Chapter 9 - The Man Who Needed the House
Travis found Daniel outside Priya’s office the next morning. He leaned against a black pickup with tinted windows, wearing a gray suit that did not fit across his shoulders.
“You shouldn’t have gone to the old shop,” he said.
Daniel stopped several feet away. “You broke into my office.”
“I retrieved family property.”
“You stole evidence.”
Travis glanced toward the building. “Priya Shah is going to turn this into a war.”
“You already did.”
For a moment, Travis looked exhausted rather than threatening. He was forty-two, two years older than Daniel, and had spent his life moving between charm and panic. As children, he had been the cousin who showed up with fireworks and taught Daniel how to drive before either of them had a license.
“Your mother said the house was available as security,” Travis said.
“She had no authority.”
“She had a power of attorney.”
“Not for this.”
“She thought you would agree if you understood the whole story.”
“Then why did she lie?”
Travis looked away. “Because you don’t listen when she tells you the truth.”
Daniel laughed. “What truth?”
“Your father took money from your trust.”
“I know.”
Travis’s face tightened. “You found the storage unit.”
“I found your company in the ledger.”
“North Star was supposed to repay the money.”
“It was supposed to become profitable.”
“It was supposed to keep people employed.”
“You bought a lake house.”
“The retreat was company property.”
“In your name.”
Travis rubbed his mouth. “The business failed. I borrowed from the account because Gloria said she could replace it.”
“How did you access our bank?”
He did not answer.
Daniel stepped closer. “How did you access our bank?”
“Your mother gave me the credentials.”
“She gave you our passwords?”
“She had them.”
“And Lena’s signature?”
“She signed the authorization.”
“She signed a blank page.”
Travis flinched. “I didn’t know she would be humiliated.”
“You stood there.”
“I needed the loan.”
“For what?”
“A judgment.”
The word hung between them.
Travis explained that North Star had been sued by a former subcontractor after Travis failed to pay for completed work. The judgment had grown with interest. Cedar Ridge offered a private loan if Travis could secure it with property worth more than the debt. Gloria had told him Daniel’s house was family property and that the trust documents proved Daniel owed the money.
“She said you would sign once the lender approved it,” Travis said. “Then Lena found the transfers and started asking questions.”
“So you made her look guilty.”
“Gloria did.”
“You helped.”
Travis looked at the office door. “I was trying to keep the company alive.”
“You were trying to keep yourself out of bankruptcy.”
“Both can be true.”
Daniel thought of Owen sitting at Gloria’s kitchen island. “You changed his school pickup.”
“Your mother asked me to.”
“Why?”
“She wanted leverage.”
The answer was so plain that Daniel nearly missed its cruelty.
“You used my son.”
“I didn’t touch him.”
“You took him.”
Travis stared at the pavement. “I’m sorry.”
Daniel’s anger faltered. That was the danger of people who apologized only after the damage was complete.
“Where is the original deed?” Daniel asked.
“Gloria has it.”
“Where?”
“At the lake house.”
“Why?”
“She was going to keep it in a safe until the sale closed.”
“Who is the buyer?”
Travis said nothing.
Daniel reached for his phone.
“Don’t,” Travis said. “If you call the police, your mother will be charged too.”
“She should be.”
“She will lose everything.”
“She made that choice.”
Travis’s voice cracked. “She was trying to stop the same thing that happened to your father.”
“What happened?”
“The accident wasn’t just an accident.”
Before Daniel could ask more, Travis climbed into the pickup and started the engine.
Daniel photographed the license plate and watched him pull away.
When he entered Priya’s office, she was waiting with a message from the bank.
An account had been opened under Daniel’s Social Security number at Millhaven National. It had been active for seventeen years.
The current balance was $6.14.
The account had received one large deposit three days before Robert died.
The deposit was for $58,000.
May you like
The withdrawal had been made the next morning by someone using a power of attorney.
The signature on the withdrawal slip was Gloria’s.
