Chapter 8 - Vanessa Learns She Wasn’t the Wife Either
Vanessa asked for a meeting three days after she was fired.
Claire told me not to go alone, so we met in one of her firm’s smaller conference rooms with Vanessa’s criminal attorney present and a court reporter on standby because by then the assault charge was moving forward.
Vanessa arrived in white slacks and a high-necked blouse, as though changing clothes could change character.
She did not apologize.
Not really.
“I thought he was leaving you,” she said instead.
“That explains the affair,” Claire replied. “Not felony battery.”
Vanessa’s mouth tightened.
“He told me Emily had known for months and was only staying to protect her status. He said the divorce was basically done.”
I almost laughed.
Daniel had used the same script on both of us.
“Did he also tell you to bill the company through your fake consulting firm?” I asked.
She looked genuinely startled.
“It wasn’t fake.”
“Then describe the services.”
Silence.
Vanessa then said something that changed the direction of the room.
“He told me once the Phoenix deal closed, everything would be clean.”
Claire leaned forward.
“What does ‘clean’ mean?”
“That the old debt would disappear. That Emily’s trust would stop interfering. That we could start over somewhere else.”
Somewhere else.
She still thought she was the future.
“Did he ever explain NorthPoint to you?” I asked.
“He said they were friendly buyers.”
“Friendly to whom?”
Vanessa hesitated.
“He also made me sign something,” she admitted. “A consulting retention with a bonus if the transition happened on time.”
“Show us.”
Her lawyer frowned but handed over the document after a whispered exchange.
The retention agreement wasn’t from Carter Freight.
It was from NorthPoint Transit Holdings.
Vanessa had been getting paid by the buyer too.
On the ride back to my apartment, Claire stared at the copy in her lap and said quietly, “Emily, I think Daniel has been sitting on both sides of the table.”
We still didn’t know how.
But for the first time, I could see the outline of the twist:
Daniel wasn’t rushing to sell because the company needed rescue.
May you like
He was rushing because someone on the buyer’s side needed Carter Freight weakened.
And I was starting to suspect that “someone” was him.
