the room.
I didn’t embrace her.
She stopped inches away.
“I understand.”
“No,” I said.
“You don’t.”
Her eyes filled.
“You’re right.”
Rachel stood behind me.
Dorothy looked at her.
“My God.”
Rachel’s expression hardened.
“You know me?”
“I met you once.”
“When?”
“Before the crash.”
Rachel stepped closer.
“Tell me.”
Dorothy gestured toward the chairs.
Nobody sat.
She finally began.
“Melissa worked for the Bellmore Children’s Initiative for four years. At first, she loved it. Then she discovered that certain grants were being routed through temporary accounts.”
Calvin nodded.
“The missing money.”
“Not missing.”
Dorothy looked at me.
“Hidden.”
“For what?”
“To purchase property.”
“Why would a charity purchase property?”
“It wasn’t really the charity.”
She opened a folder.
Inside were maps.
Property deeds.
Corporate registrations.
“The Bellmore Initiative was being used as a financial corridor by a private investment group.”
“Samuel’s group?”
“Partly.”
Dorothy pointed to several parcels.
