Chapter 5
North Bridge Family Services turned out to be real.
That surprised everyone.
It had employees.
An office.
Contracts.
Insurance.
It arranged hotel rooms, transportation, storage, and emergency relocations for vulnerable families.
The problem was pricing.
The foundation might approve $20,000 for a widow’s housing.
North Bridge would receive $12,000.
The widow might receive services worth $5,000.
The remaining amounts disappeared into layered consulting and management fees.
Daniel traced one stream.
North Bridge paid a consulting company called Vale Administrative Partners.
Vale paid another company.
That company paid debt on a commercial property owned by Marina.
Not enough to explain everything.
Enough to establish personal benefit.
Marina’s attorney changed posture immediately.
Now the explanation was legitimate compensation.
Marina had worked hundreds of unpaid hours for the foundation.
She claimed consulting structures were created to reimburse her indirectly because family politics made salary awkward.
Rebecca asked:
“Did the board approve it?”
“No.”
“Did Gabriella know?”
Marina’s attorney refused to answer.
Salvatore met Marina privately only after counsel approved it.
Not alone.
Rebecca remained in the room.
“You took foundation money.”
Marina folded her arms.
“I took compensation.”
“From widows.”
“From vendor fees.”
“Hidden vendor fees.”
“I worked.”
Salvatore stared at her.
“My wife worked while dying.”
Marina’s face tightened.
“That was her choice.”
The sentence changed his expression.
Marina immediately realized it.
“That came out wrong.”
“No.”
Salvatore’s voice remained quiet.
“I think it came out exactly right.”
Marina looked away.
He continued.
“Why were Gabriella’s credentials used?”
“I didn’t do that.”
“Why did she write a ledger?”
“I don’t know.”
“You knew where it was.”
“No.”
“You told me she moved it before I came home.”
Marina went still.
There.
The hook’s unanswered detail returned.
Salvatore leaned forward.
“How did you know it had been moved?”
Marina answered carefully.
“Because Dad had looked for it before.”
Rebecca looked at her.
“When?”
“After Gabriella died.”
Salvatore turned toward Edmund’s empty chair.
“My uncle searched my dead wife’s things?”
“Not exactly.”
“Exactly.”
Marina sighed.
“Gabriella kept foundation papers everywhere. Dad wanted to reconcile them before probate.”
“Did he find the ledger?”
“No.”
“How do you know?”
“Because he was still looking.”
Salvatore watched her.
That explanation was possible.
But it did not answer why Marina immediately recognized the blue book when it appeared.
Or why she had tried to hide it under her coat instead of leaving it on the desk if it was merely foundation paperwork.
Rebecca asked one final question.
“Did you know Gabriella believed someone was using her credentials?”
May you like
Marina looked at her lawyer.
The meeting ended.
