Chapter 3 - The Boardroom Ambush
Instead of calling an Uber to the airport, I walked three blocks down to the commuter train station, boarded a northbound train into Manhattan, and sat in a quiet corner seat with my laptop open.
My first call was not to a divorce lawyer. It was to Arthur Vance, senior managing partner at Vance & Sterling Forensic Accounting, and a former colleague who owed me a professional favor.
“Clara? I thought you were in Europe celebrating your anniversary,” Arthur answered, his voice crackling through my headset.
“Plans changed, Arthur,” I said, my fingers flying across my keyboard as I accessed the corporate registry database. “I need an emergency forensic asset freeze initiated on two commercial entities: Nebula Systems and a shell company called Veloce Holdings. Furthermore, I need an immediate injunction filed against a fraudulent collateral guarantee involving my residential property in Greenwich.”
Arthur went silent for a second. The easygoing tone vanished from his voice, replaced instantly by the sharp focus of a predator. “What kind of numbers are we talking about?”
“A $1.25 million fraudulent loan application currently sitting on the desk of an underwriter named Marcus Vance—no relation to you, but an old college buddy of my husband’s—and $480,000 in unauthorized withdrawals from my personal accounts.”
A low whistle came over the line. “Jesus, Clara. Do you have documentation?”
“I have audio recordings of the perpetrators confessing to the forgery and the systematic embezzlement, land titles proving sole ownership of the collateral, and the corporate debt filings,” I replied smoothly. “Can you have the court order ready by four o'clock this afternoon?”
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“At four o'clock, we’ll hand-deliver it to the judge at the state supreme court,” Arthur said grimly. “Where are you right now?”
“I’m heading to Eric’s office.”
