Chapter 8: The Accountant Who Disappeared
My father immediately stepped in front of me.
"Don't let him inside," he told the employee.
She nodded and walked away.
I looked through the narrow glass panel beside the door.
James Collins stood in the reception area wearing a gray suit.
He looked nothing like the confident accountant who had attended our family dinners.
His tie was crooked.
His hair was disheveled.
And he kept checking his phone.
"Dad, what is he doing here?""
"I don't know. But he isn't getting near you.""
James noticed us through the glass.
He raised one hand.
"Richard! Please. I need to speak with you.""
My father didn't move.
"You've got some nerve showing up here.""
James stepped closer.
"I know how this looks.""
"Then explain the forged records.""
James glanced toward me.
"Not here.""
My father laughed bitterly.
"You don't get to decide where we talk.""
James lowered his voice.
"Vanessa is planning to move the original company documents tonight.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"What?""
He looked directly at me.
"She's sending someone to the property office. They're going to remove the shareholder register and replace it with the version Daniel prepared.""
My father opened the door.
"Why should I believe you?""
James held up his hands.
"Because I helped prepare the documents.""
The admission hung in the air.
My father looked ready to hit him.
Instead, he stepped aside.
"Come in.""
James entered the room.
He sat down slowly.
I remained standing.
"Why did you do it?""
He looked at me.
"I was paid.""
"How much?""
"Thirty thousand dollars.""
I stared at him.
"Thirty thousand dollars was enough for you to help steal my mother's inheritance?""
He lowered his eyes.
"I didn't know how far they were planning to go.""
I laughed in disbelief.
"You signed documents claiming I was mentally incapable of making decisions.""
"I didn't write the medical report.""
"But you helped submit it.""
He nodded.
I stepped closer.
"Did you ever think about what would happen to me if the application succeeded?""
James looked genuinely uncomfortable.
"I thought Vanessa would simply manage the assets until you turned twenty-five.""
"Why would she need to manage them?""
He didn't answer.
My father leaned forward.
"Who prepared the forged transfer documents?""
"Daniel.""
"And Vanessa?""
"She supplied the family records.""
My father stared at him.
"Did you know she was using Nia's signature?""
James nodded.
"Yes.""
"Did you know she was using Elaine's inheritance?""
"Yes.""
My father stood.
"Get out.""
James raised his hand.
"Richard, please. I came here because I want to help.""
"After everything you've done?""
"I have evidence.""
He reached into his briefcase and removed a small envelope.
Inside were printed emails and several bank transfers.
I recognized Daniel's company name.
Bluecrest Holdings.
James placed the papers on the table.
"These are the original transaction instructions.""
My father examined them.
"Where did you get these?""
"I kept copies.""
"Why?""
James looked down.
"Because I knew Daniel would eventually blame me.""
I looked at him.
"So you protected yourself.""
He nodded.
"Yes.""
At least he wasn't pretending to be a hero.
I examined the documents.
One transfer had been made to an account belonging to Vanessa.
Another had gone to Madison.
A third had been sent to an overseas investment company.
"What's this payment?"" I asked.
James leaned forward.
"That's where the missing money went.""
The amount was $275,000.
The payment description read:
*WILLOW CREEK PROPERTY — OPTION DEPOSIT.*
My father grabbed the document.
"Who received this?""
James answered quietly.
"Daniel.""
My father looked furious.
"That property belongs to my family.""
James nodded.
"Daniel has been trying to acquire it for years.""
I looked between them.
"Why?""
My father opened the folder containing my mother's original agreements.
"Because my grandfather owned the land. He transferred it to my father, who later passed it to me.""
"But you said it was just an empty piece of land.""
"It was.""
James interrupted.
"Not anymore.""
He opened a map on his laptop.
The property was located near a planned commercial development corridor.
A new transport terminal had been approved nearby.
The land's estimated value had increased dramatically.
I looked at the screen.
"How much is it worth now?""
James hesitated.
"Depending on the development proposal, between eight and twelve million dollars.""
My father sat down.
"Daniel knew about the land.""
James nodded.
"He also knew about an old agreement giving him a limited right to purchase it if certain conditions were met.""
My father looked at him.
"What conditions?""
"Your father's estate had to approve the sale. The agreement expired if the land remained unsold for ten years.""
"And it expired?""
James nodded.
"Last year.""
I frowned.
"Then how could Daniel claim it?""
James removed another document.
"Because someone submitted an amended agreement six months ago.""
My father read it.
His face went pale.
The signature at the bottom was his.
Again.
But it wasn't his handwriting.
I felt sick.
"Another forgery.""
James nodded.
"Daniel wanted to make it appear that you had renewed his purchase option.""
My father stared at him.
"Who submitted it?""
James looked at me.
"Vanessa.""
I closed my eyes.
It was becoming impossible to understand how far she had gone.
She had taken my mother's money.
She had attempted to take control of my inheritance.
She had forged medical records.
And now she had helped Daniel target my father's property.
"Why did she need all that money?"" I asked.
James hesitated.
"Because Daniel promised her a share of the profits.""
My father shook his head.
"How much?""
"Thirty percent.""
I looked at the transfer records.
"That's millions.""
James nodded.
"Yes.""
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then my father asked the question I had been thinking about.
"Why are you telling us this now?""
James swallowed.
"Because Daniel told Vanessa that once the property sale was complete, they would no longer need me.""
"And?""
James looked down.
"I received a message yesterday. It said I should leave the country before the police started asking questions.""
My father folded his arms.
"So you decided to save yourself.""
James nodded.
"Yes.""
I looked at him.
"Then help us save the evidence.""
He nodded quickly.
"I can provide the original emails, payment instructions, and the account access logs.""
My father took out his phone.
"We're going to Patricia.""
Before leaving, I asked James one final question.
"Did my mother know about the Willow Creek property agreement?""
He nodded.
"She helped Richard review the original documents years ago.""
"Did she know Daniel wanted the land?""
James hesitated.
"Yes.""
"Did she know Vanessa was helping him?""
He looked away.
"Not at first.""
"Then when?""
James took a breath.
"Shortly before she died.""
My heart stopped.
"How shortly?""
"About two months.""
I stared at him.
"You're saying my mother knew Vanessa was involved?""
He nodded.
"She confronted her.""
I felt the room spin.
"What happened?""
James lowered his voice.
"Vanessa told Elaine she was only trying to help Daniel recover money he believed he was owed.""
My father shook his head.
"Elaine would never have believed that.""
"She didn't.""
James opened his briefcase and removed another document.
"This is a note your wife sent to the accountant at the time.""
He handed it to my father.
The note was short.
If anything happens to me, please ensure that Nia receives the original agreements. Do not allow Daniel or Vanessa to access the documents.
My father stared at it.
Then he looked at James.
"Why wasn't this delivered to me?""
James didn't answer.
I felt anger rising in my chest.
"Because he was working with them.""
James nodded.
I turned away.
We left the storage facility and drove straight to Patricia's office.
She was waiting with another attorney and a representative from the bank.
When she saw the documents, she immediately arranged for copies to be secured.
James agreed to provide a formal statement.
Patricia looked at the evidence.
"This is considerably more serious than a trust dispute.""
My father nodded.
"They were trying to steal both properties.""
"And potentially implicate you in the transactions.""
She turned to me.
"Nia, your mother's original agreement is extremely important. It establishes that the controlling shares were never transferred.""
"Can they still try to remove me from the trust?""
"They can try. But with the evidence we now have, their application becomes much harder to defend.""
Then she looked at James.
"We also need to know whether Daniel has already arranged a sale.""
James opened his laptop.
"I checked this morning.""
He showed us a document.
A buyer had agreed to purchase the Willow Creek property.
The sale was scheduled for the following Friday.
My father stared.
"That's three days from now.""
James nodded.
"And the buyer has already paid a deposit.""
Patricia immediately began making calls.
I sat quietly, watching the adults around me scramble to stop something that had been planned for years.
Then my phone rang.
It was Madison.
I answered.
"Nia?""
Her voice was trembling.
"Where are you?""
"At Patricia's office. Why?""
"Mom found out I gave you the flash drive.""
My stomach tightened.
"What happened?""
"She came into my room. She took my laptop. She found the messages between us.""
"Are you safe?""
Madison didn't answer immediately.
Then she whispered:
"She's packing my things.""
"What?""
"She says we're leaving tonight.""
"Where are you going?""
"I don't know.""
I stood up.
"Madison, listen to me. Stay inside the house. Don't leave with her until Dad gets there.""
A loud crash came through the phone.
Madison gasped.
Then I heard Vanessa shouting.
"Who are you talking to?""
Madison whispered:
"Nia, she's here.""
The call ended.
I looked at my father.
He was already reaching for his keys.
We drove home as quickly as possible.
When we arrived, the front door was open.
A suitcase lay overturned in the hallway.
Madison stood at the bottom of the staircase, crying.
Vanessa was beside her, holding a folder.
My father rushed inside.
"What's going on?""
Vanessa turned.
"Your daughter is betraying me.""
Richard looked at Madison.
"Come here.""
Madison stepped toward him.
Vanessa grabbed the folder.
"Before you take her side, you should know what she's done.""
My father looked at her.
"What?""
Vanessa smiled.
She opened the folder and removed a document.
"This is proof that Madison wasn't the only person involved in the financial transfers.""
She held it up.
I recognized the format immediately.
A bank authorization form.
But this one carried my name.
And my signature.
Vanessa looked directly at me.
"You wanted to play innocent, Nia?""
She placed the document on the table.
"Then explain why your name appears on the original transfer that started all of this.""
My father grabbed the paper.
His face changed.
Madison started crying harder.
May you like
And I realized Vanessa still had one weapon left.
She was prepared to make me look like the person who had stolen my own inheritance.
