Chapter 11 — The Second Ledger

“A second set of papers?” My mouth had gone dry.

Anouk brought up photographs on her phone, her hands trembling.

“I took these before I put everything back exactly as it was.” She had photographed a ledger of transfers — funds moved out of my primary accounts, over six months, into an offshore entity in the Cayman Islands.

More than two million dollars, already gone.

“But sir,” she said, “look at the last document.” It was a power of attorney, drafted by an out-of-state lawyer, granting Dulce complete control over my medical decisions and my estate in the event of my “cognitive decline.” Clipped to it was a competency evaluation — already filled in, in my name, alleging advanced dementia.