Chapter 5 - My accountant had seen the charges
My accountant was Sonia Patel.
She had prepared my tax returns for twelve years.
The next morning I showed her the bank statements.
She frowned.
“I’ve seen this merchant.”
“You have?”
“I assumed it was your assisted household arrangement.”
“My what?”
She pulled prior-year expense summaries.
For three years, my monthly spending had increased.
Sonia once asked me:
“Are these Melissa Grant charges room and board?”
I had answered:
“Probably household expenses.”
Why had I been so careless?
Because each individual charge looked like family life.
$1,450.
$1,900.
$2,300.
Then gradually:
$3,100.
$4,200.
$5,850.
Not every month identical.
Not one obvious $100,000 theft.
A slow climb.
Sonia said:
“I should have pressed harder.”
“No. I should have looked.”
Then we totaled them.
First year:
$22,600.
Second:
$39,850.
Most recent twelve months:
$63,300.
Three-year gross:
$125,750.
My agreed contribution at $1,250 per month over thirty-six months would have been:
$45,000.
Even at the $1,500 authorization cap:
$54,000.
Difference from $1,500 cap:
Over $71,000.
May you like
I stared at the total.
I had paid more than twice what I remembered agreeing to.
