A Woman of Fortune by Kellie Coates Gilbert

Author:Kellie Coates Gilbert [Gilbert, Kellie Coates]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC042000, FIC044000, Criminals—Family relationships—Fiction, Swindlers and swindling—Fiction, Fraud investigation—Fiction, Texas—Fiction
ISBN: 9781441245007
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2014-04-15T04:00:00+00:00

27

Claire pushed through heavy glass doors into the sunlight with a myriad of questions swirling. Before she could ponder a single one of them, her cell phone rang. She pulled it from her bag and held the phone to her ear.

She slipped her sunglasses in place and listened as Ranger questioned her about her testimony. “Jordan is asking about hedging and stop-loss orders,” she said. “And about feeding cattle that didn’t exist.”

“Well, we should know very soon what all this is about,” he said. “But I’m not going to sugarcoat the situation. This line of questioning does not bode well. The US Attorney is onto something.”

Tell me what I don’t know, Claire thought. She may not have understood how to protect losses in the commodities market with hedging and such, but any dummy could assume the feds had discovered more wrongdoing.

It appeared her husband had thrown his entire family under the bus. Perhaps even their son. And for what?

Like a simple fool, she had initially stepped right into the role of “stand by your man.” What had she been thinking, for goodness’ sake?

She hadn’t been thinking—that’s what. While she struggled to keep a stiff upper lip, hoping for the best given a horrible situation, Tuck sat on yet more secrets. More deceit.

Anger roiled up inside and the emotion became too much. Claire wanted to hit something—smash it to pieces.

Why, Tuck?

Tuck had bilked innocent investors of millions, their church even. Ripped her mother of her security and taken her best friend’s retirement account. Now he may have put Garrett in jeopardy.

Ranger cleared his throat. “The terms of the plea agreement were clear. In exchange for a lighter sentence, Tuck was to cooperate completely. All indications are Tuck failed to disclose all the elements of his crime.”

Claire felt familiar dread return. “So what happens now?”

“Well, you won’t be involved in what happens going forward unless they try to include you and allege you were complicit. We’d fight that, of course.”

“The prosecutors don’t think I was involved?” Claire’s hand instinctively went to her chest. “I—I had nothing to do with any of this.” She didn’t know which made her feel more sick—the thought she’d face criminal charges of some sort, or the fact her own husband had placed her in this precarious situation.

“You have little to worry about,” Ranger assured her. “If necessary, we’ll hire a handwriting expert who’ll prove you did not sign those documents.”

Feeling dazed, Claire headed for the parking garage.

At least Ranger was on her side.

The truth? She was as surprised as anyone at what Tuck had done. She certainly wasn’t a part of any scheme that involved hedging and stop-loss agreements. And she felt sure Ranger would prove that, if it became necessary.

After some thought, she was almost certain Garrett knew nothing of all this either. Claire’s gut told her Tuck had also forged their son’s signature, an act that took Tuck’s desperation to a brand-new low.

She opened her bag and fished out her parking stub. She could take the elevator to the third floor, but after sitting all day, she headed for the stairs.

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