The investigation moved slower than Dad expected but faster than he wanted. Bank records confirmed that Grandpa had authorized a gift to me, while the destination account belonged to Prescott Automotive. Because the transfer had been recent, part of the money was still traceable when the bank and attorneys stepped in. Dad kept insisting he had only “borrowed” it temporarily to save the company, but Grandpa had never authorized that change.
Within days, the family story began collapsing. Mom admitted she knew the business was close to failing and had agreed to keep quiet because Dad promised the money would eventually be replaced. Caleb had known something was wrong too, though not the full amount. Suddenly, everyone who had called Grandpa confused at Thanksgiving was admitting he had understood perfectly.
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