Chapter 5: The Dinner Invitation
Victor lived in a house that looked as though it had been designed to make visitors feel poor.
It stood on a quiet street lined with mature oak trees and carefully trimmed hedges. The driveway curved toward a double garage. Warm light spilled through tall windows, illuminating expensive paintings and polished wooden floors.
I had visited that house many times over the years.
I had attended birthday dinners there, celebrated Victor's property deals, and sat at his kitchen island while he complained about the latest people trying to cheat him.
Once, after Marianne died, he had insisted I spend Christmas with his family.
“You shouldn't be sitting alone in that empty house,” he had said.
I remembered how grateful I had been.
Now, as Emmett drove me toward the front entrance, I wondered whether Victor had ever invited me into his home without calculating what he might gain from it.
“Are you sure you want to do this tonight?”” Emmett asked.
I looked at him.
“Your uncle specifically asked me to come.””
“That's not what I meant.””
“I know.””
He parked beside the garage and turned off the engine.
“I've spoken to James. He says we should avoid confronting Victor until the financial records are fully verified.””
“Then why are we here?””
“Because you said you wanted to hear what he had to say.””
“Exactly.””
Emmett studied me.
“Dad, if he admits anything, don't agree to anything. Don't sign anything. Don't accept money from him.””
I smiled faintly.
“Forty years of auditing, son. I know better than to sign a document I haven't read.””
He didn't smile back.
“I'm serious.””
“So am I.””
We walked to the front door together.
Victor opened it before we knocked.
“Dunstan! There you are.””
He wore a navy sweater, tailored trousers, and the same broad smile I remembered from childhood. His hair had thinned, but his posture remained straight, and his handshake was firm.
Then he saw Emmett.
The smile faltered.
“I thought this was going to be a private conversation.””
“It is,” I said.
“Emmett is family.””
Victor looked between us.
“Well. All right, then.””
He stepped aside.
The house smelled of roasted meat, garlic, and the expensive candles Victor's wife used to burn during dinner parties. A fire crackled in the sitting room, and soft jazz played through concealed speakers.
Everything was warm.
Everything was comfortable.
I found myself thinking of my apartment, where I had sat beneath two blankets while the radiator clicked uselessly beside the window.
Victor had lived in comfort while the money intended for my comfort passed through his company.
The thought made me angry in a way I had not anticipated.
Not because he had more than I did.
Because he had known I had less.
“Would you like a drink?”” he asked.
“No, thank you.””
“Whiskey?””
“No.””
“Tea, then?””
“Water will do.””
Victor gestured toward the dining room.
“Let's sit down.””
The table was set for three. A roast rested beneath a silver cover, accompanied by potatoes, green beans, and a bowl of fresh bread. Three glasses stood beside folded linen napkins.
He had planned a proper dinner.
I wondered whether he had intended to serve me a meal while explaining why he had helped deprive me of one.
We sat.
Victor poured water into my glass, then settled into his chair.
“I suppose you're wondering why I asked you here.””
“I have some ideas.””
He laughed uneasily.
“Still the auditor.””
“Still the property developer?””
“I'm afraid so.””
He removed the silver cover from the roast.
“Eat first. We can talk afterward.””
“No.””
His carving knife stopped halfway through the meat.
“Excuse me?””
“I came here to discuss the trust. I'd rather do that before dinner.””
Victor laid the knife down.
“All right.””
He folded his hands.
“First, I want you to understand that nobody intended to hurt you.””
“Then why am I hurt?””
He sighed.
“Dunstan, financial matters are complicated. Emmett set up a trust, Thea was managing it, and I was involved in certain property arrangements. Somewhere along the line, wires got crossed.””
“Which wires?””
“The accounting.””
“What accounting?””
He shifted in his chair.
“Funds were moved between entities. That's standard practice in property development.””
“Money belonging to a trust beneficiary was transferred to your company without my authorization. That is not standard practice.””
Victor's expression hardened.
“Who told you that?””
“The documents.””
“Documents can be misleading.””
“Then explain them.””
He reached for his water glass.
“Your son is a very wealthy man, Dunstan. The money was never going to make or break him.””
“This isn't about Emmett's wealth. It's about the money he set aside for me.””
“And you have been taken care of.””
I stared at him.
“By whom?””
Victor gestured vaguely.
“Thea. Me. The family.””
“Where have I been living for the past three years?””
“In your apartment.””
“Why?””
He looked irritated.
“Because you insisted on maintaining your independence.””
“Did I?””
“Yes. You refused to move into the residence Thea arranged.””
I leaned forward.
“What residence?””
He opened his mouth, then closed it.
“The one downtown.””
“Name it.””
He stared at me.
“I don't recall the name.””
“Address?””
“Dunstan, this is ridiculous.””
“Provider?””
He pushed his chair back slightly.
“Look, I didn't arrange the accommodation. Thea handled that side of things.””
“Then why did you tell me I refused it?””
He looked at Emmett.
“Because that's what she told me.””
My son had remained silent until then.
“Uncle Victor, did you ever verify that my father had been moved?””
Victor's expression softened into something resembling pity.
“Emmett, I understand you're angry. But you need to be careful about making accusations against your family.””
“Did you verify it?””
“I trusted Thea.””
“So did I.””
Victor looked down at the table.
For several seconds, the only sound was the jazz playing in the next room.
Then he spoke again.
“I should have asked more questions.””
It was the closest thing to an admission he had offered.
I waited.
He rubbed his forehead.
“The truth is that the property company was having difficulties when the trust was established. We had several projects underway, and two investors withdrew at the worst possible time. I was facing serious cash-flow problems.””
“And you used my money.””
“I borrowed it.””
“Without asking.””
“I intended to return it.””
“When?””
He looked at me.
“When the projects began generating revenue.””
“Did you tell Emmett?””
“No.””
“Did you tell me?””
“No.””
“Did you provide the trust with any interest, security, or formal loan agreement?””
Victor said nothing.
I nodded slowly.
“Then you didn't borrow it. You took it.””
His face flushed.
“That's a harsh way to put it.””
“It's an accurate way to put it.””
He looked at Emmett.
“I was going to repay every dollar.””
“When?”” my son asked.
Victor's voice rose.
“When I could! Do you think I wanted this to happen? I had every intention of making the trust whole.””
Emmett leaned forward.
“You had three years.””
“I was trying to protect the investment.””
“Whose investment?””
Victor slammed his palm against the table.
“Don't speak to me as though I'm some criminal you've caught stealing from a cash register! I have spent my entire life building businesses. Sometimes you have to move money around to keep everything alive.””
“Then why did you use my father's name to close the trust?”” Emmett asked.
Victor froze.
The change was immediate.
His mouth tightened. His shoulders stiffened. His eyes darted toward the dining room doorway.
“What are you talking about?””
I reached into my coat and removed the printed document.
I placed it on the table between us.
Victor stared at the page.
“That isn't what it looks like,” he said.
“What does it look like?””
He didn't answer.
I tapped the witness declaration.
“Your signature is here. You certified that I personally signed the termination document.””
Victor leaned back.
“Thea handled the paperwork.””
“You witnessed it.””
“I witnessed a signature.””
“My signature?””
“I believed it was yours.””
“You were standing beside me at Marianne's grave that day.””
He looked up sharply.
“What?””
“The document is dated the anniversary of her death. You spent the morning with me. You knew I wasn't signing trust documents in your office.””
Victor's face had become unnaturally pale.
For the first time, he looked old.
Not merely older than me, but tired in a way I had never noticed before. The confident man who had welcomed us into his house seemed to have retreated behind his own eyes.
“I didn't know what Thea was doing,” he said.
“Did you know she was using my identity?””
“No.””
“Did you know the trust was being closed?””
He hesitated.
“I knew she wanted to reorganize it.””
“Did you know the money was being transferred?””
“I knew there were transfers.””
“How much?””
“I don't know.””
“Then why did you witness the document?””
He looked at me, and for a moment, I thought he might finally tell the truth.
Instead, he said, “Because I trusted her.””
The words fell between us.
I had heard them before.
From Emmett.
From Victor.
From myself.
Everybody had trusted Thea.
And somehow, that trust had become the perfect hiding place for a crime.
Emmett took out his phone.
“My lawyers have traced the transfers. They know how much went into your company, and they know where the final balance went.””
Victor's eyes moved to the phone.
“What does that mean?””
“It means this is no longer a private family misunderstanding.””
Victor pushed away from the table.
“You wouldn't involve the authorities.””
Emmett stared at him.
“Why not?””
“Because this would destroy the family.””
“No,” I said quietly.
“The money destroyed the family. The truth is simply what remains afterward.””
Victor looked at me with something approaching hatred.
“You have no idea what you're doing.””
“Then explain it to me.””
He stood and walked toward the window.
For a moment, he stared out at the dark garden.
Then he turned around.
“Thea told me you had agreed to let her manage the trust. She said you didn't want to know about the money. She said you had told her to do whatever was necessary.””
“And you believed her?””
“Yes.””
“Without asking me?””
He looked away.
I felt something inside me settle into a hard, quiet certainty.
My brother had not necessarily designed the entire scheme. The documents did not yet prove that. But he had accepted money from a trust that did not belong to him, and he had signed a statement claiming I had consented to its closure.
He had done those things without speaking to me once.
“Where did the money go after it left your company?”” I asked.
Victor returned to his chair.
“I can't tell you.””
“Can't or won't?””
He swallowed.
“Some of it went into a development project. Some covered debts. Some was transferred elsewhere.””
“Where?””
He shook his head.
“Thea arranged most of it.””
“Then find out.””
“Dunstan, it isn't that simple.””
“It never is when someone has spent three years making sure nobody asks the right questions.””
Victor rubbed his face.
“Give me a few days.””
“No.””
“Please. I can get the money back.””
“Can you?””
“Yes.””
“How much?””
He looked at the table.
“I don't know.””
I stood.
The roast remained untouched beneath the dining-room lights.
“Then we have nothing more to discuss tonight.””
Victor rose quickly.
“Dunstan, don't do this.””
“Do what?””
“Go to the police. Drag everyone into this. Think about your grandchildren.””
Emmett stood beside me.
“Don't use my children to threaten my father.””
“I'm not threatening anyone!””
“Then stop asking us to keep your secrets.””
Victor looked at me.
“You're my brother.””
I held his gaze.
“Yes. I am.””
“After everything we've been through, you're going to turn against me?””
I thought of the winter nights in my apartment. The donated bread. The cold water in the bathroom because I could not afford to run the heater for long. The little tin of soup on my table when Emmett walked through my door.
“I didn't turn against you, Victor.””
I picked up my coat.
“You turned against me when you decided my suffering was an acceptable price for your convenience.””
He stood there, speechless.
Emmett opened the front door.
We walked out into the cold.
Neither of us spoke until we reached the car.
Then Emmett turned to me.
“Do you believe him?””
I looked back at the warmly lit house.
“I believe he took the money. I believe he helped close the trust. I believe he knows more than he has told us.””
“And Thea?””
“I believe she knows more than both of us.””
My son started the engine.
For several minutes, we drove in silence.
Then his phone rang.
The caller was his solicitor, James.
Emmett answered through the car's hands-free system.
“James, we're on our way home. What is it?””
The solicitor's voice came through the speakers.
“I've just received the preliminary report from the bank. There's been another development.””
“What development?””
“The final transfer from Vale Property Holdings wasn't made to an ordinary investment account. It was sent to a private account overseas.””
Emmett tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
“Whose account?””
James hesitated.
“The beneficiary's name is Thea Whitmore.””
My son stared at the road.
“Are you certain?””
“Yes. But that's not the part that concerns me most.””
“What is?””
“The account received another substantial payment two weeks ago. It wasn't from the trust.””
Emmett's face went rigid.
“Where did that money come from?””
James paused.
“From an account held in your name.””
The car seemed to grow smaller around us.
Emmett looked at me.
“What account?””
James answered before I could speak.
“An investment account associated with your company. Someone appears to have transferred company funds into the same overseas account that received your father's trust money.””
I watched the streetlights pass across my son's face.
For three years, I had believed I was protecting him by refusing to ask for help.
May you like
Now it appeared that while I was eating donated soup, someone had been reaching into his company as well.
And if Thea had taken money from Emmett's business, the family trust might have been only the beginning of what she had stolen.
