Chapter 4
Nora’s financial history told a brutal story.
Rebecca hired a forensic accountant.
Roman asked Nora’s permission before sharing the findings with anyone.
That mattered to her.
The records showed that three years earlier Nora had approximately forty-two thousand dollars in savings.
She used most of it during the first year.
Rent.
Childcare.
Medical insurance.
Food.
A used car.
Then the car needed repairs.
Sophie had pneumonia.
Nora lost a job after missing too many shifts.
Savings collapsed.
She applied for state assistance.
Worked nights.
Cleaned offices.
Waited tables.
Eventually she fell behind on rent.
Roman read every line.
He stopped at an eviction filing.
“Where was Sophie?”
“With me.”
“You had nowhere else?”
“No.”
“You didn’t contact my family?”
Nora laughed bitterly.
“Your mother was the family.”
Roman accepted that.
Then Rebecca found something strange.
Nora had received three anonymous cashier’s checks over the years.
Five thousand dollars.
Eight thousand.
Ten thousand.
Each arrived shortly before a major crisis.
The first came days before an eviction hearing.
The second after Sophie’s hospitalization.
The third when Nora’s car was repossessed.
Roman looked at the dates.
“Helena?”
“Maybe,” Rebecca said.
Nora shook her head.
“If she wanted to help, why not send the money you sent?”
Good question.
The checks were large enough to prevent catastrophe.
Too small to create stability.
Someone seemed to be keeping Nora just above complete collapse.
Roman disliked what that implied.
Not simple theft.
Management.
Control.
Then the accountant discovered another pattern.
Copies of Nora’s eviction notice, welfare application, and past-due medical bills had all been requested by the same private investigative firm.
Client confidentiality initially blocked the name.
Rebecca obtained it through litigation the next day.
The client was a law office used by Helena.
Roman stared at the report.
“She was documenting Nora’s poverty.”
Rebecca nodded.
“Apparently.”
Nora went completely still.
“Why?”
Nobody answered.
That was the first clue that the missing money might not have been the final objective.
May you like
Helena had not merely withheld support.
She had paid someone to watch what happened after she withheld it.
