Page 78 of Justice Denied

Leslie’s shock echoed in her voice as he sketched out the details, then found the detective’s info to pass along to her.

“Thanks. I’ll give him a call and see how this might be connected with the embezzlement case.”

“You’re officially reopening it?” He hoped so, for Jetta and Emily’s sake. No one had been officially interested in the truth in a very long time.

“It’s unofficially official. We’re in the gathering data stage right now. Is there anything else I need to know?”

“This isn’t for public knowledge, but Emily Ainsley was kidnapped.” As Leslie gasped, he hastened to add, “She’s okay, and I don’t know where the investigation stands, but she did identify Gene Topher as the masked man who visited her where she was being held.” He didn’t share the topic of their conversation, since it wasn’t something FinCEN would have jurisdiction over. However, he did feel Leslie needed to know one piece of pertinent info. “I can’t comment on the gist of their conversation, but Emily was warned to back off the embezzlement investigation.”

“I’m glad she’s all right. This is getting weirder and weirder.”

“I agree.” He could hardly wrap his mind around the news someone other than Jetta’s father had been involved the embezzlement, or at least part of the stolen money. Like Leslie said, this was only the tip of the iceberg. Who knew what FinCEN’s investigation would uncover? “Will you let me know when it is official?”

“Sure. In the meantime, be careful. It sounds like someone isn’t too happy with how you’re stirring the pot.”

He thanked her for the call and disconnected, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. He would compose a text to Jetta recapping the conversation, then check in at work. With any luck, he would have a light afternoon and could squeeze in a visit to Mr. Warner, who had a lot of explaining to do.

ChapterTwenty-Eight

Jetta stepped back into her mother’s room to say goodbye. She’d given her mother privacy to get checked over by the resident doctor after her brief hospital stay. The entire staff, from the front desk to the nursing staff to the cleaners to the security officers, had gone above and beyond to make Mom feel welcome. As they should, since Mom had been snatched right from under their noses.

She rubbed the small of her back as another spasm of Braxton Hicks contractions shuddered through her body. She needed to sit with her feet up, but that would have to wait until she’d walked Bingley and checked her email for a contract from Become Clutter Free, a company specializing in downsizing family homes, to help with Mom’s house. At least that was one decision she could make without tying herself into knots.

“Jetta, you look about done in.” Her mother smiled at the aide who’d helped her into bed. “I know I am.”

Jetta sank into the chair as the aide left. “I’m always tired.”

“I remember feeling that way too.” Mom studied her, the compassion in her eyes soothing Jetta’s fraying nerves. “I also recall how out of sorts I could be. Your poor father never knew what might set me off. Some days, he could do nothing right in my eyes.”

“Hmm.” No way was Jetta answering that. Her mother didn’t need any more ammunition in her quest to bring her and Seth together.

“I forgot to ask Seth at the hospital, so maybe you know the answer.”

Jetta braced for yet another well-meaning push toward matrimony from her mother.

“Are you going to the shareholders emergency meeting tonight?”

The question made no sense to Jetta. “Shareholders meeting?”

“At Topher Robotics. Seven p.m.”

“Why would I attend that?” She didn’t want to point out the obvious—that only shareholders could attend, of which she wasn’t one.

“Because you’re a shareholder.” Mom’s serene expression was in stark contrast to Jetta’s open-mouthed reaction.

She snapped her jaw shut, and closed her eyes, counting to ten to avoid yelling as confusion muddied the waters of her brain. Maybe she was experiencing some alternative reality in which she owned stock in Topher Robotics, something her mother had never mentioned before. “What are you talking about?”

Her words came out snappier than she’d intended, but Jetta was too cross to care at the moment.

“I didn’t realize this until recently myself, but your father owned shares of Topher Robotics as part of his compensation package. A few months before he died, he transferred ownership of those shares to you.”

“I was ten years old. How is that even legal?”

“It is if you have a custodial account, which you did with me as the custodian until you turned eighteen.” Her mother sighed. “I think Dad knew he was going to be accused of embezzlement, and he wanted to protect us if they came after him for repayment. Moving the stock out of his name to yours did that.”

Jetta studied Mom. “Why didn’t you say anything earlier? I’ve been over the age of eighteen for seven years now.”

“I only found out when I was cleaning out some papers in the office before my accident. For too long, I couldn’t bring myself to go through Dad’s things. It took me years to give away his clothing.”

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