Part 3

By midday, Daniel and Vanessa arrived at Vellum headquarters accompanied by two attorneys.

Their security badges no longer worked.

I waited for them in the boardroom. Miriam sat to my right. To my left sat the audit chair, outside counsel, and a detective from the financial crimes division.

Vanessa’s smile vanished.

Daniel gestured angrily toward the detective. “This is insane. She’s my mother.”

“That relationship did not authorize theft,” the detective said.

Daniel faced me. “Tell them to leave.”

I set the silver rattle on the table.

“You left this under the hospital bed.”

His expression tightened. “Mom, please.”

I opened another folder. “The board has terminated you for cause. The company is suing to recover three million, eight hundred thousand dollars in misused funds. The patent transfer has been blocked. Your distributions are suspended, and the penthouse will be sold because it belongs to the trust.”

Vanessa turned toward Daniel. “You said the apartment was in your name.”