31

SATURDAY, JUNE 9
2:22 A.M.
SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS

Richard groaned as Katie twisted in bed again. She lay still. His breathing smoothed over. With all the worrying about Ian, she wasn’t getting to sleep anytime soon. All she’d do is disturb Richard if she stayed in bed.

She rose, quietly put on her robe, and left her husband, heading toward the kitchen.

Since Brook’s visit to the office, she’d called Ian five times. He hadn’t answered any of them. Four texts got the same treatment.

Learning the terms of the trust and dealing with Brook and her story about stolen funds had been strange enough. The huge client deposit hitting their account even stranger. But Ian’s disappearing act was the strangest of all. It was driving her crazy. If Brook had more luck finding him, she could blindside Ian at any minute.

The light was on in the kitchen. Nicole was seated at the breakfast table with a bowl of cereal and a smartphone in one hand.

“Mom!” she said, looking up. “What are you doing up? You’re never up after ten.”

“What are you doing up?” Katie replied. “It’s way after midnight.”

Nicole set down her phone. “I’m twenty-four, Mom. If I was asleep at this hour, I’d likely be depressed, very lonely, or both. I was out with some friends. I’ve got a free morning to sleep in. But I’m heading to bed now. What’s your story?”

Katie wanted to talk with Nicole, talk with anyone about what was going on. But she wouldn’t drag her family into this mess. “Nothing, hon,” she said as she sat across the table. “Just worrying about a few things at work.”

Her daughter nodded her understanding, then came around the table to kiss Katie on the head. “Get to bed soon, young lady,” Nicole said.

Katie smiled. “Good night.”

Alone in the kitchen, Katie pulled her laptop from a bag on the floor. Opening it, she prepared to send yet another email to Ian.

A message alert from Wells Fargo popped onto the screen. Katie opened it.

You have made an electronic transfer, the transaction receipt confirmed.

No, I didn’t, Katie thought. She brought up the Wells Fargo website and typed in the ID and password. Once the account’s home page opened, Katie went to the account summaries.

The firm’s account summary for Ian’s practice looked untouched since earlier. So did the clients’ funds account. She scrolled down to check the new account with the large deposit of money.

Account balance: $00.00

Katie stared for a moment. This wasn’t possible. There was over nine million dollars in there this afternoon. Katie glanced down to the list of transactions: only one, and it was just fifteen minutes ago. Someone had gone into the new account at 2:05 a.m. and made a withdrawal.

Katie shook her head. Now what did that mean?

She still had no clue where the new account and money had come from—and wouldn’t until she reached Ian. But now she had even more news to share.

Because in a single transaction, all the funds in the new account had been completely withdrawn.