Chapter 9
“People create holding companies for many reasons,” Daniel said. “Real estate, estate planning, private investments. The name itself isn’t unusual.”
“The timing is.”
“Yes.”
I looked at the wire transfer again. Four hundred thousand dollars had left Aurelia and entered a company connected to my family. The fact that the company might once have been legitimate did not make the transaction less troubling. It only made the question more personal.
“Who authorized the payment?”
Daniel turned to the supporting page. “The approval originated from the strategy office. There’s an electronic signature attached to it.”
“Julian’s?”
“His credentials were used.”
I closed my eyes for a moment.
The room was quiet except for the distant music from the ballroom and the muted hum of the heating system. Somewhere beyond the glass walls, employees were collecting their coats and saying goodnight, unaware that the company’s problems had reached into my family’s history.
“Can you access the formation documents?” I asked.
“We have copies,” Daniel said. “But the original filings came from the Massachusetts corporate registry. We can request certified records in the morning.”
“I don’t want to wait until morning.”
Priya gave me a steady look. “Nora, you’ve had an exhausting evening. We can secure the files tonight and continue tomorrow.”
“My mother’s name is on a company that received money from Aurelia. I need to know whether she signed anything.”
“You may not be able to determine that from a document alone.”
“I still need to see it.”
Daniel placed the remaining papers into a neat stack. “I can send an encrypted copy to your office. But there’s another issue.”
“What?”
“The receiving account for Vance Family Ventures is still open.”
My stomach tightened. “You traced it?”
“We traced the first transfer. The account received two other deposits after Aurelia’s payment. One was from Bell Advisory Group. The other came from a private account belonging to Julian.”
I stared at him.
“Do you know the current balance?”
“Approximately six hundred and eighty thousand dollars.”
“Has anyone withdrawn money?”
“Not recently. The last significant activity was seven months ago.”
“Who has signing authority?”
Daniel hesitated. “The bank records list Eleanor Vance and one additional authorized signer.”
“Who?”
He looked at the page.
“Nora Vance.”
The answer was so quiet I almost missed it.
For a moment, I could hear nothing at all.
“I never opened that account.”
“We know,” Priya said. “Your signature appears to have been added after your mother’s death, but we haven’t yet confirmed when.”