EVERMERE WAS BEAUTIFUL

I hated it immediately.

Blue water.

White buildings.

Palm trees.

Luxury cars.

The kind of place Adrian and I used to say we would visit “someday.”

Apparently he had.

Just not with me.

I rented a small car.

Checked into a modest hotel ten minutes from The Evermere House.

Then waited.

Monica called at 4:40.

“We found where the smaller education-fund withdrawals went.”

My grip tightened on the phone.

“Where?”

“A holding company.”

“What holding company?”

“Evermere Horizon LLC.”

I sat up.

“Who owns it?”

“That’s the interesting part.”

“What?”

“It was formed three months ago.”

“Managing members are Adrian Cole and Vanessa Hale.”

I felt physically sick.

“He put Lily’s money into a company with her?”

“Yes.”

“How much?”

“At least fourteen thousand from the education account.”

“That isn’t everything.”

“No.”

“We traced another twenty-nine thousand from your general investment account.”

I closed my eyes.

“Forty-three thousand.”

“So far.”

“So far?”

“There’s more.”

Of course there was.

Monica continued:

“Do you remember refinancing the house eight months ago?”

“No.”

Silence.

“Claire.”

“We did not refinance.”

“I have a recorded lien showing a home-equity line opened against the property.”

My heart stopped.

“How much?”

“One hundred and ten thousand.”

I stood.

“No.”

“Current balance seventy-eight thousand.”

“No.”

“Your electronic signature appears on the authorization.”

“I never signed.”

“I know.”

“How do you know?”

“Because the document shows execution at 2:16 p.m. on March 18.”

“So?”

“Where were you?”

I remembered instantly.

Westhaven Design Expo.

My studio had been presenting a hotel project.

I had photographs.

Receipts.

Conference credentials.

Hundreds of witnesses.

“I was in Westhaven.”

“Exactly.”

The loan application originated from a Bellmere IP address.”

I whispered:

“Adrian.”

“Yes.”

“Can you stop them from buying property?”

“We can try to freeze transfers tied to jointly held assets.”

“Try?”

“Move fast.”