Chapter 14 - THE MAN DIANE PLANTED IN SAMANTHA'S LIFESamantha didn't believe them.
"Eric works in commercial real estate."
Rachel had called from her father's kitchen.
David sat across from her.
Michael stood at the window.
"Samantha," Rachel said, "what's his full legal name?"
"Eric James Dalton."
David nodded.
"Same man."
Samantha went quiet.
"That's impossible."
"How did you meet him?"
"At a fundraiser."
Rachel almost laughed.
Of course.
Fundraisers seemed to be Diane's favorite place to arrange lives.
"Which fundraiser?"
"Holloway Children's Foundation."
The answer settled everything.
Samantha whispered, "No."
Rachel felt sympathy despite their history.
"How long were you together?"
"Three years."
"Did he know about Noah?"
"Yes."
"About Michael?"
"Eventually."
"Who encouraged you to tell him?"
Samantha didn't answer.
Rachel knew.
"Diane."
"Oh my God."
Rachel could hear movement.
Samantha was pacing.
"She introduced us."
David leaned toward the phone.
"Eric has represented Diane privately for at least ten years."
Samantha's breathing became ragged.
"He moved to Seattle."
"Did he?"
Rachel asked.
"Or did he tell you he did?"
Samantha went silent again.
"We lived together."
"Did he travel often?"
"Yes."
"For work?"
"He said."
Michael cursed under his breath.
Samantha began crying.
"Three years."
Rachel closed her eyes.
The betrayal was horrifying in a different way.
Diane had placed someone close to Samantha.
Someone with access to her finances.
Her home.
Noah.
"Did Eric ever encourage you to let Noah spend time with Diane?"
"Yes."
Michael turned.
"What?"
Samantha continued.
"He said I was being unfair by keeping Noah from a woman who cared about him."
Rachel looked at Michael.
Diane hadn't simply watched Noah.
She had built an information network around him.
"Did Eric have access to your bank account?"
"Yes."
"The missing twenty-eight thousand?"
Samantha gasped.
Rachel didn't need to finish.
"Oh my God."
Michael spoke.
"He moved it."
Samantha's voice broke.
"I thought someone hacked my account."
"And then he accused you of stealing from him?"
"Yes."
Rachel felt disgust.
A manufactured criminal allegation.
A dormant guardianship agreement.
All designed to create instability around Samantha.
Michael grabbed his keys.
"I'm going to my mother."
Rachel blocked him.
"No."
"Move."
"No."
"Rachel, she planted a man in Sam's life."
"And if you show up furious, what happens?"
"I don't care."
"That's your problem."
He stopped.
Rachel's voice stayed calm.
"You've spent years reacting instead of thinking. Diane knows exactly how to use that."
Michael stared at her.
"Then what do you suggest?"
"We get proof."
David nodded.
"She's right."
Michael looked at him.
"You knew Eric."
"I knew his professional role. I didn't know about Samantha."
Rachel turned to her father.
"Tell me everything now."
David sighed.
"Eric handled private disputes for Diane. Quiet settlements. Employee complaints. Family issues."
"Fixer."
"Essentially."
"Illegal things?"
"I never had proof."
"Now we might."
Rachel called the police officer handling Samantha's complaint and provided the new information.
Then Samantha sent every message she had with Eric.
For hours, Rachel, Michael, and David went through them.
One conversation stood out.
Six months earlier.
Eric:
You should let Diane establish a formal relationship with Noah. She's getting older.
Samantha:
Why do you care?
Eric:
Because if something happens to you, he should have family.
Another:
Have you updated your will?
Rachel felt sick.
Michael whispered, "He was preparing the guardianship."
Then they found a message from the morning twenty-eight thousand dollars disappeared.
Eric:
I need access to the joint account for the property closing.
Samantha had sent a verification code.
Four hours later, the money moved.
That proved access.
Not necessarily theft.
But enough to investigate.
Then Rachel's phone buzzed again.
Unknown sender.
Another photograph.
This time Noah.
Leaving the sheriff's station with Samantha.
The caption:
Two heirs. Two mothers. Diane promised control of both. She can't deliver.
Michael went pale.
Rachel typed:
WHO ARE YOU?
The answer came.
Someone she hasn't paid.
David looked frightened.
Rachel noticed.
"You know."
"No."
"Dad."
He stood.
"We should call police."
"We already are."
"Then stop responding."
Rachel stared at him.
"Who does Diane owe?"
David finally spoke.
"Holloway Development has cash-flow problems."
Michael frowned.
"No, it doesn't."
"Publicly? No."
Michael sat down.
"What happened?"
"Diane borrowed against private family holdings."
"How much?"
"Almost twenty million."
Michael stared.
"For what?"
"To cover losses."
"What losses?"
David looked ashamed.
"An investment fund."
Rachel sighed.
"What does that have to do with Eric?"
"Eric arranged some of the financing."
Michael's face hardened.
"Illegal financing?"
"I don't know."
Rachel thought about the messages.
Two heirs.
Control.
Voting rights.
If Diane lost control of the family trust, lenders could discover what she'd done.
Noah's acknowledgment hadn't merely complicated inheritance.
It might expose Diane financially.
Michael's phone rang.
This time from an unknown number.
He answered.
A man's voice.
"Michael Holloway?"
"Who is this?"
"Eric Dalton."
Everyone froze.
Michael put it on speaker.
"What do you want?"
Eric laughed softly.
"Nothing from you."
"Then why are you photographing our children?"
A pause.
"So Rachel got my messages."
Michael's jaw tightened.
Eric continued.
"I want what Diane promised me."
"What?"
"Payment."
"For destroying Samantha's life?"
Eric laughed.
"Ask your mother."
Rachel leaned toward the phone.
"What did she pay you to do?"
Eric recognized her voice.
"Rachel."
"What did Diane hire you for?"
"Several things."
"Name them."
Another laugh.
"She didn't hire me to break Samantha."
Rachel glanced at Michael.
Eric continued.
"She hired me to make sure Samantha never told anyone who Noah's father was."
Rachel felt cold.
"And then?"
"Then your husband took the DNA test."
"So Diane changed the plan."
"Exactly."
"What was the new plan?"
Eric hesitated.
"Get Noah away from Samantha."
Michael slammed his fist against the counter.
Rachel stayed focused.
"Why?"
"Because Diane needed the boy's voting interest under her control."
Rachel looked at David.
Exactly as they'd suspected.
Eric continued.
"But she stopped paying."
Rachel's stomach tightened.
"So you're threatening children?"
"I'm encouraging Diane to honor a contract."
"If you go near Emma or Noah—"
"I haven't touched either child."
"You photographed them."
"Public places."
Rachel hated his calmness.
Then Eric said something unexpected.
"You should be more worried about your husband."
Michael frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Eric laughed once.
"Michael still hasn't told you what he signed during those three days."
Rachel turned toward him.
May you like
Michael went pale.
And once again, the trip to Wisconsin opened another door.
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