Chapter 3 - The Grandfather's Secret
The next morning, I woke up to the smell of bacon and coffee.
Grandpa was in the kitchen, flipping pancakes like he didn't have a care in the world.
"Eat up," he said. "We have a long day."
I sat down at the kitchen table and poured myself a cup of coffee. "What's the plan?"
"First, we secure your assets. The trust I set up is bulletproof, but I want to make sure your parents can't challenge it. Second, we gather more evidence. Third, we decide when and how to strike."
I nodded. "And what about Brandon?"
"Brandon is the weakest link." Grandpa set a plate of pancakes in front of me. "He's cocky. He thinks he's untouchable. But he's also sloppy. He's left a trail of evidence that even a first-year law student could follow."
"You think he'll make a mistake?"
"I think he already has." Grandpa sat down across from me. "Your brother has been texting Jessica about the money. Explicitly. Discussing how they moved it. How they hid it. How they plan to get more."
"How do you know that?"
Grandpa smiled. "Because I hired a private investigator. Six months ago. He's been tracking your brother's every move."
I set my fork down. "You hired a PI?"
"I hired the best PI in Texas." Grandpa reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. "Her name is Elena Vasquez. Former FBI. She's the one who found the shell company."
I looked at the card. Elena Vasquez. Private Investigations. The address was in downtown Dallas.
"She's already gathered enough evidence to send your brother to prison for five years," Grandpa said. "But I wanted to give you the choice. Do you want to go after him?"
I thought about it. Really thought about it. Brandon had stolen from me. My parents had helped him. And they had all smiled while they did it.
"Yes," I said. "I want to go after him."
Grandpa nodded. "Then finish your breakfast. We're meeting Elena at ten."
Elena Vasquez was not what I expected. She was small, with sharp eyes and a no-nonsense attitude. She met us at a coffee shop near her office and spread a series of photographs across the table.
"Your brother is an idiot," she said. "He's been using the same shell company for three years. Same bank. Same accounts. He didn't even bother to change the passwords."
I looked at the photos. Brandon at a casino in Las Vegas. Brandon at a strip club in Houston. Brandon handing a briefcase to a man in a parking garage.
"He's been laundering money through B&J Holdings," Elena said. "The company is registered in Delaware, but it operates out of a P.O. box in Dallas. He's been using it to pay off gambling debts, buy cars, and fund his wife's shopping addiction."
"Where does my parents' money come in?"
"Your parents are co-signers on the company account. They've been depositing money from their personal accounts into B&J Holdings and then withdrawing it as 'consulting fees.' It's a classic money laundering technique."
I felt sick. "So they're all involved."
"All of them." Elena leaned back. "Your father, your mother, your brother. Maybe your sister-in-law too. I haven't been able to prove that yet."
"What about my college fund?"
"That's the interesting part." Elena pulled out another document. "Your college fund was in a custodial account. Your parents were the trustees. They liquidated it last year and transferred the money to B&J Holdings. Then they used it to pay off a gambling debt."
I stared at the document. My hands were shaking.
"So they didn't just steal from me," I said. "They used my money to commit a crime."
"Exactly." Elena nodded. "And that's what makes this a federal case. If we report this to the FBI, your parents and brother could all go to prison."
Grandpa reached over and squeezed my hand. "It's your call, sweetheart."
I took a deep breath. "I need to think about it."
"Take your time." Elena gathered her documents. "But don't take too long. Your brother is planning another deal. If it goes through, he'll have enough money to disappear."
May you like
I looked at Grandpa. He nodded slowly.
"Then we don't have much time," I said. "Let's get to work."
