Chapter 2 - The Audit
Twenty-four hours after receiving twelve stitches in my left temple, I sat in the executive office of Marcus & Cole, the premier forensic accounting firm in Downtown Los Angeles.
I wore a dark tailored suit, a wide silk scarf wrapped gracefully around my head to cover the white medical bandage on my hairline. On the desk between me and Arthur Vance—the lead forensic accountant—lay a stack of financial documents, corporate filings, and bank statements three inches thick.
"Mrs. Miller," Arthur Vance said, adjusting his spectacles as he examined the papers. "When you called me from the hospital last night, you mentioned you wanted a full forensic review of your husband’s business ventures."
"Not just his ventures, Arthur," I said, setting down a metallic black flash drive. "Jackson spent the last four years using my architectural firm’s business credit line to fund his failed startups. Every time he asked me to cosign a commercial loan or sign a tax release, I kept a duplicate digital copy of the entire ledger."
Arthur plugged the drive into his encrypted computer. Within seconds, rows of financial transfers spread across his multi-monitor setup. His eyes widened.
"This is extraordinary," Arthur whispered. "Your husband didn't just fail at business, Claire. He running a shell-company network. He was taking out commercial real estate loans under your joint credit profile, transferring the funds into an offshore account in Nevis, and using those funds to pay off his mother’s personal credit lines and property taxes on the Hidden Hills estate."
A cold, satisfied warmth bloomed in my chest. "Genesis Miller’s primary source of wealth isn't a family trust, is it?"
"Not anymore," Arthur confirmed, leaning back in his leather chair. "The Miller family legacy has been bleeding dry for six years. Genesis’s late husband left behind massive tax liens. To keep up the illusion of wealth in Hidden Hills, she had Jackson secure loans against your personal assets, using your high-income architectural firm as the guarantor."
I leaned forward, resting my hands on the desk. "Which means if those loans default..."
"The banks won't go after Jackson," Arthur said grimly. "They'll come after your apartment in Minnesota, your investment portfolio, and your firm."
"Unless," I interrupted, "I file a formal claim of corporate fraud and identity theft against Jackson Miller and Genesis Miller before the bank’s quarterly audit on Friday."
May you like
Arthur stared at me, a mixture of shock and profound respect in his eyes. "If you submit this evidence to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the District Attorney, you won't just block them from taking your apartment. You'll liquidate their entire estate to cover the fraudulent debts."
"They wanted my home," I said softly, my voice devoid of mercy. "Now I'm taking theirs."
