Banking On Love

by Anna James

  Rachel sucked in a deep breath. “What do you mean ‘not exactly?’ If he didn’t tell you then how do you know?”

  Emma turned her head away and stared out the window. She stayed silent for several minutes before answering, “I heard Dad and Grandpa Frank arguing a few days before Dad’s accident.”

  What had they been arguing about? “What did he say?” Rachel asked.

  Emma continued to stare out the window. When she didn’t answer Rachel repeated the question.

  Emma jerked her head back to face Rachel. “Were you and Dad planning to get divorced?”

  Dear lord! What the hell did she overhear? Rachel pulled the car to the side of the road and pulled the key from the ignition. “Your father and I never talked about getting a divorce. Why don’t you tell me what they said to each other, and maybe, I can help you to understand what they were talking about.”

  “Grandpa kept yelling at Dad, asking him if he was crazy and telling him this was the stupidest thing he could do.”

  Rachel frowned. What was stupid? “What did your dad say?”

  “He said Grandpa was calling the kettle black—whatever that means—and to stay out of his business, he had everything under control. He also told Grandpa he only married you because you were pregnant with me.”

  Rachel nodded. Had they been arguing because Frank found out Ryan was having an affair? “I see.”

  “So it’s true then?” Emma asked.

  Damn it. Why hadn’t Ryan been more careful? Emma was only nine years old when she’d overheard their conversation. She didn’t need to learn the truth at such a young age. “Yes. I was pregnant with you before your dad and I got married. But that doesn’t mean we didn’t want you.”

  “But Dad told me—”

  Rachel wrapped her arms around Emma and held her tight. “We’ve always loved you and never have I regretted having you. Even if your father and I did wind up getting divorced, it wouldn’t have been because of you.” She eased back and tucked a stray lock of hair behind Emma’s ear. “Have you been worrying all this time?”

  Emma nodded.

  Rachel hugged her again. “Oh, honey, why didn’t you say something to me about this when it happened instead of waiting three years? I would have put your mind at ease, and you wouldn’t have had to suffer.”

  “I didn’t want to get in trouble. And then Dad died—”

  Rachel gave her an inquiring look. “Why would you be in trouble?”

  “Dad and I got into a fight that night because I wanted to stay up to watch a television show, and he told me it was too late and I had to go to bed. I snuck downstairs and was gonna go into the family room when I heard them talking in the kitchen. I hid behind the china cabinet. I know I shouldn’t have listened in on what they were saying, but I couldn’t help it. I was waiting for them to go back into Dad’s office.”

  “I see.” Disapproval laced her voice.

  “Mom, it was a long time ago. You can’t be mad at me now.”

  “I’m not mad, but I don’t approve of you eavesdropping on other people’s conversations.”

  “So, I’m not in trouble, right?”

  Rachel laughed. “Not this time.”

  “Mom, what’s a seashore account?”

  “A what?”

  “A seashore account.”

  “I’m not sure. I’ve never heard of such a thing. Why do you ask?”

  “It was part of why Dad and Grandpa were arguing that day.”

  Rachel frowned. “What did they say?”

  “I don’t remember exactly, but it was really weird. Grandpa said if Dad was serious about getting a divorce, he needed to make sure to hide the bills, and that’s not the weird part. But I don’t understand why Grandpa would want him to hide the bills. Wouldn’t Dad still have to pay them even if you were getting divorced?” Before Rachel answered, she added, “Anyway, Dad told Grandpa not to worry, most of them were in an account by the shore. I think it’s a weird hiding spot if you ask me.”

  “You mean an offshore account?”

  Emma smiled. “Yeah, that’s what he called it, an offshore account.”

  Rachel’s hands shook, and she shoved them in her coat pocket to stop the tremors. Ryan had money stashed in an offshore account? Wasn’t the money he received in kickbacks in the account at Montgomery in her name? “Most of the bills were in an offshore account,” Emma had indicated. Did it mean there was money in an account at Montgomery and money in an offshore account, too? If so, where was the second account? This situation got more complicated with each passing moment. “What else did they say?”

  “Grandpa told Dad to be careful and make sure no one, especially, Montgomery, found out what they were up to, otherwise they’d be screwed. Was Dad doing something he shouldn’t have been?”

  Rachel frowned. “I don’t know what your dad and Grandpa were talking about.” But I’m damn well going to find out.

  “Was Grandpa talking about Ethan?”

  “Honestly, Emma, I don’t know.”

  “Can I ask him when I’m with him tomorrow?”

  Rachel shook her head. Hell no. There was no telling how Frank would react, and she didn’t want Emma in the middle of whatever was going on. “Grandpa probably won’t even remember what he’d said. It was a long time ago. Besides, tomorrow is about celebrating your birthday. Just have fun.”

  Emma nodded. “I will.”

  Rachel started the car again and pulled into traffic, her head spinning. Ryan had written bad loans and received kickbacks. According to Ethan, Ryan deposited the kickbacks into an account at Montgomery in her name. Someone, she didn’t know who, withdrew a sizable amount of money from the same account. This person used her name and resembled her as well. Now, she’d learned another account existed with more money and Frank Sullivan knew something.

  Did Ethan play into this or had Frank been referring to Hayden Montgomery when he’d said don’t let anyone, especially Montgomery, know what they’d been up to? Did Hayden or Ethan know about the offshore account? Probably not. Ethan had told her there’d been no proof Ryan had done anything illegal.

  Too many questions and no answers. No wonder her thoughts swirled around in her head. How would she find the truth after so much time had passed and without raising any suspicion?

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Rachel walked with Emma along Broad Street in New York City a short time later. They’d checked into their hotel and were now on their way to get something to eat at a local diner. When Emma made an abrupt stop, Rachel asked, “What are you doing? The restaurant is still a few blocks away.”

  Emma gazed at her surroundings. “Isn’t Ethan’s bank near here?”

  “Yes. It’s right around the corner.”

  “That’s what I thought. I remember because we went this way the last time we came into the city.”

  “When were you in the city with Ethan?” Rachel asked.

  “When he brought me to my doctor’s appointment right before I went back to school, remember?”

  Rachel nodded. “Right.” It seemed a lifetime ago.

  “Can we go and visit him?”

  “No, honey.”

  “Why not?”

  “There’s a lot happening at the bank right now, and he won’t welcome the interruption.”

  “Can’t we check?” Emma pleaded. “He told me we could come and see him whenever we’re in the city. I just want to stop in and say hi. We can leave if he’s busy.”

  Rachel shook her head. “Not today. Maybe another time,” she added to appease Emma. No way would she ever set foot inside Montgomery International. He wouldn’t humiliate her. Not again.

  When they reached the diner a few minutes later, Rachel pulled the door open and gestured for Emma to precede her. The restaurant wasn’t crowded, and they found a table right away.

  Emma slid into the bench facing the door. “I want to sit on this side. That way if someone famous comes in I’ll be able to see them.”

&nbs
p; Rachel grinned and slid into the opposite seat. “I doubt anyone famous is going to be in this part of New York. This is the financial district. The famous people are usually in the theater district, near Broadway.”

  “Still, you never know.”

  “No, you don’t,” Rachel agreed.

  Emma picked up the menu and studied the offerings. The waitress appeared a few moments later and she ordered. “A bacon double cheeseburger with fries, please.”

  “Anything to drink?” the waitress asked.

  Emma nodded. “A Coke.”

  The waitress turned her attention to Rachel. “How about you, miss?”

  “I’ll have a single burger with lettuce, tomato and American cheese. No fries.”

  “Got it. Anything to drink for you?”

  “Water with a wedge of lemon, please.” She settled her attention on Emma after the waitress left. “Tell me what’s happening at school.”

  “Not much. My classes are good, but I miss riding.”

  “I know you do, sweetie, but you’re going to have to wait until the doctor gives you the okay before you can return.”

  “When do I see him again?”

  “Not until you come home for Christmas break.”

  Emma groaned. “That’s so far away. Can’t I go back sooner?”

  Rachel smiled. “I’m afraid not.”

  Emma let out an expressive sigh.

  “Where do you want to go shopping? We can go back to Times Square or to South Street Seaport. The Gap is there and Abercrombie & Fitch. The mall is there too.”

  “Let’s go to the mall.”

  “I figured you’d say that.”

  “Yeah, I—” Emma’s mouth dropped open. She stood and waved her hands in the air.

  Rachel gasped. “What are you doing?”

  Her eyes danced and sparkled brighter than the sun on a summer afternoon. “Mom, Ethan’s here.”

  Rachel’s head whipped around. Sure enough, Ethan strode toward their table.

  “Rachel,” he acknowledged with a curt nod.

  “Ethan!” Emma squealed and slid off the bench to give him a big hug.

  Ethan smiled at her. “Hey, kiddo, it’s good to see you again. I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you, too.”

  “What are you doing here in the city?”

  Emma went into pre-teenager mode and rolled her eyes. “It’s my birthday the day after tomorrow. Mom and I always come to the city for my birthday. We stay at the Westin in Times Square in the deluxe suite. We spend the first day, that’s today, shopping and go to the Hard Rock Café for dinner. The second day we visit museums. On my actual birthday, we go to a Broadway show—Mom got tickets to Wicked—and out to a fancy restaurant for dinner. On Thursday, we’ll go to the Thanksgiving Day Parade.

  Ethan laughed. “How could I forget?”

  Her eyebrows arched up. “I don’t know. The only difference is this year Grandma and Grandpa are taking me to a show on Tuesday night because they have to leave on my birthday. Speaking of Grandma, I get to meet my Grandma Frances pretty soon. She’s Mom’s mom.”

  “Your parents are coming to visit?”

  Rachel’s eyes flew to his, but Emma spoke before she could respond.

  “Only Grandma Frances is coming.”

  “I see. When did this happen?”

  “A couple of weeks ago,” Rachel muttered.

  “Is your mother coming for Thanksgiving?”

  “No—”

  “I wish she was then she could come to the parade with us. Hey, do you wanna come with us?” Emma asked hopefully.

  Ethan’s expression closed over. “I can’t, Emma.”

  “Why not?”

  He stared at Rachel for long moments, his gaze boring down on her, and finally answered, “I have other commitments.”

  Emma’s shoulders sagged. “Oh.”

  Her disappointment lingered in the air. Ethan must have sensed it, too, because he slid his arm around Emma’s shoulders and gave her an affectionate squeeze, kissing the top of her head. “I’ve got to get going. Happy birthday, kiddo. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “Bye, Ethan.”

  Rachel watched as Ethan strode to the counter, paid the cashier for his order and walked out. If only she’d said something—anything—maybe… Stop it, stop it, stop it! Ethan is with Sandra now. Get over it and move on.

  “Mom.”

  Rachel blinked. Stop thinking about what-ifs and if-onlys, she ordered and focused her attention on her daughter. “Yes?”

  “Aren’t you going to eat?”

  Rachel hadn’t realized the waitress had delivered their meals. She stared down at the burger on her plate. The idea of eating it now made her ill.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Rachel closed the door to the hotel room and breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a busy day, starting bright and early this morning with a stop in Rockefeller Plaza to participate in the live broadcast of the Today Show, followed by breakfast, a tour of NBC studios and finally a stop at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. They’d barely made it back to the hotel in time for Emma to change and meet Connie and Frank in the lobby. Now that she’d left for the evening, Rachel could finally get back to the business of investigating Ryan’s personal finances. She hadn’t made much progress last evening before drifting off to sleep. If he truly had an offshore account she’d be able to follow the money trail. She was a forensic accountant for goodness’ sakes. She did this for a living.

  After booting up her laptop, she went to the folder marked “Ryan’s Computer” and opened the first file.

  Five hours later, Rachel opened the file containing financial information for year eight of their marriage. She’d gotten through the first seven relatively quickly but found nothing unusual. Each year contained the same journal entries, payroll deposits, credit card statements, bank account balances, and 401 K balances, nothing out of the ordinary to draw her attention. There’d been no sign of the account at Montgomery in her name either.

  After searching the standard folders for that year, she opened the one marked miscellaneous—and let out a low whistle. “Well, well, well… What do we have here?” The sub-folder entitled RS Holdings got her attention. Ethan had told her the money withdrawn from Montgomery’s London branch had been transferred to a company called RS Holdings. Right? Too bad she hadn’t paid more attention to his ramblings at the time. If she had known then what she knew now, she’d have had a lot more questions for him. Instead, she’d brushed off the incident.

  If only he’d told her the truth sooner. No. She wouldn’t go there.

  Rachel refocused on the work at hand, opened the Internet browser and Googled the holding company. Search results filled her computer screen. She selected the first link, reviewed the content and moved on when she found nothing relevant. Rachel worked her way down the page.

  “What’s this?” She opened the article and scanned the information. “RS Holdings Company… A subsidiary of the Gagnon group.” The name seemed familiar. Where did she know it from? Rachel rubbed her temples, trying hard to connect the dots. “Of course.” She smiled and straightened in her chair. The Gagnon group held a block of Montgomery International shares. No way could it be a coincidence.

  She returned her attention to the files on her hard drive. “Now, what had you been up to, Ryan?”

  It was well after midnight when she finally stood and stretched her sore muscles. Hours of investigating revealed not only the defaulted loan scheme Ryan had been involved in but a shell game, in effect, of shuffling funds from one account to another, but not to any in her name.

  The Montgomery account in her name still remained a mystery, but the rest led to one conclusion. Money laundering. She still couldn’t believe it. Ethan had been right about Ryan. Only things were much worse than he’d suspected.

  The signs were there if you knew where to look. Large cash deposits moved among multiple accounts, unjustified, excessive account activity, and wi
re transfers in exchange for cash. The only other thing missing was the offshore account Emma heard Ryan and Frank arguing about. She’d find it, but not right now. Right now her eyes burned, her head throbbed and the muscles in her neck screamed from being craned at the wrong angle for hours on end. Right now, she needed a break.

  She wandered to the sofa where Emma slept, having returned over an hour ago from her evening out. The movie had ended and Jimmy Fallon entertained the studio audience with a funny monolog. Rachel gently shook her. “Emma. Come on sweetie, it’s time to go to bed.”

  Emma’s eyelids fluttered open. “What time is it?”

  “It’s almost midnight.”

  Emma stood and walked toward the bedroom. “Are you coming?”

  Rachel sat on the sofa, curled her legs up underneath her bottom, and picked up the remote control to lower the volume. “In a few minutes. I’m going to watch some television and unwind a little.”

  Emma nodded and closed the bedroom door.

  Rachel leaned back and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, Jimmy had introduced his first guest who had a new movie opening on Friday. She didn’t recognize the actress but assumed she was an up and coming sensation. After a clip from her new movie, the actress spoke about a star-studded gala to take place on Saturday evening at the Cipriani hotel on 42nd Street. The Hope Foundation would sponsor the event, and the proceeds would be donated to a local homeless shelter.

  Rachel jumped and raced back to her computer. The Hope Foundation. Sandra’s charity. Images of her naked body entwined with Ryan’s rushed into her mind. She shoved them away, then did the same with the pictures of Ethan and Sandra together that followed. She couldn’t think about any of it now.

  Rachel opened the file folder for RS Holdings again and read through the entries. Yes. RS Holdings had made numerous donations to the Hope Foundation. Her too tired brain originally dismissed the information on the first pass through. Too many bad memories. Not going there. She drilled down further and let out a low whistle at the dollar values listed in the file. Millions. Ryan had donated millions of dollars to the charity. Why? What did the charity have to do with his money laundering activities?