Chapter 3 A spider's web
Inside the room, Lilac had pulled a document from her suitcase and opened it. As she read through it, her eyes turned colder than the ice that tripped the Titanic into the sea.
If Lilac wanted to describe her sister, June, it would be as a spider. There was something about the way she stayed absolutely unchanging in her corner of the room, nesting on her own web. No matter how many times you clean the house, she would be back the next night to re-spin her web, nest and wait. If she was ever grateful for one thing when it came to June, it was her consistency. Even when situations changed and new plans were better made, she would return to her corner of the room, back to spin her webs and nest, regardless. She only moved the way she knew and could not see past all she knew. She was the weak link in their ploy.
Lilac looked down at the document in her hand. When her sister had handed it to her to keep, she had not looked through it to know what kind of document it was. If she had only opened it then, maybe she would not have been stupid all the way to her very end. She opened the brown envelope to a stack of bank statements. All these were made in her name. This was actually her bank account. She had been convinced by her sister to open a joint account with her husband, but Eric was never interested in doing anything with her. So as not to be embarrassed before her family that she could not even convince her husband of something so simple, she had her bank add Eric as a signatory to one of her bank accounts. For the two years of her marriage, her family used this account as a mid-transfer point. Money came in from nowhere, and she was asked to send it to some unknown account. She looked at the account manager’s information all ready and placed it in the same file, almost as though someone was afraid that the investigators would be stupid, and scoffed.
She took out her phone and called the account manager. She might as well clear the account. Even though there would still be evidence of the transactions done in the past, she did not want the money to be found.
“Mr. Hanson,” she called.
“Miss Hart.” Mr. Hanson answered.
“I would like to move all the money from my account to another. Could you start the process? I will send you the details,” she ordered.
“Madam, are you sure you are allowed to transfer this money?” he asked and Lilac immediately heard warning bells go off in her head.
“What do you mean?” she asked, trying hard to keep her voice as innocent as possible.
“I am just asking if you have all the permission,” he said, and she paused.
“What kind of permission?” she asked.
“Does your family know you are moving this much money?” he asked, and a cold smile emerged on her lips. She had always wondered how most transactions just went through without much clearance. So, they had bought the accountant. She almost felt like laughing. What a good family she had. They actually set her up to take the fall.
“But I have to, my husband would be checking my assets in a bit,” she said hurriedly.
“Why would your husband be checking your assets?” he asked.
“What does it have to do with you? Don’t worry, I will call the bank manager instead,” she said, and ended the call.
Lilac knew it was only a matter of time before the news reached her sister. Lilac almost laughed out loud at the situation. It seemed moving the money was not possible. Then, she would create suspicion. She took out her phone and called a good friend, Cathy.
“Lilac, how is it? Enjoying the cruise already?” Cathy asked.
“Cathy, what do I do? You know about finance stuff, right?” Lilac asked.
“Why? Did something happen?” Cathy asked.
“My husband found papers about the account. I called to tell them to take out the money, but the account manager wouldn’t,” Lilac rattled.
“Calm down, what money? What account?” Cathy asked.
“The one with my husband.”
“The joint account? Do you want me to take a look?” she asked.
“What joint account? It is my account alone. What if he finds out I took the document? You know people at First City Bank, right? Could you help me?” Lilac asked.
“I thought you had a joint account with your husband, so I assumed it was that one. Which account is this?” Cathy asked.
“That one. It wasn’t a joint account. I took his ID and others to add him as a signatory to the account. If he finds out about it, he will know I took his ID. I will get in trouble. I need to move the money and remove his name, please,” she begged.
“He doesn’t have a joint account with you? That is…interesting. Why did you add his name?” she asked.
“My sister said I should. I could not convince him to get one, so… anyway, I just need to move it,”
“Call your account manager and have it moved, Is it a lot of money?”
“I don’t know, it should be sister’s money,”
“Why is your sister keeping her money in your account?” Cathy asked.
“How is that important? Can you help me or not? I just want to empty it and change...no. Close it. Can I just close it?” she asked.
“Where will you put the money?” Cathy asked.
“In my personal account,” Lilac said.
“What do you even do with a fake joint account?” Cathy sighed, “Lilac, why is your life so dramatic?”
“It was just for show. My family just passes money through it or something. It is not an important account. They can pass it through my personal one. Just ask for me. I can stall him till tomorrow since we are all busy right now, but I want that account gone by tomorrow. Please, Cathy.”
“Alright. I can’t promise anything, but I will speak to a few managers,” Cathy said, and Lilac ended the call. The panic on her face disappeared the moment she put the phone down. What a friend indeed. With such friends, who needs enemies? Cathy always wanted to know a lot of things. She would always beat around the bush for information about the Black family. Since she was so curious, Lilac would feed her till she was full.
She took the file in hand and walked out of the room. Not long after, her phone started ringing. She did not need to look at the caller ID to know who it was. She let it ring for a while, only putting it on vibrate. She walked all the way to a small living room where a fireplace had been lit. From her memory, she recalled that her husband was in the other room. She knew that the small drinking room was connected to this living room and people inside could hear what was said from where she stood. Only then did she pick the call that kept coming in continuously, and placed it on loudspeaker, not forgetting to record the conversation too. She put the phone down on the table before walking over to the fireplace,
“What is it?” she asked impatiently.
“What is with your tone?” June scolded, “Why did you not pick my call?”
“Can’t you tell that I am busy? Talk quickly, or I am leaving,” Lilac answered with the same intensity.
“Why did I hear that you are moving money from your joint account?” June asked.
“Is it your joint account? Why are you so interested?” Lilac asked.
“Have you forgotten that the money in there is not yours?” June asked.
“I don’t care, I am closing that account. Anyone who has the money should tell me their account, so I can send the money over,” Lilac said defiantly.
“That is…” June started to say, but paused. Lilac knew she would not admit to herself and her parents owning the money. That is not what she wanted to catch, anyway.”
“Do you really want to transfer the money out? Transferring that amount of money at once would take a while.”
“What do you mean? I can always ask Cathy to help me push it. Just tell me the account number, I will send the money over. I have a pen with me, start talking!” Lilac said irritably.
“Cathy would help you push it?…” June asked, and Lilac glanced at the phone. Her hand sorting the documents she wished to burn, freezing in place.
“Yes, she said she would look into moving it for me,” she answered.
In the other room, Eric and his brother Damien were listening to their conversation. Eric picked up the remote control beside him and put on the TV in the room. The scene in the living room became clear to both of them. Damien sent his brother a dirty look for spying, but Eric, just like Damien, was both interested in this conversation. They noticed as the conversation paused, and a silence washed by. They watched Lilac stare at the phone expectantly till her sister answered from the other end.
“I will send you an account to send it to,” June answered, and a cold smile slowly spread across Lilac’s face as she walked over and ended the call.
When Eric saw that smile from the monitor, a frown edged his face.
Not long after, her sister’s message came in. She smiled as she forwarded the message to Cathy.
“Lilac, what is with the message?” Cathy asked the moment she answered the call, “An account number?” Cathy asked.
“I don’t know, I am in a hurry. I have forwarded the account June sent me. I want to send this to my account manager, but he had refused to transfer the money last time I asked. He said I should ask June first. Please, check on it for me. Make sure he transfers it,” Lilac pleaded.
“I thought that was your account? Why do you need June’s permission?” Cathy asked.
“You think it is odd, right? I am definitely making a report after this,” Lilac answered.
“Alright, I will look into it for you,” Cathy assured, and before Lilac could end the call, Eric entered the room.
“What is going on?” Eric could no longer help himself and emerged from the inner room to ask her. She spun around sharply, making sure to spill the files on the floor.
When it came to a crime, or at least the judging of a crime, one needed a guilty party as much as they needed an innocent one. Lilac did not think she was the brightest tool in the shed, but there was one thing she knew for sure; The Black family was full of dangerous people. When they dealt with enemies, they were swift and direct. Her husband, Eric Black, was infamous for his ruthless means. There was even a saying, It was easier for one to enter the mouth of the Black tiger than it was for them to leave. Eric was the Black tiger. No matter what happened, whomever the guilty party ended up being, she must be the innocent one.