Chapter 6
The family doctor complicated the story.
Dr. Stephen Hale had cared for the DeSantis family for twenty-two years.
He was not Mabel’s pediatrician.
Constance called him anyway at 5:40 p.m. on the night of dinner.
“What did she ask?” Adrian said.
Dr. Hale answered through counsel.
“She said Mabel had a fever around 101.”
“Was that accurate?”
“At the time she called, apparently.”
“What advice did you give?”
“Children with fever can often be monitored depending on symptoms, but if the child becomes lethargic, has trouble breathing, cannot hydrate, has significant pain, or fever rises substantially, she should be medically evaluated.”
“Did you tell Constance nobody should leave dinner?”
“No.”
“Did you tell her 104 was safe?”
“Absolutely not.”
At 7:24, Juliet’s thermometer read 104.
Constance never called Hale again.
That mattered.
Her later claim that she was merely following medical advice collapsed.
Then investigators reviewed household communications.
Constance’s aide had sent a message at 6:33:
Mrs. D says if Juliet starts trying to leave early, notify her before security brings a car.
Fabio stared.
“She planned to control the exit.”
“Yes.”
Another message went to the chauffeur:
No vehicle release without Mrs. D tonight unless Mr. D personally counters.
Mr. D.
Fabio.
Meaning Constance expected that only Fabio could override her.
Adrian looked at him.
“She built the conflict into the instruction.”
Fabio felt cold.
If Juliet asked for a car, denied.
If Fabio intervened, confrontation.
Then came the estate-keys detail.
The keys Constance snatched were not Juliet’s personal keys.
They belonged to a family Range Rover assigned to the estate.
Constance had ordered Juliet’s own SUV moved to the lower garage for maintenance that afternoon.
Why?
A legitimate tire-pressure warning had appeared.
The vehicle did need service.
But instead of offering another car freely, Constance made herself gatekeeper.
Again:
Real circumstances.
Useful control.
The same pattern appeared everywhere.
She rarely fabricated the entire problem.
She inserted herself at the point where permission became necessary.
Then Rachel Sloan found the first transaction tying Veridian directly to Constance’s loan.
Two months after Anthony lent Constance $3 million, Constance approved a new Veridian “continuity retainer.”
Value:
$2.8 million over eighteen months.
No competitive bid.
Anthony’s company then extended her repayment deadline twice.
Fabio looked at Rachel.
“Kickback?”
“Not enough evidence yet.”
“Quid pro quo?”
“Not enough yet.”
“Conflict?”
“Yes.”
May you like
Finally a word without possibly.
The audit was getting closer.
