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“Carter Energy.”
“Directly from the company?”
“Directly,” Daniel confirmed.
“When did we buy this pipeline? I’d love to know when I’ve had time to set up an LLC.” I didn’t bother to hide the sarcasm.
“Two months ago. Although the money began funneling into the offshore accounts seven months ago.”
“I don’t understand why a Muldoon family member would do this.” Easton plowed a hand through his hair. “Henry Muldoon Statesman IV has to be dead by now. I wouldn’t begin to know who his descendants are.”
“I’ll check into them, though it is possible they’re not involved except in name only. I haven’t been able to nail down who set up the accounts or the LLC, but I have confirmed the two of you own it outright.” Daniel shoved his hands in his pockets.
This is unbelievable.
I held my hand up. “Somebody funneled close to a billion dollars out of Carter Energy and bought a pipeline in our names? Who the hell would do that?”
Easton and I pointed at each other. There was only one person that made sense. “Dad,” he whispered.
“But why? And what about Drew? He wouldn’t leave him out of this,” I said, though I was grateful he had.
“My contacts will continue to work on this, but it may take time.”
“We have to go to the authorities,” Easton said.
“But your father could go to prison,” I protested.
“Or you could keep it. If there is no paper trail then no one would know you didn’t execute the transactions. Who’s going to argue?” Daniel started toward the house, leaving Easton and me standing in shock.
He picked up a rock and hurled it into the pasture beside Ragnor’s. “I don’t get it. If my parents are out of money, why the hell would Dad buy a pipeline in our name?”
“The only thing I can come up with is to cover up something else.”
“Like how they went bankrupt in the first place?”
I touched Easton’s arm. “Daniel’s right. We shouldn’t do anything yet. Maybe we can unload this thing on one of the big Fortune 500 companies.”
“I have to confront my father.” He dropped his chin to his chest.
“Let’s see what else Daniel digs up first. It may not be of his doing.”
“I don’t know if I can. They’re family. I can’t believe he’d do this behind my back.”
“You’d think he’d have given part of it to Drew, especially since he wanted it so badly.” I bristled as I mentioned his brother. He’d argued with the three of us for weeks about the pipeline project until he finally realized he wasn’t going to win.
Easton yanked on his hair. “I thought I was saving the company moving that money.”
“You had no idea anything was happening other than your dad mentioning we might be in trouble. It was impossible for you to know this was going on.”
Slowly, he lifted his head. “I hid forty million dollars.”
Chapter Forty-Three
Easton
“You what?”
Mulaney’s voice echoed in the night sky so loudly I was certain the people four counties over heard it. Her horse raced over. The gate clanged when he ran into it. I wanted to do the same.
