Chapter 7: The Forty-Eight Thousand Dollars
Dad stared at Grandma.
“Say that again.””
Grandma kept her eyes on Lauren.
“Someone tried to withdraw forty-eight thousand dollars from Zoe’s education trust three months ago.””
The kitchen went completely silent.
Even Madison stopped crying.
Dad pulled out a chair.
“Sit down, Evelyn.””
“I’m fine.””
“Please.””
Something in his voice made her sit.
I stayed beside Grandma, Mom’s gold heart necklace clenched so tightly in my fist that its edges pressed into my skin.
Dad looked at Lauren.
She had gone pale.
Not surprised.
Pale.
There was a difference.
Dad saw it too.
“You knew.””
Lauren shook her head.
“No.””
“You didn’t ask what trust.””
“I assumed—”
“You didn’t ask how much money was in it.””
“I’m shocked, Marcus.””
“No, you’re scared.””
Lauren grabbed her purse from the floor.
Dad pointed toward the table.
“Put it down.””
“You can’t hold me prisoner.””
“Nobody is holding you prisoner.””
“You’re blocking the door!””
Dad stepped away immediately.
“There. Leave.””
Lauren looked at the open path.
“But the purse stays until we know what belongs to Zoe.””
“That’s theft.””
Grandma almost laughed.
“You should be very careful using that word tonight.””
Lauren glared at her.
Dad turned back to Grandma.
“How did Harold find out?””
“He’s been reviewing Rachel’s trust records since Zoe called me.””
“You had an attorney investigating us?””
“I had an attorney protecting Zoe.””
Dad flinched.
Grandma softened.
“Marcus, I wasn’t investigating you.””
“You should have been.””
That stopped everyone.
Dad looked at me.
“I was her father. This happened in my house.””
“Dad—”
“I traveled. I worked. I came home and believed whatever explanation was easiest.””
His voice cracked.
“I saw you getting quieter and told myself you were becoming a teenager.””
I didn’t know what to say.
He looked at the crackers.
“I saw you taking snacks upstairs once.””
I remembered.
He had laughed and called me his little squirrel.
“I should’ve asked why.””
Grandma touched his arm.
“Guilt can wait. Facts first.””
Dad nodded.
“What exactly happened with the account?””
Grandma opened her phone.
“Harold says the trust requires two authorizations for withdrawals above ten thousand dollars.””
“Mine and yours?””
“Yours and the trustee’s.””
“Who’s trustee?””
Grandma hesitated.
“I am.””
Lauren’s eyes widened.
Dad stared at Grandma.
“Rachel made you trustee?””
“Yes.””
“Why didn’t I know?””
“You did.””
Dad frowned.
“After Rachel died, you signed the acknowledgment.””
His face changed.
“I remember.””
“You were grieving.””
“That isn’t an excuse.””
“No. But it is an explanation.””
Grandma continued.
“The attempted withdrawal included what appeared to be your authorization.””
Dad’s face hardened.
“Another forged signature?””
“Possibly.””
“And yours?””
“That’s the problem.””
Grandma turned the phone around.
“The request claimed my authorization wasn’t required.””
Dad leaned closer.
“Why?””
“Because it included a document stating I was medically incapacitated.””
Grandma was sitting in front of us, perfectly alert.
Dad stared at her.
“Someone declared you incapacitated?””
“Attempted to.””
Madison whispered, “That’s insane.””
Grandma looked at her.
“Yes.””
Madison immediately lowered her eyes.
Dad asked, “Where was the money supposed to go?””
“Harold is checking.””
Lauren suddenly spoke.
“This is ridiculous. You’re all staring at me because it’s convenient.””
Dad turned.
“Then help us.””
“How?””
“Give me your phone.””
“No.””
“Your laptop?””
“No.””
“Your bank statements?””
“Absolutely not.””
Dad nodded slowly.
“That’s what I thought.””
“You have no right.””
“I have every right to ask my wife why documents bearing my forged signature keep appearing.””
Lauren laughed bitterly.
“You’ve already decided I’m guilty.””
“No. I’ve decided I don’t believe you.””
That seemed to hurt her more.
She stared at him.
“After everything I’ve done for you?””
Dad looked toward me.
“Tonight is probably not the night to make a list.””
Grandma’s phone buzzed.
She read the message.
Then stood.
“Harold sent the destination account.””
Dad moved beside her.
She opened the attachment.
I watched their expressions.
Dad’s jaw tightened.
Grandma closed her eyes.
“What?”” I asked.
Dad took the phone.
“The money was supposed to be wired to a company.””
“What company?””
He read the name.
“LMB Lifestyle Consulting.””
Lauren turned away.
Grandma looked at her.
“What does LMB stand for?””
Lauren didn’t answer.
Madison whispered, “Lauren Michelle Bennett.””
I looked at her.
Madison covered her mouth.
Dad asked, “How do you know?””
“Mom used that name for her online business.””
Lauren spun around.
“That business is closed.””
Dad’s voice was almost unnaturally calm.
“Was it closed three months ago?””
“Yes.””
Grandma looked at the document.
“The account receiving forty-eight thousand dollars was opened four months ago.””
Lauren’s breathing changed.
Dad asked, “At what bank?””
Grandma told him.
Dad grabbed his phone.
Lauren suddenly lunged for hers.
Grandma moved faster.
Lauren’s phone had been sitting near the metal box.
Grandma picked it up first.
“Give me that!””
Grandma held it out of reach.
“You may have it.””
She handed it to Dad.
Lauren stared at her.
Dad didn’t unlock it.
He simply placed it on the counter.
“I’m not searching your phone without permission.””
Lauren gave a triumphant laugh.
“Good.””
“I’m preserving it.””
Her smile disappeared.
“For what?””
“For whoever needs to investigate this.””
“Investigate?””
Dad looked at the forged property document.
Then the boarding-school application.
Then the trust paperwork.
“Yes.””
Lauren backed away.
“You’re going to call the police on your wife?””
Dad’s expression didn't change.
“If somebody tried to steal forty-eight thousand dollars from my daughter, I’m going to find out who.””
Madison started crying again.
“Please stop.””
Lauren turned toward her.
“Madison, get your things.””
“No.””
“We’re leaving.””
“No.””
“Now.””
Madison shook her head.
“I’m not going with you.””
Lauren stared at her daughter as if she had spoken another language.
“What did you say?””
“I’m staying.””
“You’re sixteen.””
“I know.””
“You don’t get to decide.””
Madison’s hands trembled.
“You lied to me.””
Lauren laughed in disbelief.
“I protected you.””
“You used me.””
“Madison.””
“You told me Zoe hated me.””
I looked at her.
She continued.
“You said she wanted Dad to send us away. You said Grandma was trying to break up the family. You said Zoe got everything because everyone felt sorry that her mom died.””
Lauren stepped closer.
“Everything I did was for you.””
Madison backed away.
“Then why am I scared of you right now?””
The question silenced the room.
Lauren’s face collapsed for a second.
Then anger replaced it.
“After everything I’ve given you?””
Madison looked toward the driveway.
“The car?””
Lauren said nothing.
“You bought it with Zoe’s money.””
“I gave you a life!””
“You gave me her life!””
I felt those words.
So did Dad.
Madison pointed toward me.
“Her sweater. Her room. Her money. Her food.””
She was sobbing.
“And you kept telling me I deserved it because she already had enough.””
Lauren whispered, “You did deserve good things.””
“Not hers.””
For the first time, I saw Madison understand the difference.
Maybe too late.
But she understood it.
Grandma’s phone rang again.
She answered on speaker this time.
“Harold?””
A man’s voice filled the kitchen.
“Evelyn, Marcus with you?””
“I’m here,” Dad said.
“I’ve got something you both need to hear.””
Dad looked at me.
“Zoe too?””
A pause.
“Yes. It concerns her.””
Dad pulled out a chair for me.
I sat.
Harold continued.
“The withdrawal attempt was rejected because the bank contacted Evelyn directly.””
Grandma nodded.
“I remember a fraud call.””
“You told them you hadn’t approved anything. They froze the request.””
Dad exhaled.
“So the money is safe?””
“That forty-eight thousand is.””
That forty-eight thousand.
Dad caught the wording.
“What does that mean?””
Another pause.
“There were smaller transfers.””
My stomach dropped.
“How many?”” Grandma asked.
“Over the last fourteen months? Eleven.””
Dad gripped the table.
“How much?””
“Combined?””
“Yes.””
Harold inhaled.
“Thirty-one thousand, six hundred and forty dollars.””
I stopped breathing.
Grandma sat down.
Dad looked at Lauren.
She stared at the floor.
Harold continued.
“Most were under the threshold requiring secondary authorization.””
Dad asked, “Who authorized them?””
“The account records show Marcus.””
“I didn’t.””
“I figured.””
Dad looked sick.
“Where did the money go?””
“Several accounts. I’m still tracing them.””
Lauren suddenly moved.
She grabbed her coat.
Dad didn’t stop her.
She reached the front door.
Then Harold said:
“One destination was LMB Lifestyle Consulting.””
Lauren froze with her hand on the doorknob.
Nobody spoke.
Harold continued.
“Another appears connected to an auto dealership.””
Madison started crying.
The car.
My money.
Again.
“And there’s one more thing,” Harold said.
Dad closed his eyes.
“Of course there is.””
“The most recent transfer wasn’t for the car.””
Lauren slowly turned.
Grandma asked, “What was it for?””
Harold answered.
“A deposit on a property.””
Dad frowned.
“What property?””
Harold gave an address.
I didn’t recognize it.
Madison did.
Her face went completely white.
“Mom.””
Lauren whispered, “Be quiet.””
Dad looked at Madison.
“You know that address?””
Madison nodded.
“What is it?””
Her voice barely came out.
“The house Mom told me we were moving into.””
Dad stared at her.
“When?””
May you like
Madison looked at Lauren.
“After Zoe was gone.””
