Chapter 7: Thomas Makes His Move
The call came at six forty-five the next morning.
Daniel was already awake, already dressed, sitting at the kitchen table with his phone face-up and a cup of coffee going cold beside it.
He had not slept.
He had spent most of the night pulling files from the firm's shared drive and sending them to Grace's encrypted server.
The name on the screen was not Thomas.
It was Caroline Aldren.
He answered.
"Daniel." Her voice was tight.
Controlled, but only just.
"I need you to stop whatever you're doing."
"Good morning, Caroline."
"Don't." A breath.
"Thomas told me you called last night.
He told me what you said about the firm.
I need you to understand — whatever you think happened, it is not what it looks like."
"Caroline, I have a handwriting specialist's report, three forged transfer authorizations, and a holding company with your name on the registration documents.
Tell me what it looks like."
Silence.
"I didn't know what the account was for." Her voice dropped.
"I signed what he asked me to sign.
He told me it was a tax structure.
I didn't read it carefully enough.
That's on me.
But I did not know he was moving client money."
"That's a conversation to have with the investigators."
"Daniel, please." The control slipped slightly.
"We have children.
Thomas made mistakes.
Terrible ones.
But if you go to the authorities, his career is finished.
Our family—"
"My daughter has a bruise on her arm." He said it quietly.
"Your husband was in my house for eight months.
He was alone with my four-year-old daughter, and she told me he wasn't nice to her.
I want you to think carefully about what you're asking me to do."
The line went completely silent.
"What did she say?" Caroline's voice was different now.
Smaller.
"She said he was impatient.
Dismissive.
That he didn't like having her in the room." He paused.
"I'm telling you this because you deserve to know what kind of man you're asking me to protect."
Another silence.
Longer.
"I didn't know that," Caroline said.
"I believe you."
The line stayed open for a moment.
Then she said: "Is she all right?
Lily?"
"She will be."
Caroline said nothing more.
The call ended.
Daniel set his phone down.
Twenty minutes later, Grace called.
"He's moving," she said.
"The holding company account had a transfer initiated at six this morning.
He's trying to push the money offshore."
"Can it be stopped?"
"I've already called the bank.
The transfer is frozen pending investigation.
But Daniel — he knows we're coming.
He'll be talking to his lawyer right now." A pause.
"There's something else.
He sent an email to three of your major clients at five-thirty this morning.
He told them there are irregularities in the firm's accounts linked to your personal authorization codes.
He's trying to get ahead of it.
He's trying to make it look like you."
Daniel stood up from the table.
"Who did he contact?"
Grace named them.
All three were accounts Daniel had built personally over the past decade.
"I need to call them," he said.
"Wait until the warrant is executed.
If you call them now, it looks defensive.
Let the evidence speak first." Her voice was steady.
"The warrant goes in at nine.
I'll be there.
Can you come to the financial crimes office at ten?"
"Yes."
"Bring Renata if she's willing to give a statement.
Her account of the blackmail is important."
Daniel looked toward the staircase.
He had not spoken to Renata since the night before.
The bedroom door had been closed when he passed it at midnight.
"I'll ask her," he said.
He climbed the stairs and knocked on the bedroom door.
A pause.
Then: "Come in."
She was sitting on the edge of the bed, already dressed.
She looked like she had not slept either.
"I need to ask you something," he said.
"I know." She looked at her hands.
"I heard you on the phone.
I've been sitting here trying to decide." She looked up.
"I'll give the statement.
Whatever they need." She paused.
"He used me.
I let him, because I was afraid.
But I'm not afraid of him anymore."
Daniel nodded once.
"We need to leave by nine-thirty," he said.
He turned to go.
"Daniel." Her voice stopped him.
"I'm not asking you to forgive me.
I know that's not — I just need you to know that I understand what I did.
All of it."
He stood in the doorway for a moment.
"I know," he said.
Then he walked out.
Downstairs, Lily was already awake, sitting at the kitchen table with her rabbit, eating toast.
She looked up when he came in.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
She had heard them moving around.
"Daddy and Mama have some things to sort out today." He sat across from her.
"Mrs.
Pearce is going to look after you again.
Is that all right?"
Lily considered this.
"Will it be sorted out after today?"
He looked at his daughter across the kitchen table.
"Not all of it," he said honestly.
"But the most important part will be."
She seemed to accept this.
She picked up her toast.
"Okay," she said.
"But can you come home for dinner?"
May you like
"Yes," he said.
"I'll come home for dinner."
