Chapter 5 - Postcards From the Money He StoleBy the fifth day, Dominic and Amber had turned their vacation into a public performance.
Every morning brought a new photograph.
A private boat on the Seine.
A balcony overlooking Rome.
A tasting menu at a restaurant where one dinner cost more than my monthly pension.
Amber posted photographs of designer bags arranged on hotel beds. Dominic uploaded videos of himself entering exclusive clubs and smiling beside rented sports cars.
They wanted the world to believe they had earned every luxury.
I knew where the money had come from.
The house proceeds had not simply vanished into a single account. Margaret's financial investigator, a meticulous man named Peter Cole, was tracing the transfers.
He discovered that Dominic had moved the money through DM Horizon Ventures LLC before distributing it among several accounts.
A portion went to Aster Holdings, the company controlled by Amber's uncle. Another portion was routed through a brokerage account. The rest appeared to have been spent or committed to travel and shopping.
The details arrived in a spreadsheet that Margaret printed and placed in front of me.
I had never seen so many ways to waste money.
First-class airline tickets.
Five-star hotels.
Private tours.
Designer handbags.
Expensive watches.
A single dinner in Switzerland costing more than my first car.
The numbers seemed unreal.
“Can we prove that all this came from the house?” I asked.
Peter tapped the spreadsheet.
“The timing and account transfers provide a strong trail. We are still obtaining records from several institutions, but the initial transfers match the closing proceeds.”
“Then why don't we tell the police everything now?”
“We will,” Margaret replied. “But we also need to protect what remains. If we move too quickly without preserving the evidence, they may transfer the rest.”
I did not entirely like the answer, but I understood it.
For years, I had believed honesty was enough to protect a person.
Now I was learning that truth often needed paperwork.
Sarah sat beside me.
“What about the property itself?”
Margaret opened a second folder.
“Because the alleged buyer is connected to Amber's family, we're investigating whether the transaction was a genuine purchase or a way to transfer the property under the appearance of a legitimate sale.”
“If it was a sham sale, can they keep the house?”
“That is exactly what we'll ask the court to examine.”
Peter entered with a new document.
“We have an issue,” he said.
Margaret looked up.
“What kind?”
“The company received the sale proceeds, but several transfers are difficult to explain. More importantly, the funds used to pay for Dominic and Amber's trip came from accounts that appear to have been funded by the proceeds.”
“Can you trace the remaining balance?”
“Most of it.”
He placed a printed statement on the desk.
Aster Holdings had received a substantial transfer shortly after the closing.
Two days later, Victor Hale sent part of the money back to Dominic's company, labeling it an investment advance.
“Why would Amber's uncle send him money after purchasing the house?” Sarah asked.
Peter shrugged.
“That is a question we need to put to him.”
Margaret read the statement carefully.
“It's enough to support an application for a freezing order, but we'll need to show the court why the risk is immediate.”
She drafted the application.
By the following afternoon, we had submitted a request seeking to preserve the disputed funds, restrict further transfers of the property, and prevent Aster Holdings from taking possession while the authority behind the sale was being challenged.
The court would have to decide what protections were appropriate.
We waited.
Meanwhile, Dominic called.
I answered only after Margaret reminded me that I was entitled to speak with my son without discussing the legal proceedings. She recommended that I keep any conversation brief and avoid agreeing to anything.
“Mom!” Dominic sounded cheerful. “How are you?”
“Fine.”
“That's good. Amber and I saw the most incredible hotel today. You would love it.”
I closed my eyes.
He had spent my house on a hotel room and still had the nerve to imagine I would admire it.
“I'm glad you're enjoying yourself.”
“We've been thinking about you. The nursing home seems like the best arrangement for now.”
“Does it?”
“Yes. It's safe. You won't have to worry about maintenance or taxes. Honestly, it's a relief for everyone.”
I said nothing.
He continued.
“By the way, there are some documents I need you to sign when we get back. Just routine things.”
“What documents?”
“Nothing major. Estate administration. We can explain it when we see you.”
“I'll have my lawyer review them.”
Silence.
Then Dominic laughed.
“Your lawyer?”
“Yes.”
“Who told you to get a lawyer?”
“No one had to tell me.”
“Mom, don't let strangers confuse you. They make money by turning families against each other.”
I stared at the wall.
“What did your lawyer say?” he asked.
“I haven't told you.”
“Because there's nothing to tell.”
“Then why are you worried?”
His voice hardened.
“I'm trying to help you.”
“I see.”
“Do you want us to cancel the trip and come home?”
I nearly told him to do exactly that.
Instead, I said, “No. You seem to have important things to spend my money on.”
The silence that followed was different.
“What does that mean?”
“It means enjoy Europe, Dominic.”
I ended the call.
Sarah stared at me.
“You're much calmer than I would be.”
“I am not calm.”
I showed her my trembling hands.
“But I'm learning that I don't need to shout to make someone hear me.”
That evening, a notification appeared on my phone.
Amber had posted a photograph of a diamond bracelet.
The caption read:
When you finally choose yourself, the universe rewards you.
I looked at the bracelet's price tag visible in the corner of the image.
Twelve thousand dollars.
I saved the photograph.
Then I saved every other photograph of their purchases, meals, and hotel rooms.
It wasn't because I wanted revenge.
It was because I had discovered something important about people who believed consequences would never find them.
May you like
They often documented their own mistakes voluntarily.
They even added cheerful captions.
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