Chapter 7: The Money in Hailey's Account
For several seconds, Dad simply stared at the withdrawal document.
Then he looked at Hailey.
"Did you know about this?""
Hailey shook her head so quickly that her ponytail swung over her shoulder.
"No!""
Rebecca stepped between them.
"Don't question her. She's a child.""
"She's eighteen next month," Dad replied.
"And someone has transferred money into her account using a forged signature.""
Hailey began crying.
"I didn't ask for any money!""
I looked at her.
"Did you receive a bank notification?""
She hesitated.
Dad noticed.
"Hailey?""
She wiped her cheeks.
"Three days ago.""
My stomach tightened.
"What did it say?""
"That a deposit had been made.""
"How much?""
She looked at Rebecca.
"Twenty-five thousand dollars.""
Daniel closed his eyes.
Dad gripped the document.
"Twenty-five thousand?""
Hailey nodded.
"Mom told me it was money from Grandma.""
I stared at her.
"Your grandmother is still alive.""
Hailey looked confused.
Rebecca immediately interrupted.
"She meant her maternal grandmother.""
Daniel shook his head.
"Your mother inherited nothing from Sarah's family.""
Hailey's expression crumpled.
"Mom said it was a gift.""
Dad turned toward Rebecca.
"Did you use Hailey's account to withdraw money from Sarah's trust?""
Rebecca lifted her chin.
"I was protecting my daughter's future.""
"With money that belonged to both girls?""
"Hailey was promised that money!""
"Under conditions you deliberately violated!""
Rebecca laughed bitterly.
"Conditions? Sarah wrote those conditions when she was barely thinking clearly. She was sick, Marcus. She knew she was dying, and she wanted to control everyone from beyond the grave.""
I stepped forward.
"She wanted to protect us.""
Rebecca looked at me.
"She wanted to protect you.""
The distinction was deliberate.
She wanted me to understand that I had been the center of my mother's plans.
That I had been chosen.
That Rebecca had spent years living in a house where she believed she would always come second.
Daniel placed the withdrawal document inside his briefcase.
"This needs to go to the authorities.""
Rebecca's face changed.
"You can't.""
"I can, and I will.""
"That money belongs to Hailey!""
"Then why did you use forged signatures to obtain it?""
Rebecca turned toward Dad.
"Marcus, please. Think about what this will do to Hailey.""
He looked at his stepdaughter.
"Hailey, did you authorize the transfer?""
She shook her head.
"Did you sign anything?""
"No.""
"Did your mother ask you to sign a document?""
Hailey hesitated.
Then she whispered, "She asked me to sign something last month.""
Rebecca snapped her head around.
"Hailey!""
"What?"" Hailey cried.
"You said it was for college!""
Dad stepped closer.
"What did you sign?""
"I don't know. It was a form. Mom said I needed to sign it so the bank would release the money.""
Daniel pulled out a notepad.
"Do you remember where?""
"The kitchen. She put a paper in front of me.""
"What did it look like?""
Hailey shook her head.
"I don't remember.""
Rebecca took her handbag from the workbench.
"I'm leaving.""
The police officer blocked the garage entrance.
"Ma'am, you're going to need to remain here while we document the allegations.""
Rebecca looked at him.
"Are you arresting me?""
"Not at this moment. But you need to cooperate.""
She turned toward Dad.
"You called the police on your own wife?""
Dad's expression didn't change.
"You stopped being my partner when you started stealing from my daughter.""
Rebecca's mouth fell open.
I had never heard Dad speak to her that way.
Not once.
Not even when they argued.
The officer asked Hailey to accompany him into the kitchen so he could take a statement.
She looked terrified.
I followed her.
When we reached the dining table, she grabbed my sleeve.
"Nia?""
I stopped.
"What?""
She lowered her voice.
"I didn't know about the signatures.""
I looked at her.
"You knew Mom was selling my mother's belongings.""
Her eyes filled again.
"I thought she was just getting rid of old stuff.""
"You were holding Mom's necklace.""
"I know.""
"You laughed when I asked you to give it back.""
Hailey looked down.
"I was angry.""
"At me?""
She nodded.
"Mom always said Dad treated you differently. She said you could get anything you wanted just by crying.""
I stared at her.
"I was trying to save a photograph.""
Hailey's lips trembled.
"I know.""
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then she reached into the pocket of her jeans.
She pulled out a folded receipt.
"I found this in Mom's handbag.""
I opened it.
It was from a private document services company.
The date matched the day the trust withdrawal had been submitted.
The description read:
*CERTIFIED SIGNATURE VERIFICATION — EXPRESS SERVICE.*
Below it was a second line.
*DOCUMENT PREPARATION: PROPERTY TRANSFER AND TRUST RELEASE.*
I showed Daniel.
He read it twice.
"Where did Rebecca get this?""
"I don't know," Hailey whispered.
"She told me to throw it away.""
Dad walked into the kitchen.
"What is it?""
Daniel handed him the receipt.
Dad's expression darkened.
"This company prepared the transfer?""
"Possibly," Daniel replied.
"We need to find out.""
The police officer returned.
"Mr. Reed, we'll need copies of all these documents. We'll also need to speak with your wife.""
Dad nodded.
Then he turned to me.
"You're coming with me tomorrow morning.""
"Where?""
"To the bank.""
Daniel looked up.
"Why the bank?""
Dad pointed at the receipt.
"Because I want to know who authorized the withdrawal and where the rest of the money went.""
Daniel frowned.
"Rest?""
Dad picked up the transfer statement again.
"Twenty-five thousand went into Hailey's account. But the trust balance before the withdrawal was eighty-seven thousand.""
I felt my stomach drop.
"Where is the other sixty-two thousand?""
Nobody answered.
Then Hailey whispered something.
"Mom said she had to pay someone.""
Dad turned toward her.
"Who?""
She looked toward the garage.
"A man who came to the house while you were away.""
"What man?""
"I don't know his name. He wore a gray suit. He said he was helping Mom get the house papers changed.""
Daniel slowly closed his briefcase.
"Did he come alone?""
Hailey shook her head.
"No. He brought another person.""
"Who?""
Hailey looked at me.
Then she said:
"Your mother's old lawyer.""
Daniel went completely still.
"That's impossible.""
Dad frowned.
"Why?""
Daniel looked at the photograph of Sarah inside his briefcase.
May you like
"Because that man died three years ago.""
And suddenly, the missing money seemed like the smallest part of what Rebecca had been hiding.
