Chapter 6
Richard confronted nobody.
That took effort.
Instead, Miriam contacted the shipping company.
The records showed four cartons had been delivered to the Colorado lodge six days before Richard’s birthday.
Nobody had told Richard.
The lodge manager found them in a basement storage room.
Noah’s clothes.
Books.
Winter coat.
Shoes.
Favorite blanket.
A framed photograph of his mother.
Richard stood over the boxes without speaking.
Mark had shipped part of his son’s life to Colorado before the family arrived.
Paul looked at him.
“You think Mark planned for Noah to stay?”
“I think Mark is going to tell me.”
But not yet.
The financial audit came first.
Richard had learned something from the previous week.
Anger produced noise.
Records produced answers.
Meanwhile Claudia requested permission to see Noah.
The child-welfare investigator recommended against unsupervised contact during the initial review.
A supervised visit could be considered later.
Richard did not object.
Mark did.
“That’s my wife.”
“She shoved your son into the snow.”
“She made a mistake.”
Richard looked at him.
“You keep using small words.”
“Because you turn everything into a war.”
“No.”
Richard glanced toward Noah.
“I spent eighteen months pretending sending money made me involved.”
Mark’s expression shifted.
“You weren’t around.”
The accusation landed.
Richard let it.
“You’re right.”
Mark had not expected that.
Richard continued.
“I should have been.”
“You were working.”
“I chose to work.”
“Don’t rewrite history because you feel guilty.”
“I’m not.”
Richard stepped closer but kept his voice level.
“My failure to show up doesn’t make yours smaller.”
Mark looked away.
That evening Paul found the first direct financial link.
One fake therapy provider had received payments into an account controlled by a consulting company.
That company had transferred most of the money within days.
Destination:
A development partnership called Summit Crest Ventures.
Mark owned thirty-five percent.
Richard knew the name.
Mark had pitched Summit Crest to him two years earlier.
A luxury condominium project near Denver.
Richard declined to invest.
Too much debt.
Bad timing.
Mark had told him he walked away from the deal.
He had lied.
Paul opened another file.
“Richard, there’s more.”
Summit Crest had lost millions.
Mark had personally guaranteed part of the financing.
“How much?”
“Enough that the reimbursements aren’t the real problem.”
Richard looked at the number.
Nearly $2.4 million in personal exposure.
Paul added, “And Claudia signed one of the guarantees.”
Now Richard understood why money intended for Noah might matter so much.
May you like
But one question remained.
Why ship Noah’s belongings to Colorado before anyone knew Richard would discover the abuse?
