Chapter 10 - The Signature in the Dark
By morning, the bank had discovered an attempted wire transfer from the trust.
The amount was $2.4 million.
The destination was a private account in the Cayman Islands.
“Who authorized it?” I asked Priya.
“The request carried your electronic signature.”
My stomach dropped. “I never signed anything.”
“I know.”
Priya placed the document in front of me. The signature looked like mine, but it leaned too far to the left. Samuel had taught me to notice details like that when we reviewed contracts.
“A forgery,” Miriam said.
“The request was submitted from a computer inside the main house,” Priya added.
Ethan and Vanessa were both still living there under the protection order, though they were barred from approaching me or accessing trust offices.
“Ethan did it,” I said.
“Maybe,” Miriam replied. “But the transfer instructions were sophisticated. Someone with banking knowledge prepared them.”
We brought Ethan to a conference room with his attorney. He looked older than he had the week before.
“I didn’t attempt any transfer,” he said.
“Your computer did.”
“Vanessa uses that computer.”
Vanessa turned on him. “You told me the funds were already gone.”
His lawyer grabbed his arm. “Do not speak without me.”
The slip was brief, but everyone heard it.
“What funds?” I asked.
Ethan stared at the table.
“The company was in debt,” he said. “I borrowed against future contracts.”
“How much?”
“Six million.”
The number seemed to echo.
“You borrowed six million dollars against a company you didn’t own?”
“I expected the trust to distribute assets after the estate settled.”
“Samuel never promised you that.”
“He promised I would inherit!”
Miriam opened a folder. “The trust does provide for Ethan. It does not provide for his creditors.”
Ethan’s face twisted. “You knew this would happen, Mom.”
“I did not know you were stealing.”
“I was saving the company.”
“You were saving yourself.”
Vanessa looked toward the door. “The attempted transfer was not Ethan.”
Everyone turned.
“How do you know?” Miriam asked.
Vanessa removed a flash drive from her purse. “Because I found the program used to create the forged signature. It was installed by Marcus.”
Ethan’s attorney stood. “That is an accusation.”
“It is a fact,” Vanessa said. “Marcus has been inside the house twice since the hold was placed.”
“Why would he help you?” I asked.
“He wasn’t helping me.”
She looked at Ethan.
“He was blackmailing us.”
Ethan’s expression collapsed.
Vanessa continued. “Marcus knew about the trust. He said if we didn’t get the money, he would send the film to the police.”
“The film proves what Ethan did,” I said.
“It also proves Marcus held the gun.”
The room went quiet.
Miriam took the drive. “Where is Marcus now?”
Vanessa’s lips parted.
“He called me ten minutes ago,” she said. “He said he was coming here.”
May you like
The conference room lights went out.
In the darkness, a window shattered somewhere down the hall.
