Karen Marsh arrived at Marcus's office twelve days later with Robert Hale at her side and a leather briefcase on her lap and the expression of a woman who had never once in her life been asked to account for herself.

She was sixty-one.

Silver hair, cut short.

A silk blouse the colour of slate.

She sat down across from Marcus and Daniel and looked at them both with something that was almost amusement.

"I understand there's been some confusion about a savings account," she said.

Marcus opened his folder.

"Mrs.

Marsh, I have the full transaction history for the account opened in the name of Lily Calloway on the fourteenth of March, two years ago.

I have forty-one withdrawals over twenty-two months totalling nineteen thousand, four hundred and sixty pounds.

I have your signature on the account opening documents.

And I have a sworn statement from your daughter."

Karen's expression did not change.

But Hale's hand moved slightly on the table.

"Diane is confused," Karen said.

"She's been under a great deal of stress."

"She was present when the statement was given," Marcus said.

"She was not confused."

"She's protecting him." Karen nodded toward Daniel without looking at him.

"She always has.

She blames herself for the divorce and she thinks cooperating with him will fix something.

It won't."

"Mrs.

Marsh —"

"That money was being managed responsibly.

I have records of every investment decision.

The funds were not lost.

They were moved."

"Into what?" Marcus said.

A pause.

"Property," Karen said.

"Which property?"

Another pause.

Slightly longer.

"A development project.

Still in progress."

"The name of the project?"

Hale leaned forward.

"My client isn't required to —"

"Marsh Property Holdings," Daniel said.

The room went quiet.

Karen looked at him for the first time.

"You took nineteen thousand pounds of my daughter's child support money," he said, "and invested it in your own company.

Without my knowledge.

Without a court order.

Without telling Lily's mother where it actually went."

"It was an investment —"

"It was theft." He kept his voice level.

"You used a seven-year-old child's name to open an account, funnelled her support payments into it, and moved the money into your own business.

My daughter wore shoes with a split sole for months while you told her mother the timing wasn't right."

Karen's chin lifted.

"You have no idea what I've done for that family.

The sacrifices —"

"The transaction records are already with the police financial crimes unit," Marcus said.

"This meeting is a courtesy.

We wanted to give you the opportunity to cooperate before the formal process begins."

Hale put his hand on Karen's arm.

She shook it off.

"You'll get your money," she said.

The amusement was gone now.

What was underneath it was harder and colder and much more familiar.

"Every penny.

I'll transfer it this week.

And then I want this finished."

"That's not how this works," Marcus said quietly.

"The money is one part of it.

The account was opened fraudulently using a minor's identity.

That is a separate matter and it is not in my client's hands to resolve."

Karen stood up.

"I built everything in this family," she said.

"Everything Diane has.

Everything that child has.

And this is the thanks —"

"Sit down, Mrs.

Marsh," Hale said.

She didn't sit down.

She picked up her briefcase, looked at Daniel one last time, and said something he would remember for a long time.

"You think you've won something.

You haven't.

You've just made an enemy."

He looked back at her steadily.

"I already had one," he said.

"I just didn't know it."

She walked out.

Hale stayed behind for three minutes, spoke quietly to Marcus, and then followed her.

The door closed.

Marcus exhaled slowly.

"Well," he said.

"That went about as expected."