Chapter 11 - PATRICIA SLOAN
Patricia called Olivia before we called her.
That told me Evelyn had warned her.
She sounded offended.
“I provided legitimate consulting services.”
Olivia put the call on speaker with Mark and counsel present.
“What services?”
“Wedding planning support.”
“I had a planner.”
“I handled private family logistics.”
“What did thirty-two thousand dollars buy?”
Silence.
Then Patricia said, “That is confidential.”
Olivia laughed once.
“It was my wedding.”
Patricia ended the call.
Not proof.
But not helpful.
Marcus investigated only public records and company documents available to us.
Patricia owned three businesses.
Sloan Floral Atelier.
Westbridge Consulting.
And PS Property Management.
All had received money from Bennett-connected entities.
Total payments over two years exceeded $240,000.
Some services were real.
Flowers existed.
Properties were managed.
That prevented us from labeling everything fraudulent.
But several invoices lacked supporting work.
Then a property-management payment caught Marcus’s attention.
PS Property Management received sixty-five thousand dollars for renovations at a residence.
The address was listed.
I knew it.
Evelyn’s house.
Bennett Development had indirectly paid to renovate Evelyn’s private residence through a vendor owned by her friend.
David stared at the invoice.
“That renovation happened.”
“When?”
“Last year.”
“Who paid?”
“Mom told me she did.”
Maybe technically she did.
With company money moved through Patricia.
Then came another link.
Westbridge had transferred money to a title company.
The title company handled the purchase of a condominium in Florida.
Public property records listed the buyer.
Patricia Sloan.
That did not mean Evelyn owned it.
But the down payment closely matched a Westbridge transfer funded by Bennett Special Projects.
Marcus stopped us there.
“We need bank records or transactional evidence before saying Bennett money purchased Patricia’s condo.”
Good.
Again.
No jumping.
Then Mark remembered something.
“Evelyn stayed in Patricia’s Florida condo last winter.”
Olivia looked at him.
“She told me it was a rental.”
“Patricia called it ‘their place.’”
Their.
One word.
Not proof.
A clue.
The possibility shifted.
Maybe Patricia was not merely helping Evelyn.
Maybe they were jointly benefiting.
Then Hannah received records from the lake-house lender.
The loan application contained an appraisal order.
Requested by Westbridge Consulting.
Not Bennett Development.
Not me.
Not David.
Westbridge.
Patricia’s company had helped arrange financing against my property.
That was direct involvement.
When confronted through counsel, Patricia’s attorney responded that Westbridge performed “document coordination” at Evelyn’s request and believed all signatures were authorized.
That defense created a bigger question.
Authorized by whom?
My supposed authorization came through the fake email controlled by Evelyn’s phone.
If Patricia truly believed the signatures were mine, she may have been deceived.
If she knew otherwise, the evidence needed to show it.
Then one email surfaced in the lender file.
From Patricia to Evelyn:
Claire hasn’t replied from her real address. Are you sure we should keep using the family account?
Evelyn replied:
Yes. She approved everything verbally. Do not contact her directly.
My throat tightened.
Patricia had noticed the discrepancy.
May you like
Evelyn explicitly told her not to verify with me.
📖 Patricia’s email showed she questioned the fake contact address, while Evelyn deliberately blocked direct verification with me before the lake-house loan closed. 👇
