Chapter 6 - The Woman Andrew Blamed.
By eleven thirty, my birthday had become an investigation.
Megan contacted a private investigator she regularly used in fraud cases.
His name was Daniel Reeves.
He arrived within an hour carrying two phones and the kind of quiet confidence that made people instinctively lower their voices.
Daniel reviewed the loan application.
He examined the LLC paperwork.
He read Rebecca’s screenshots.
Then he searched Vanessa Cole.
“What exactly did Andrew tell you about her?”
“That she stole from the company.”
“When?”
“About three months ago.”
Daniel turned his laptop.
There had been no criminal charges against Vanessa.
There was only an internal investigation into missing client payments.
Andrew had been one of three employees questioned.
I felt sick.
“Why would he tell me Vanessa stole the money?”
“Maybe because he expected that story to become true.”
Daniel made several calls.
Twenty minutes later, he had an address for Vanessa’s sister.
Before he could do more, someone began pounding on my front door.
Andrew.
“Claire.”
His voice carried through the house.
“Open the door.”
I stood in the hallway.
Megan moved beside me.
Daniel remained near the kitchen.
Rebecca stayed out of sight.
“Claire.”
Andrew pounded again.
“We need to talk.”
I opened the door but kept the security chain attached.
Andrew stared at me through the narrow gap.
His hair was disheveled.
He wore the same clothes from yesterday.
“You froze the account.”
“Yes.”
“What the hell are you doing?”
I almost admired the audacity.
“What am I doing?”
“That transfer had to clear today.”
“Why?”
“I made an investment.”
“With my inheritance?”
“For us.”
“Then why did you forge my signature?”
His face changed.
Just slightly.
That tiny movement told me more than any confession could have.
“Who told you that?”
“I found the documents.”
Andrew looked toward his office.
“You went through my things?”
I laughed.
It was the most absurd sentence anyone had spoken all day.
“You stole my identity.”
“I did not steal anything.”
“Then come inside and explain it to my attorney.”
His eyes shifted.
“Attorney?”
Megan stepped into view.
“Hello, Andrew.”
He became pale.
Then Rebecca walked into the hallway.
Andrew’s entire body stiffened.
“What is she doing here?”
Rebecca stared at him.
“You know exactly why I’m here.”
Andrew looked trapped.
Then his expression hardened.
“Natalie is an adult.”
“She’s an adult you lied to for eleven months.”
Andrew turned back toward me.
“Claire, she meant nothing.”
Rebecca flinched.
I did not.
“That’s probably not the defense you think it is.”
“Please.”
“You told her we were divorced.”
“We were having problems.”
“You told her you were selling my house.”
“I never said that.”
Rebecca raised her phone.
“I have your recordings.”
Andrew closed his eyes.
Then he whispered.
“My mother put ideas in my head.”
There it was.
His oldest escape route.
Blame Lorraine.
Blame work.
Blame stress.
Blame anyone except Andrew.
I started closing the door.
He pushed his hand through the gap.
“Wait.”
I looked down at his fingers.
Slowly, he withdrew them.
Then he spoke.
“Vanessa is dangerous.”
Daniel stepped forward.
Andrew saw him.
“Who are you?”
Daniel ignored the question.
“What does Vanessa want back?”
Andrew stared at him.
No one moved.
Finally Andrew said, “Money.”
“How much?”
His face collapsed.
“Three hundred eighty thousand.”
My heart began pounding.
“Did you steal it?”
“No.”
“Then who did?”
Andrew looked at me.
“I borrowed it.”
I could barely breathe.
“You borrowed money that wasn’t yours?”
“I was going to replace it.”
“With my inheritance.”
He said nothing.
Then Daniel’s phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed almost immediately.
When he hung up, he looked directly at Andrew.
“Vanessa Cole is not hiding.”
Andrew swallowed.
Daniel continued.
“She filed a sworn statement with federal investigators yesterday.”
May you like
The color disappeared from Andrew’s face.
“And your name is all over it.”
