Chapter 7 - Erica Shaw
Erica was thirty-one.
She had dated Derek for almost two years.
They broke up five years earlier.
No engagement.
No police report.
No lawsuit.
At first, I doubted usefulness.
Then Rachel said:
“We are not collecting women like trophies. We listen, preserve, and let prosecutors decide relevance.”
Good.
Erica met with investigator, not me first.
Later, after permission, we spoke.
She said:
“Derek was funny.”
Of course.
“Generous.”
Yes.
“Then he started treating leaving arguments like betrayal.”
Same.
First:
Standing in doorway.
Then taking keys.
Then phone.
Once:
He pushed her onto sofa when she tried to walk out.
No injury.
Another:
Grabbed upper arms.
Bruises.
She photographed.
Never reported.
Why?
“Patricia told me Derek had anxiety and I was escalating.”
There.
Patricia.
Erica had called her once.
Patricia said:
“He gets intense when women threaten abandonment.”
Then:
“If you stop provoking the exit, he won’t need to stop you.”
Exactly.
Erica eventually left while Derek traveled.
Changed locks.
Patricia sent:
You were never strong enough for him.
She kept.
Was that admissible to my criminal case?
Maybe limited pattern, depending rules.
Prosecutor would not assume.
But it showed Patricia’s knowledge of Derek’s behavior before me.
Then did Derek financially exploit Erica?
No.
Important.
This was not lifelong con artist.
With me, high-value assets created new motive.
Then Erica asked:
“Did he ever say ‘Good girl’ after you stopped fighting?”
I went cold.
“Yes.”
She closed eyes.
Same phrase.
Then:
“Do you think he loved you?”
She looked.
“Yes.”
I hated answer.
Then:
“That’s why I stayed too long.”
Again.
Then Patricia learned Erica spoke.
She allegedly called her.
No contact? Patricia not under order with Erica.
Voicemail:
“Do not involve yourself in Claire’s scheme.”
Erica saved.
Then:
“You know what Derek was like. Don’t rewrite history because there’s money.”
Witness pressure.
Not explicit threat.
Still.
Prosecutors warned Patricia through counsel not to contact potential witnesses.
She stopped.
Then wedding criminal case.
Derek’s counsel wanted plea now because public video bad.
Offer:
Plead guilty to misdemeanor domestic battery.
Probation.
Counseling.
No admission of financial charges.
Prosecutor rejected global because financial case still.
Could separate:
Wedding charge maybe misdemeanor/felony based injury. We can have aggravated domestic assault? Cake push causing laceration. Let's say felony domestic assault due neck restraint? Depending jurisdiction. Better not specify statutory labels too rigid. He pleaded later to felony assault causing bodily injury plus related coercion. Fine.
At this point, trial scheduled.
Then I returned to work part-time.
Crestline.
Colleagues stared.
I hated.
Board chair Nora Whitman met.
“Your shares are safe.”
“I know.”
“We have no evidence of data breach.”
“I know.”
“Then what do you need?”
“To not be treated like scandal.”
“Done.”
She asked if I wanted leave.
No.
Work.
Then an internal governance review found something Derek had tried months earlier.
He had emailed corporate secretary from personal address:
“After marriage, what paperwork is required if Claire wants spouse to vote by proxy during maternity leave or travel?”
No baby. Hypothetical.
Secretary replied:
“Any proxy subject board/shareholder agreement. Spouse status irrelevant.”
Derek knew.
Then:
“Would temporary proxy allow pledge?”
“No.”
So suitcase proxy was insufficient for collateral.
He had been told.
Why still plan?
Because he thought once I signed multiple docs, Eastpoint could use economic rights maybe with board approval later.
Or he planned to pressure board by claiming marital consent.
The scheme was less sophisticated than arrogant.
Common.
Then Rachel found a text from Derek to Patricia:
Board can say no all they want. Once Claire is committed personally, they’ll have to deal with it.
Patricia:
Exactly. Get signature first. Facts second.
There.
Then I understood.
They were not financial masterminds.
They believed signed paper creates momentum.
Once my personal guarantee existed, pressure would shift:
If board refused pledge, I would be personally liable on debt.
I would then be motivated to make collateral happen.
Trap through obligation.
Then Eastpoint counsel confirmed:
Even without stock pledge, personal guarantee could expose other personal assets if loan funded.
But final guarantee required notarized signature.
Not obtained.
No loss.
Derek needed honeymoon.
The cake assault ruined timing.
Then Lena said:
“He couldn’t even wait eleven hours.”
No.
He had built a plan that required control.
Then lost control before it began.
Then came the first major surprise from Derek himself.
Through counsel, he offered full confession to financial misconduct.
But only if prosecutors agreed Patricia would not be charged.
He was trying to protect his mother.
Or use her.
May you like
We didn’t know.
The proffer changed both cases.
