Chapter 5: The Secret Account
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Harlow seemed to realize she had said too much.
She pressed her lips together and looked toward Victor.
"That was a private conversation.""
Victor closed the office door.
"Nobody is leaving until we establish what happened.""
Dashiell stared at his wife.
"What second account?""
She shook her head.
"Forget it.""
"No. Tell me.""
"You're making a scene.""
"YOU USED MY SIGNATURE!""
His voice echoed through the small office.
I had heard my son angry before.
I had never heard him sound afraid.
Harlow moved toward him.
"Keep your voice down.""
He stepped away.
"Don't touch me.""
That was the first time I had ever seen Dashiell refuse her.
I sat back down.
"Victor, what second account is she talking about?""
He opened another window on the computer.
"Mrs. Bellmont, there is a secondary corporate account associated with the Meridian Group.""
"Who controls it?""
He studied the screen.
"That's what we're trying to establish.""
Andre spoke from the doorway.
"Edward mentioned a reserve account years ago.""
I turned toward him.
"What did he say?""
Andre hesitated.
"He told me that if anything happened to him, Mrs. Bellmont would eventually receive instructions.""
"What instructions?""
"To access the reserve account through the trust.""
Harlow let out a bitter laugh.
"Wonderful. Another secret.""
I looked at her.
"Why are you so interested in it?""
"Because I know exactly what that account contains.""
The room became silent.
Dashiell stared at her.
"You know?""
She rolled her eyes.
"I found the records months ago.""
"Where?""
"In your father's old office.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
Edward's study had been sealed after his death.
The hotel had preserved it because I couldn't bear to clear it out.
I still remembered his leather chair, the brass desk lamp, and the framed photograph of our wedding.
Harlow had been in there?
"When?"" I asked.
She looked at me.
"Last summer.""
"How did you get inside?""
"Your son gave me access.""
I turned toward Dashiell.
He shook his head.
"I gave her the office key because she said she needed old banquet records.""
Harlow smiled.
"Which I did.""
I looked at her.
"And what did you find?""
She crossed her arms.
"Enough to understand that your husband had made some very strange arrangements.""
Victor continued examining the computer.
Then he stopped.
"There's a transaction history.""
He turned the monitor toward us.
A series of transfers appeared.
The first was dated eleven months earlier.
The amount was $250,000.
The next was $400,000.
Then $600,000.
There were seven transfers in total.
I counted them twice.
More than three million dollars.
All had been transferred from the Meridian's reserve account to companies connected to Northstar Hospitality Partners.
I gripped the edge of the table.
"How much money is missing?""
Victor calculated.
"$3.85 million.""
Dashiell stared at Harlow.
"Did you take that money?""
She shrugged.
"It wasn't being used.""
"That doesn't answer me.""
"I was protecting our future.""
"With stolen money?""
"Don't be stupid, Dashiell.""
He looked at her as though the words had finally reached him.
I stood.
"Harlow, you have until the end of this meeting to tell us exactly what you did.""
She laughed.
"Or what?""
I looked directly at her.
"Or I will make sure every document, every transaction, and every recording is handed to the people who have the authority to investigate you.""
Her expression hardened.
"You can't do that.""
"Why not?""
"Because the money is already gone.""
Victor looked up.
"Where did it go?""
Harlow smiled.
"Somewhere you won't find it.""
Andre shook his head.
"Mrs. Bellmont, I think we should check the cellar inventory again.""
"Why?""
He pointed toward the photograph on the screen.
"The missing 1961 Latour wasn't just a valuable bottle.""
I frowned.
"What are you saying?""
Andre lowered his voice.
"Edward used the bottle's wooden presentation case to store a small sealed packet. I saw him place it there years ago.""
I remembered the black case in the security footage.
The one Harlow had carried upstairs.
My heart began to pound.
"What's in the packet?""
Andre looked at Harlow.
"I don't know. But Mr. Bellmont told me it contained the final instructions for the reserve account.""
Victor immediately stood.
"Then we need to locate that bottle.""
Harlow stepped backward.
"No.""
Everyone turned toward her.
Dashiell looked at his wife.
"What do you mean, no?""
She shook her head.
"You're not touching it.""
Victor moved toward the door.
"Where is it?""
Harlow said nothing.
Then her phone vibrated.
She glanced down.
A message appeared on the screen.
I was close enough to see the sender's name.
NORTHSTAR LEGAL.
The message was short.
The transfer is confirmed. The trustee has been notified. Destroy the remaining evidence before morning.
My eyes moved from the phone to Harlow's face.
"Who sent that?""
She quickly locked the screen.
"Nobody.""
I held out my hand.
"Give me the phone.""
"Absolutely not.""
Victor stepped between us.
"Mrs. Bellmont, please remain calm.""
I wasn't going to grab her phone.
I didn't need to.
I had already seen enough.
Dashiell read the message over her shoulder.
His face turned white.
"Destroy the evidence?""
Harlow looked at him.
"That's not what it means.""
"What does it mean, then?""
She didn't answer.
He took a step backward.
"Who is Northstar Legal?""
"Business associates.""
"Since when?""
"Since before we got married.""
That sentence changed the room.
Dashiell stared at her.
"Before we got married?""
Harlow looked away.
I slowly sat down.
The wine tower.
The missing bottle.
The forged signature.
The stolen millions.
None of it had happened because Harlow had suddenly become greedy.
She had come into my son's life with a plan.
And I was beginning to understand that Dashiell might have been part of it without even knowing.
Victor's radio crackled.
"Mr. Mercer, we have a situation at the loading dock.""
Victor pressed the button.
"What situation?""
"There's a vehicle waiting outside the service entrance. The driver claims he's here to collect a private shipment for Mrs. Bellmont.""
Victor looked at me.
"What shipment?""
I shook my head.
"I haven't arranged anything.""
The radio crackled again.
"Sir, there's a problem. The driver has presented a release authorization bearing the owner's signature.""
Victor looked at the computer.
Then at me.
"Mrs. Bellmont, the signature belongs to your late husband.""
My fingers went cold.
Edward had been dead for almost three years.
I stood.
"Show me.""
Victor brought up the loading dock camera.
A black SUV stood outside the service entrance.
Two men were waiting beside it.
One held a wooden wine case.
The other was speaking to a security guard.
Harlow suddenly rushed toward the screen.
"Turn that off!""
Victor blocked her.
"Step back, Mrs. Bellmont.""
She looked at the camera.
Then she whispered something that made Dashiell grab the edge of the table.
"That case can't leave the building.""
I stared at her.
"Why?""
She turned toward me.
For the first time, there was no arrogance in her face.
Only fear.
"Because the person inside that case isn't the person you think you're looking for.""
I looked at Andre.
He had gone completely pale.
Then my phone rang.
An unknown number.
I answered.
A man's voice came through, quiet and unmistakably familiar.
"Corinthia? It's been a long time.""
I couldn't breathe.
The voice continued.
"Your daughter-in-law has made a terrible mistake. But before you call the police, you need to know something about Edward.""
I gripped the phone.
"Who is this?""
There was a pause.
Then the man spoke again.
"My name is Malcolm Bellmont.""
My husband's younger brother.
The brother Edward had told me was dead.
May you like
And the next words out of his mouth brought the entire night crashing down around me.
"Your husband didn't die of a heart attack, Corinthia. And Harlow knows exactly who killed him.""
