Chapter 4 - The Deposition of the AccompliceOn Tuesday morning at 10:00 a.m., we gathered in the twenty-second-floor conference room of Donnelly & Associates overlooking downtown Columbus. Through the panoramic windows, the Scioto River cut through the winter-gray landscape like a ribbon of lead.
Across the conference table sat Madison Blake and her newly retained attorney, Nathan Cross, a veteran white-collar defense practitioner whose face wore the grim exhaustion of a man trying to keep his client out of federal prison.
Madison looked completely transformed from the woman who had sneered at me in the courthouse hallway. Gone was the immaculate blow-out, the camel-colored luxury coat, and the designer pumps. She wore a dark, oversized blazer, minimal makeup, and flat loafers. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her hands clasping a paper cup of water as if it were an anchor.
Clare sat at the head of the table next to a court reporter whose machine clicked rhythmically in the background.
“State your name and occupation for the record,” Clare began.
“Madison Leigh Blake,” she replied, her voice barely audible. “Former residential mortgage originator at Cardinal Valley Mortgage.”
Former. The consequences had already begun.
“Ms. Blake, directing your attention to Exhibit D—the text chain between yourself and Daniel Morgan dated October fourteenth through December twentieth—can you identify who initiated the discussion regarding the acquisition of the Grandview Heights condominium?”
“Daniel did,” Madison said, swallowing hard. “He came to my apartment in Victorian Village. He brought a preliminary financial portfolio. He told me he was finalizing the liquidation of his marriage and needed to secure a stable residence before the end of the tax year.”
“What did he tell you about Rachel Morgan’s knowledge of this transaction?” Clare asked.
Madison lifted her eyes briefly, catching mine before quickly looking down at the scarred mahogany wood. “He told me Rachel had initiated the separation. He said she was emotionally unstable, that she had developed severe postpartum psychosis during her previous pregnancy that carried over into this one, and that her doctors had advised him to maintain physical residence in the house purely as a medical caretaker until the baby arrived.”
A cold chill ran down my spine. Postpartum psychosis. He had systematically diagnosed me as mentally incompetent to his mistress to justify keeping me locked away on the second floor while he ran his schemes.
“And what did he say about her income?” Clare continued.
“He told me she had executed a private spousal settlement giving him authority to utilize her wage statements to obtain pre-approval,” Madison whispered. “He said she didn't want her name on the deed, but agreed to serve as a guarantor to ensure he could close on the property quickly.”
“Did you ever ask to see that settlement agreement?” Clare’s voice was relentless.
“Yes,” Madison said, her voice cracking. “Twice. In November. Both times he blew up at me. He accused me of not trusting him. He said if I pushed the issue, his family’s trust attorneys would pull the entire financing package and take it to Chase or Huntington. I... I had quotas to meet. I was trying to hit my branch bonus. And I thought... I thought we were going to build a life together.”
“And the thirty-eight thousand dollars?” I spoke up, ignoring Clare’s standard protocol.
Madison looked at me, genuine shame burning in her eyes. “He told me his liquidity was locked in escrow for sixty days pending the formal filing of the dissolution. He promised he would repay me forty-five thousand dollars out of his share of the house equity the day after closing. I took out a personal loan against my 401(k) to get that cash, Rachel. I drained my own retirement to give him that deposit.”
“You didn't ask questions because it was convenient,” I said without raising my voice. “You looked at an exhausted pregnant woman and convinced yourself she was crazy because it made taking her husband and her family’s assets feel justifiable.”
Nathan Cross raised a hand. “Counsel, we are here to provide voluntary cooperation in exchange for a civil release regarding the escrowed funds.”
“We’re getting to that, Mr. Cross,” Clare intervened smoothly. “Ms. Blake, did Daniel Morgan ever mention an entity named Apex Horizon Consulting?”
Madison paused, then nodded slowly. “Yes. He told me that was where his real money was held. He said he had structured his technology consulting contracts through Delaware so that Rachel’s divorce attorneys wouldn't be able to touch them.”
“Did he mention any other accounts?”
Madison opened her purse, pulled out a small leather-bound notebook, and pushed it across the table toward Clare.
“He kept his passwords written in the back of his planner,” Madison said, her voice trembling. “When he stayed at my apartment in January, while Rachel was in the hospital, he left his planner on my nightstand. I took pictures of the account numbers because I was starting to suspect he was lying to me about his debts. There’s an account at Northern Trust in Chicago. And another one registered under his mother’s maiden name at a credit union in Dayton.”
Clare flipped through the pages, her eyebrows lifting slightly. Beside her, Frank DeLuca let out a low whistle.
“Well, Mr. Cross,” Clare said, closing the notebook with a sharp snap. “Your client’s cooperation has just saved her from being named as a co-conspirator in a felony wire fraud referral. We will sign the stipulation releasing her from civil liability regarding the earnest money, provided she signs an affidavit authenticating these records for the court.”
Madison began to cry openly, burying her face in her hands. “I’m sorry,” she choked out through her fingers, looking across at me. “I am so, so sorry.”
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I picked up Sophie’s diaper bag and stood up. I looked at the broken, disgraced woman sitting across from me, and for the first time, I felt no anger toward her. Only a deep, clean pity.
“Save your apologies for the licensing board, Madison,” I said quietly. “You made your bed with a snake. You shouldn't be surprised that he bit you too.”
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