Chapter 7
Vivienne finally admitted she had known about the project losses before Natalie disappeared.
She still denied participating in fraud.
“I loaned Damian money.”
“You guaranteed his credit.”
“Yes.”
“You knew he needed cash.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Natalie found irregular transfers.”
“Yes.”
Cassandro sat across from her with both attorneys present.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Vivienne’s answer came quietly.
“Because I thought Damian could fix it.”
“That is not the same as being innocent.”
“I know.”
“Did you use Natalie’s computer?”
“No.”
“Did you know Damian did?”
“No.”
“Did you help him convince Natalie I thought she stole the money?”
Vivienne’s eyes moved.
There.
Cassandro saw it.
Her attorney immediately said, “Do not answer beyond what you clearly remember.”
Vivienne looked angry.
“I never told Natalie you were going to hurt her.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Silence.
Cassandro leaned forward.
“What did you tell her?”
Vivienne swallowed.
“That you had seen the transfers.”
False.
“That you were furious.”
False.
“That Damian had already sent the records to your lawyer.”
False.
“What else?”
Vivienne’s voice became defensive.
“Natalie was threatening everybody.”
“She was threatening to show me financial records.”
“She was going to destroy Damian.”
“He did that himself.”
Vivienne shook her head.
“You don’t understand what he stood to lose.”
Cassandro stared at her.
“And what did Natalie stand to lose?”
Vivienne looked away.
That answer was growing obvious.
Everything.
Then Claire produced old correspondence logs from the Moretti estate.
After Natalie disappeared, Cassandro received two letters.
Both said not to search for her.
He remembered them.
What he did not know was that three other letters arrived from Wisconsin during the following six months.
Addressed personally to him.
He never saw them.
They had been entered into the household correspondence log.
Disposition:
Forwarded to family counsel per V.M.
Cassandro looked at the initials.
Vivienne Moretti.
At the time, Vivienne was still Vivienne Knox.
But after Natalie left, she began helping at the estate more frequently.
She told staff Cassandro did not want reminders.
They obeyed.
“Where are the letters?”
Nobody knew.
Old family counsel had no record of receiving them.
Vivienne said she could not remember.
Cassandro believed many things could be forgotten in two years.
Three letters from his missing wife were not among them.
He stood.
Vivienne looked up.
“What are you doing?”
“Ending this meeting before I say something useful to your defense.”
For once, Claire did not stop him.
That evening Cassandro removed Vivienne from the estate entirely.
Not physically.
Legally and administratively.
Her household authority ended.
Her spending access ended.
Her security credentials ended.
Her contact with Audrey became prohibited pending emergency family-court review.
Vivienne moved to a hotel selected by her attorney.
Damian lost all Moretti company access.
Cassandro did not threaten either of them.
May you like
He no longer needed fear to make people stay in rooms.
Evidence was doing better.
