodded.
His phone buzzed on the table.
A message from an unknown number — but he recognized the careful, abbreviated phrasing immediately.
Sarah had used the second phone.
*He came home early today.
He was asking about Tuesday.
I said the center called me in.
He seemed to believe it.
But Daniel — he's been on the phone all afternoon.
Closed door.
I don't know who he's talking to.*
Daniel showed Rosalind the message.
She read it.
Her expression didn't change, but she reached for her own phone.
May you like
"I'm calling Philip," she said.
"We may need to move faster than two weeks."
