Others listed purchases of expensive watches, vacations, and property deposits.
I found an entry from the previous summer.
$32,000 — Coastal Residence — Initial Deposit.
I stared at Celeste.
“You bought a house together?”
She didn’t answer.
“While I was selling jewelry to pay his medical bills?”
Tears appeared in her eyes.
“I didn’t know where all the money came from.”
I pushed the ledger toward her.
“Then you didn’t ask.”
She nodded.
“No.”
It was the first honest answer she’d given me.
Celeste explained that Mark had used legitimate medical transport operations to support a network of fraudulent billing arrangements.
Some services were real.
Others were exaggerated.
Still others never existed.
Harbor Light’s charitable structure helped him approach families who might otherwise refuse private financial arrangements.
And my name gave the scheme an appearance of integrity.
“Why tell us now?”
Miriam asked.
Celeste’s expression changed.
“Because he plans to blame everything on me.”
