I had seen people manipulate parents, spouses, and elderly relatives by convincing them that someone they loved would die without immediate financial help.
Daniel’s documents were not convincing.
The medical language was careless.
The financial trail, however, had been more carefully constructed.
That was why I had allowed the scheme to continue.
Every false invoice they sent gave investigators another piece of evidence.
Every urgent demand created a stronger record of coercion.
Every threatening message revealed more of their intention.
They believed they were pushing me closer to surrender.
In reality, they were building the case against themselves.
Daniel straightened his shoulders and attempted to recover the authority he had already lost.
“This is a family dispute.”
A voice behind him answered before I could.
“Fraud is not a family dispute.”
My supervisor, Deputy Attorney General Nora Blake, entered the room with financial-crimes detectives.
