Chapter 4 - The Financial Slaughter
The next morning, while Margaret and Carla were sitting in a county holding cell awaiting their bail hearing, I sat in the boardroom of my company alongside my head of security and my lead corporate attorney, David Vance.
“We found the forged documents in Carla’s work terminal,” David confirmed, sliding a red folder across the glass table. “She was sloppy. The IP addresses trace directly back to her laptop. We have absolute proof that Irene had nothing to do with the embezzlement.”
“Good,” I said coldly. “Hand it all over to the FBI. But first, what about their personal accounts?”
“As the primary account holder on the family trust, you have unilateral authority,” David stated.
“Drain them,” I ordered.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. My mother and sister have lived off my credit cards, my trust payouts, and my charity for the last five years. Cancel the cards. Freeze the trust. Revoke the deed to my mother’s condo—it’s in my name. I want them cut off completely.”
David smiled a shark-like grin. “Done.”
At 2:00 PM, Margaret and Carla stood before the county judge. Because of the overcrowding in the jail, and because they had no prior violent convictions, the judge set their bail at $100,000 each.
Margaret smirked at the bailiff. “I’ll just use my black card. Run it for the full amount.”
The bailiff swiped the card.
DECLINED.
Margaret frowned. “Try the Platinum card.”
DECLINED. ACCOUNT CLOSED.
Panic flashed across Margaret’s face. Carla frantically pulled out her own phone to check her banking app.
“Mom...” Carla gasped, turning pale. “Our accounts... the trust fund... they’re gone. The balances are zero.”
The judge banged his gavel. “If you cannot post bail, defendants will be remanded to county custody.”
May you like
“Wait! Let me call my son!” Margaret screamed as the guards grabbed her arms. “Austin! Austin, answer your phone!”
But I wasn't answering my phone. I was sitting beside my wife’s hospital bed, feeding her warm soup and watching the color return to her beautiful face.
