Chapter 6 - Richard Hale’s Book of Favors
Brianna had seen the notebook only twice.
Dark green leather.
No title.
Richard kept it in the bottom drawer of his home office.
“When I was younger,” Brianna said, “I thought it was just his private accounting.”
Rachel listened while taking notes.
“When did you realize otherwise?”
“Three years ago.”
That year, Brianna had confronted Richard about Nora’s missing trust share.
Richard had not denied it.
Instead he opened the notebook.
“He showed me names.”
“What names?” Logan asked.
“Lawyers. Accountants. A former trust officer. My uncle Steven.”
“For what?”
“Payments.”
Rachel leaned forward.
“Bribes?”
“I don’t know if all of them were bribes. Some were consulting fees. Some were loans that were never repaid.”
“Why show you?”
“To make me understand that fixing Nora’s share wouldn’t be simple.”
Logan stared.
“He threatened you.”
“Yes.”
“With what?”
Brianna hesitated.
“With destroying Logan.”
Logan laughed incredulously.
“Me?”
“He said if I reopened the trust accountings, all the false transfers through Mercer Restoration would look like your fraud.”
“And you believed him.”
“He had documents with your signature.”
“Forgery.”
“Which would need to be proved.”
Rachel interrupted.
“Fear of accusation can explain a decision. It doesn’t excuse participating in false reports.”
Brianna nodded.
“I know.”
That afternoon, Rachel arranged separate counsel for Brianna.
Logan drove home alone.
He did not call Richard.
He wanted to.
Instead he collected Ava from his mother.
In the car, Ava was unusually quiet.
Finally she asked, “Is Nora really my sister?”
Logan almost swerved.
“Who told you her name?”
“She did.”
“When?”
“Before my birthday.”
Logan glanced at her through the mirror.
“What exactly did she tell you?”
Ava hugged her stuffed rabbit.
“That Mommy was her mommy too.”
“Anything else?”
“She said not to tell because Mommy had to be brave first.”
Logan felt anger rise.
Not at Nora.
At every adult who had allowed a fourteen-year-old girl and a six-year-old child to carry secrets meant for grown people.
“Ava, listen carefully. Adults sometimes make mistakes and hide things because they’re scared. But nobody should ask you to keep a secret that makes you worried.”
Ava nodded.
“Is Mommy bad?”
The question hurt.
“No.”
He chose his words carefully.
“Mommy made some serious mistakes. We’re figuring them out.”
“Will she go away?”
Logan had no honest answer.
So he said, “You will be taken care of no matter what happens.”
At home Brianna was waiting.
Ava ran to her.
For several minutes Brianna simply held her.
Later, while Ava watched television, Logan and Brianna spoke quietly in the kitchen.
“I’m taking Ava to Mom’s again tonight,” he said.
Brianna looked wounded.
“Why?”
“Because this house is now part of a potential financial investigation, and because neither of us knows what your father might do.”
“He would never hurt Ava.”
“I’m done trusting what you think your father would never do.”
That landed.
Brianna looked toward their daughter.
“I want to see her.”
“You can.”
“Are you leaving me?”
Logan paused.
“I don’t know.”
Her face crumpled.
“That’s honest,” he said. “It’s more than I’ve had.”
The doorbell rang.
Both froze.
Logan checked the camera.
Richard Hale stood outside.
Sixty-five.
Silver hair.
Tailored charcoal coat.
Composed as ever.
Brianna whispered, “I didn’t call him.”
Richard rang again.
Logan opened the door but did not invite him inside.
Richard smiled.
“Quite a birthday.”
“How did you know?”
Richard’s smile remained.
“Family hears things.”
Logan stared.
“What do you want?”
“To prevent a misunderstanding from becoming a catastrophe.”
Brianna appeared behind Logan.
Richard’s eyes moved to her.
“You’ve been talking.”
Brianna visibly shrank.
Logan noticed.
“Leave.”
Richard ignored him.
“Brianna, your mother is worried.”
“My mother doesn’t know.”
Richard’s expression changed almost imperceptibly.
A mistake.
Brianna saw it.
“You told her?”
Richard sighed.
“This is bigger than your feelings.”
Logan stepped forward.
“Get off my property.”
Richard turned toward him.
“You should be careful, Logan.”
“Is that a threat?”
“It’s advice.”
He reached into his coat and produced a folded sheet of paper.
“I imagine your new attorney hasn’t shown you this yet.”
Logan took it.
A bank document.
His supposed signature.
A transfer authorization for $390,000.
But this one contained something the others had not.
A handwritten approval beneath the signature.
Two words.
Proceed. — L.M.
Logan stared.
Richard smiled faintly.
“You’re going to have a very difficult time convincing people you knew nothing.”
Then he returned to his car.
Brianna stood beside Logan, shaking.
“What?” he asked.
She stared at the handwriting.
“That isn’t yours.”
“I know.”
“No,” she whispered.
“You don’t understand.”
She pointed at the word Proceed.
“I know whose handwriting that is.”
Logan looked at her.
“Whose?”
May you like
Brianna swallowed.
“Mine.”
