Chapter 5 - Victoria’s Ledger
Victoria turned before Julian did.
Not morally.
Strategically.
Her lawyer contacted federal prosecutors and local investigators four days after the hospital incident.
Why federal?
Company payments crossed state lines, electronic invoices, possible bank fraud involving the credit facility, and the false death record had interacted with interstate systems.
No charges yet.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office opened a review alongside state authorities.
Victoria wanted cooperation.
Sarah told me:
“Do not mistake that for innocence.”
I didn’t.
Victoria Hale was twenty seven.
Julian hired her three years earlier.
Attractive.
Efficient.
Ambitious.
She started as executive assistant.
Within a year, Julian approved Vale Strategic Partners, a company she formed separately.
Conflict disclosures?
None.
She invoiced Vance Development while also receiving salary.
That alone was enough for termination.
But the ledger on her personal laptop was worse.
Federal investigators obtained through warrant after evidence from company audit.
A spreadsheet titled:
J PLAN.
Columns:
Vance vendor payments.
Eleanor.
Legal.
Residence.
“GV event.”
I was GV.
Genevieve Vance.
Under “GV event”:
Delivery week.
Capacity.
Death.
Documents.
Hospital.
Sarah.
That last one made Sarah curse.
Victoria had tracked my attorney.
Then text between her and Julian two months before Hazel’s birth.
VICTORIA:
If she dies in delivery, does everything go to you?
JULIAN:
Not under current trust.
VICTORIA:
Then fix current trust.
JULIAN:
Working on it.
Another:
VICTORIA:
What if she doesn’t die?
JULIAN:
Then incapacity.
They were not saying they would kill me.
Important.
They were planning to exploit possible childbirth death or incapacity.
Statistically rare.
But I had a high risk pregnancy because placenta previa earlier? Could add. I had been monitored for placenta accreta concern? Maybe. Let's be careful. There had been concern about possible hemorrhage earlier in pregnancy, later improved. Julian knew doctors warned C-section could be needed. That gave death scenario context.
He did not cause medical emergency.
No evidence.
That mattered.
But preparing false documents for both paths was conspiracy.
Then Victoria’s cooperation proffer.
She said Julian began affair eighteen months earlier.
He complained:
“I built Vance and own nothing.”
False.
He joined after I rebuilt foundation, but he had contributed operational growth.
He felt entitled.
Victoria encouraged.
She wanted future.
Then company money.
Julian created Vale Strategic to pay her outside salary without my knowing.
Some real consulting used to camouflage.
She wrote zoning summaries.
Attended meetings.
But invoice amounts inflated.
Approximately $1.46 million paid.
Forensic audit later estimated fair value of legitimate services around $310,000.
Potential improper excess:
$1.15 million.
Money went:
Victoria $690,000.
Julian indirectly $280,000 through joint expenses and transfers.
Eleanor around $180,000 via related arrangements.
Remaining taxes/business costs.
Then trust amendment.
Who drafted?
Julian downloaded one of my legitimate 2021 trust amendments from company emergency records.
Victoria edited.
Changed beneficiary.
Successor trustee.
Witnesses.
They pasted my signature from a PDF.
Eleanor signed witness knowingly.
Notary?
A man named Peter Calloway.
Julian’s golf friend and notary.
Did he know signature fake?
Victoria said Julian told him I had signed electronically and needed notarization.
Calloway notarized without witnessing.
Illegal and negligent.
He later cooperated and lost commission, pled to false notarization misdemeanor? We'll close.
Then death record.
Victoria said:
“Julian told me to start it.”
“How?”
Her uncle did not own funeral home. Wait Mercer & Vale, Eleanor's brother Raymond. Victoria used credentials? She knew password because Julian got from Uncle Raymond? Need explain.
Raymond Mercer owned funeral home.
Julian had asked him weeks earlier:
“If Genevieve dies during delivery, what information do I need?”
Raymond explained process and gave Julian a blank worksheet, not credentials.
But electronic access required funeral home login.
How did Julian get?
Raymond kept credentials saved on a laptop at Eleanor’s house? That’s contrived. Better Julian convinced Raymond to initiate a “pre-need” profile? Funeral homes sometimes pre-arrangement, but not death record. Could perhaps ask an employee to “pre-stage” information. Hmm.
Let's make Raymond himself initiated record because Julian falsely told him Genevieve had died during emergency transport. He thought he was helping. At 4:13, Julian called Raymond saying “She’s crashing, they don’t expect her to make it, start paperwork so Hazel doesn’t get caught in probate.” Raymond foolishly opened EDRS record before physician pronouncement, which violates procedure, and entered details Julian supplied. He did not know she was alive/stable. Why 3 hours before birth? She was in labor, not yet dead; Julian lied that doctors expected maternal death? Raymond should know cannot initiate without death. He could start a draft, maybe system allowed incomplete draft. Fine. He later admits he should not.
But IP came from Vance HQ, not funeral home. Maybe Victoria remotely accessed Raymond's funeral home portal because Julian had gotten temporary login from Raymond to “preload family information” earlier. Again.
Alternative: Victoria formerly worked at funeral home? No.
Let's simplify: the “death record initiation” was not official EDRS but a funeral home’s secure pre-registration system that automatically synced to state upon certification. Julian and Victoria used Raymond’s saved credential after he had logged in from Julian’s laptop weeks earlier. Raymond didn't know. Investigators prove. Better.
Raymond had once used Julian’s laptop to help complete funeral preplanning for Eleanor’s sister, saved password inadvertently in browser. Julian used it. Victoria knew where.
At 4:13, Victoria logged in from Vance HQ and created draft under Raymond’s account.
That matches IP. Raymond later cleared of conspiracy but cited for cybersecurity? No.
Victoria admitted she typed.
“Why?”
“Julian said if Genevieve died, every hour mattered.”
“Did you believe she was dead?”
“No.”
There.
“Did you believe she might die?”
“Yes.”
“Did you want?”
Victoria cried.
“No.”
I believed maybe.
She wanted my life.
Not necessarily my death.
Still.
Then one more thing.
Victoria said Julian had asked a private psychiatrist to prepare an “emergency incapacity consultation” based solely on his description if I survived with neurological deficits.
The psychiatrist refused without evaluating me.
So Julian pivoted to hospital.
He planned the papers.
He expected to create enough confusion to gain temporary control.
Then Victoria said:
“He told me once temporary control was enough.”
“Enough for what?”
“To move the company before Sarah could stop him.”
Move what?
Not the whole company.
Money.
He had already prepared a $9.8 million “acquisition deposit” to a newly formed entity.
Mercer Capital Holdings.
Julian owned 80 percent.
Victoria 20.
The wire had not happened.
It was scheduled for the day after Hazel’s birth, contingent on Julian obtaining acting authority.
That was the real target.
Not forty million shares immediately.
May you like
Nine point eight million dollars.
Then control later.
