Chapter 6 - THE CLOTHING MONEY
Rina Patel entered my life carrying three binders.
Independent forensic accountant.
Dry humor.
No patience for family myth.
She placed a spreadsheet on Naomi’s conference table.
Nina Mercer Trust — Family Support Reimbursements.
The trust allowed reasonable expenses supporting Nina.
Medical needs.
Education.
Travel tied to her beneficiary interests.
Certain family-representation costs.
Clothing ordinarily came from me.
I had never requested reimbursement.
Sylvia had.
Why could she?
Charles added Sylvia as “family support coordinator” during the first year after Daniel died.
I signed that too.
Legitimately.
At the time, she helped.
School pickup.
Appointments.
Childcare.
The authority permitted her to request reimbursement for documented expenses she personally incurred for Nina.
Not spend whatever she wanted.
Over twenty-eight months:
Designer dresses.
Shoes.
Winter coats.
Handbags.
Jewelry.
Formal event clothing.
$42,317.
“What eight-year-old needs handbags?”
Rina shrugged.
“Apparently a sophisticated one.”
Receipts existed.
Purchases were real.
What was missing?
Nina wearing them.
I pulled up photographs.
Birthdays.
Holidays.
School.
Nina wore normal clothes.
Some expensive items Sylvia had genuinely given her.
Maybe ten percent.
Where were the rest?
Rina slid over another file.
Returns.
Many items had been returned within days.
Refunds went to Sylvia’s credit card.
But trust reimbursement had already been issued to her.
Double benefit.
Others appeared in social-media photographs.
Vivian.
A Burberry-style coat.
Glittered designer flats.
A holiday dress.
All billed as Nina’s.
I stared.
“Monique knew?”
“Unknown.”
“Vivian is nine.”
“Correct.”
“She didn’t submit claims.”
“Correct.”
May you like
Children were not suspects.
Adults were.
