Chapter 10 - The Doctor’s LetterThe first false medical document surfaced three days later.
It looked convincing.
Beatrice’s name.
Her date of birth.
A physician’s letterhead.
A statement describing “progressive cognitive impairment.”
The physician denied writing it.
His signature had been copied.
Nadine had apparently created a file portraying Beatrice as increasingly confused.
Old household notes supported the fiction.
“Mrs. Reed forgot medication.”
“Mrs. Reed misplaced checkbook.”
“Mrs. Reed repeated question.”
Most of the incidents were ordinary.
One medication had been temporarily discontinued.
The checkbook had been moved during a renovation.
Beatrice had repeated a question because Nadine had changed the answer.
But arranged together, the notes created a story.
Beatrice stared at them.
“She was documenting me.”
Ruiz nodded.
“For months.”
Martin looked furious.
“If she could persuade a bank or financial institution that Daniel was acting under successor authority—”
“She could route transactions through him,” Beatrice said.
“And later claim Daniel directed everything.”
The plan was becoming clear.
Nadine intended to create two conflicting realities.
To Beatrice, Daniel would appear to be stealing.
To investigators, Daniel would appear to be exercising authority over an impaired mother.
Nadine would remain the helpful employee following instructions.
Until she disappeared with the money.
The failed $1.3 million transfer had been her largest move.
Wesley had walked into the middle of it.
Beatrice found him that afternoon sitting beside the swimming pool with Laura.
He was drawing.
“Can I see?”
Wesley held up the paper.
It showed the mansion.
The driveway.
A black SUV.
And a small figure standing far away from it.
“Who’s that?”
“Me.”
Beatrice sat beside him.
The therapist had advised the family not to force Wesley to talk, but not to avoid the event either.
“You made yourself outside the car.”
Wesley nodded.
“I don’t like drawing the inside.”
“That makes sense.”
He studied her face.
“Is Dad going to jail?”
Beatrice answered carefully.
“I don’t know.”
“Mom cried.”
“I know.”
“Are you mad at him?”
“Yes.”
“Do you still love him?”
Beatrice looked toward the water.
“Yes.”
Wesley seemed relieved.
“So you can be mad and love someone?”
“Very much.”
He thought about that.
“Do you love Nadine?”
“No.”
That almost made him smile.
Beatrice touched his shoulder.
“But even when people do terrible things, we don’t get to become terrible to punish them.”
“Police punish them.”
“Courts decide consequences.”
Wesley nodded.
Then he lowered his voice.
“I heard Nadine talking about you.”
“When?”
“The day before.”
Beatrice leaned closer.
“What did she say?”
“She was on the phone.”
“To whom?”
“I don’t know.”
“What did she say?”
Wesley frowned, searching memory.
“She said, ‘The old woman still thinks I’m the help.’”
Beatrice’s stomach tightened.
“What else?”
“Then she said, ‘After Friday, Daniel signs whatever I put in front of him.’”
Friday.
The day Wesley was put in the SUV.
Nadine had expected Daniel to become desperate enough to cooperate with something larger.
But he had begun pulling away.
That might explain why she escalated.
Ruiz checked Daniel’s call records.
Friday morning, Nadine called him six times.
He answered once.
Daniel finally told them what they discussed.
Nadine demanded that he sign documents approving Everwood as a consulting vendor for Reed Heritage Development.
Daniel refused.
She threatened to expose the $740,000 theft.
He still refused.
“I told her I was done.”
Beatrice stared at him.
“You finally said no?”
“Yes.”
“What did she say?”
Daniel looked sick.
“She said I didn’t get to decide when we were done.”
That afternoon, Nadine went upstairs.
She searched Wesley’s room for the USB.
Then she told him his father wanted him.
The timeline locked together.
Daniel’s refusal had triggered Nadine’s panic.
She needed the USB.
She needed Wesley silent.
And she needed to disappear before Beatrice discovered the attempted transfer.
The police siren had destroyed all three plans.
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But Nadine was still free on bail.
And that evening, her ankle monitor stopped transmitting.
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