Chapter 8: The Second Victim Was Sitting in My Living Room
Liam slowly lowered his phone.
“What did he mean?”” I asked.
He shook his head.
“I don't know.””
“Call him back.””
“Mom—”
“Call him.””
Liam hesitated, then pressed the number.
Richard answered immediately.
“What now?””
“You said someone else's identity was used. Whose?””
Richard sighed.
“Don't start asking questions you don't understand.””
“Whose identity?””
“Your mother is putting ideas in your head.””
I stepped closer.
“Richard, if you have nothing to hide, answer the question.””
He laughed coldly.
“Eleanor, you're sixty-eight years old. You should be enjoying your retirement instead of trying to destroy a business you know nothing about.””
I felt my jaw tighten.
“You used my name.””
“I helped your son.””
“You submitted documents I never signed.””
“That's an accusation.””
“And my attorney has the documents.””
He paused.
Then his voice became quieter.
“Ask your daughter-in-law about the money she received.””
The call ended.
Liam stared at the screen.
I turned toward him.
“What money?””
He shook his head.
“I don't know.””
I wasn't convinced.
That evening, I called Harper.
She answered after the fourth ring.
“What?””
“Come to the house.””
“I'm not coming over to be insulted.””
“I'm asking you about the sixty-eight-thousand-dollar transaction.””
Silence.
Then she said, “What about it?””
“Richard suggested you know something about money you received.””
Her breathing changed.
“I'll be there in twenty minutes.””
She arrived with Patricia.
Neither woman removed her coat.
I invited them into the living room.
Liam was already sitting on the sofa, looking miserable.
I placed the bank statements on the coffee table.
“Let's stop pretending nobody knows anything.””
Patricia looked at the papers.
“What are these?””
“Transfers connected to my savings and the business arrangement.””
Harper sat down.
Patricia remained standing.
I pointed to the first transaction.
“Forty-two thousand dollars was taken from my account.””
Liam lowered his head.
“Then fifteen thousand five hundred was transferred to Patricia.””
Patricia's face went pale.
“I didn't take anything.””
“I have the bank record.””
She looked at Harper.
Harper began crying.
“Mom, tell her.””
Patricia shook her head.
“Not now.””
I leaned forward.
“Tell me what?””
Patricia finally sat down.
“Richard asked me to receive a payment. He said it was part of the consulting arrangement.””
“Why your account?””
“He said his business account was temporarily restricted because of an administrative issue.””
“And you agreed?””
“He told me it was legitimate.””
I studied her.
“Did you keep the money?””
“No. I transferred most of it to another account.””
“Whose?””
She looked toward Harper.
Harper covered her mouth.
I felt my stomach turn.
“Harper?””
My daughter-in-law nodded slowly.
“Some of it went to me.””
“How much?””
“Ten thousand.””
The room became silent.
“Why?””
She began crying harder.
“Dad said I needed to keep it separate in case the business had cash-flow problems.””
I stared at her.
“So you accepted money that came from my savings?””
“I didn't know it was yours!””
“You didn't ask where it came from?””
“He told me it was business money!””
Patricia interrupted.
“Harper, stop. You're making this worse.””
I turned toward her.
“Why did Richard need you to receive the money?””
Patricia looked down at her hands.
“Because he said the lender wanted to see that the family had enough resources to support the project.””
I looked at Liam.
“And you knew?””
He shook his head.
“I knew about the original transfer. I didn't know Harper received part of it.””
Harper suddenly stood.
“Why are you acting like I'm the only one who did something wrong? Liam took the money. Richard handled the documents.
My mother helped with the transfers. Everybody knew something!””
I looked at her.
“Then perhaps everyone should finally tell the truth.””
She began pacing.
“Dad said the business would make us rich. He said we would own the building, rent the offices, and eventually buy a house without needing anyone's help.””
“And what did he promise you about my house?””
Harper stopped.
“He said it would eventually become Liam's.””
I closed my eyes briefly.
There it was again.
The inheritance.
The house.
My death reduced to a line in somebody else's financial plan.
I opened my eyes.
“Did he tell you what the sixty-eight thousand was for?””
Harper hesitated.
Then she nodded.
“He said it was going to cover the final arrangement with the broker.””
“What arrangement?””
“He said there was someone who could make the loan happen faster.””
“Who?””
“I don't know his name.””
Liam suddenly looked up.
“Harper, you told me the broker was paid already.””
She turned toward him.
“I said Dad was handling it!””
“You said we didn't owe anyone else.””
“I didn't know!””
I raised my hand.
“Enough.””
Both of them fell silent.
I looked at Patricia.
“Did you notarize the guarantee?””
She shook her head.
“I didn't notarize anything.””
“The lender has a document with your name and notary seal.””
Patricia's lips trembled.
“I didn't see that document.””
“Then how did your name get there?””
She stared at the carpet.
“I don't know.””
I noticed something.
Patricia wasn't simply frightened of being accused.
She looked genuinely shocked.
For the first time, I considered that Richard might have used his own wife's identity without telling her.
I turned toward Harper.
“Does your father have access to your mother's notary supplies?””
Patricia immediately looked up.
“Yes.””
Harper frowned.
“Mom, what?””
Patricia swallowed.
“He keeps my stamp and journal in the office at home. He says it's safer there because I sometimes forget where I put things.””
The room went completely still.
I looked at Margaret's business card on the table.
“Patricia, did you authorize him to use your seal?””
“No.””
“Did you sign the journal entry?””
“No.””
“Then you need to tell my attorney exactly that.””
Patricia began crying.
“I never thought he would do something like this.””
I felt a strange mixture of anger and pity.
For months, Patricia had watched her daughter treat me like an unpaid servant.
She had encouraged the idea that my house would eventually belong to Liam.
But now she was discovering that Richard might have been using her, too.
My phone rang.
Margaret.
I answered.
“Eleanor, we have an important development.””
“What happened?””
“The lender has suspended the application. They have also identified a second property owner whose information appears in the supporting documents.””
I looked at Liam.
“Who?””
Margaret paused.
“Richard submitted information suggesting that another family member had agreed to provide property security.””
“Whose property?””
“Patricia's home.””
Patricia gasped.
“What?””
Margaret continued.
“The address is listed on an additional asset declaration. We haven't confirmed whether the property was actually pledged, but the document appears to contain a signature attributed to Patricia.””
Patricia covered her mouth.
Harper stood frozen.
Then she whispered:
“Dad told me Mom had signed everything.””
Patricia began shaking.
“I never signed anything.””
I looked at the women.
Richard hadn't just used my house as leverage.
He had apparently involved his own wife.
And there was still one question I couldn't answer.
Why would he need so much money if the commercial property deal was legitimate?
Margaret answered before I could ask.
“Eleanor, there's something else. The company selling the commercial building has contacted us. They say the original purchase deposit was never paid in full.””
I frowned.
“But Liam told me the deposit cleared.””
“Yes. According to the seller, they received only a partial payment.””
“Then where did the rest of the money go?””
Margaret lowered her voice.
“That's what we're trying to establish. But the seller has also informed us that Richard is not the person who negotiated the original sale.””
“Who did?””
May you like
She paused.
“An individual whose name appears on several other property transactions. And Eleanor, one of those transactions involved a house that was already in foreclosure.””
