Chapter 8: What Daniel Said Under Oath
Patricia had warned her that depositions were rarely dramatic.
"People expect courtroom moments," she'd said, the week before.
"Depositions are just questions and answers in a conference room.
But they matter more than almost anything else."
Elena had nodded.
She understood.
What she hadn't expected was Daniel.
He came in looking smaller than she remembered.
Julian's brother had always carried himself with a kind of borrowed confidence — the younger sibling of a successful man, comfortable in reflected light.
The man who sat down across the table from Patricia and the financial investigator looked like someone who had not slept in several days.
His lawyer, a young man in a gray suit, sat beside him and said very little.
Patricia opened the folder in front of her.
"Mr.
Reeves.
You served as registered agent for Meridian Consulting Group LLC.
Is that correct?"
"Yes," Daniel said.
"And you were aware that funds from a joint marital account held by Julian and Elena Reeves were transferred into that company's account?"
Daniel glanced at his lawyer.
His lawyer gave a small nod.
"I was aware that Julian was moving money," Daniel said.
"He told me it was for tax purposes.
That he was restructuring assets."
"Did he tell you whose assets?"
A pause.
"He said they were his."
"Did you ask whether Elena had consented to the transfers?"
Daniel looked at the table.
"No."
"Why not?"
Another pause.
Longer.
"Because I didn't want to know," Daniel said.
The room was quiet for a moment.
Patricia let it stay quiet.
"Mr.
Reeves," she said.
"In your own words — what did you think was happening?"
Daniel's lawyer leaned in and murmured something.
Daniel shook his head slightly.
"I thought he was hiding money from Elena," Daniel said.
"In case the marriage ended.
I thought he was protecting himself." He looked up.
His eyes found Elena across the table, and then moved away.
"I told myself it wasn't my business."
"But you signed the documents," Patricia said.
"Yes."
"You accepted the role of registered agent."
"Yes."
"You received a fee for that service."
Daniel's jaw tightened.
"Fifteen hundred dollars.
Once."
"Fifteen hundred dollars to help your brother conceal two hundred and thirty-five thousand dollars of marital assets," Patricia said.
Not a question.
A statement placed carefully on the table.
Daniel said nothing.
Elena watched him.
She had known this man for twelve years.
She had cooked for him, argued with him about football, sat beside him at his mother's funeral.
She had thought, in the uncomplicated way you think about family you didn't choose, that he was a decent person.
"Daniel," she said.
Patricia glanced at her.
Elena had been told not to speak during the deposition.
She spoke anyway.
"Did Julian tell you about Chloe?"
Daniel looked at her.
For the first time, directly.
"Yes," he said.
"Did he tell you about the condo?"
A long pause.
"He mentioned he was helping someone with a property."
"With my money."
Daniel closed his eyes.
"Elena—"
"I'm not asking you to apologize," she said.
"I'm asking you to tell the truth.
All of it.
Today."
His lawyer started to object.
Daniel raised one hand.
"It's fine," Daniel said quietly.
May you like
He looked at Patricia.
"What do you need to know?"
