Chapter 10: The Account Opened in My Name
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
I stared at Michael Grant as if he had just announced that I was responsible for robbing a bank.
"Say that again," I whispered.
He placed the transaction report on the table.
"Three hundred thousand dollars was transferred from the development escrow account yesterday. The receiving account is registered under your name.""
I shook my head.
"I don't have an overseas bank account.""
Eleanor immediately picked up the report.
"Who authorized the transfer?""
Michael pointed to the transaction details.
"The instruction was submitted electronically through an account belonging to Lakeside Renewal Group.""
"That doesn't answer my question.""
"The authorization bears Margaret Carter's digital signature.""
I felt sick.
Another signature.
Another document.
Another attempt to turn me into someone I wasn't.
Eleanor closed the folder.
"Mr. Grant, I want the bank to freeze any remaining funds and preserve every transaction record. Mrs. Carter is reporting identity theft.""
Michael nodded.
"We'll cooperate.""
Daniel was standing beside the window.
His hands were clenched.
"Thomas did this.""
Eleanor looked at him.
"We need evidence, Daniel. We have strong reasons to suspect him, but we cannot make accusations without establishing the facts.""
Daniel turned toward me.
"Mom, they're going to blame you.""
I looked at the transaction report.
My name.
My address.
My date of birth.
Even my old email address.
Someone had collected enough personal information to make the account appear legitimate.
And I knew exactly where much of that information had come from.
The wedding paperwork.
The property sale.
The documents Tiffany had asked me to sign.
I remembered her sitting at my kitchen table, asking for copies of my identification because the venue supposedly needed them for insurance purposes.
I had given them to her.
I had trusted her.
Now someone was using my identity to move hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Eleanor called the bank's fraud department.
She requested an immediate hold on the account and instructed me not to make any direct contact with the overseas institution.
Then she called the county sheriff's financial crimes unit.
By the time we left the meeting, a formal investigation had begun.
But the worst part was still waiting for us.
At five thirty that evening, a sheriff's deputy arrived at my house.
His name was Deputy Harris.
He stood on the porch holding a folder.
"Mrs. Carter?""
"Yes?""
"I need to ask you some questions regarding a financial transaction reported by Northbridge Capital Partners.""
I looked at Eleanor.
She had arrived only minutes earlier.
"I'm represented by counsel," I said.
Deputy Harris nodded.
"That's perfectly fine. We're not here to arrest anyone. We need to clarify your involvement.""
I invited him inside.
He sat at the dining table where Daniel and Tiffany had once spread out their wedding plans.
The irony wasn't lost on me.
Deputy Harris opened the folder.
"Do you recognize this account?""
"No.""
"Have you ever traveled to the country where it was opened?""
"No.""
"Have you authorized anyone to open an account on your behalf?""
"Absolutely not.""
He showed me the signature.
It was almost perfect.
Even the small loop in the letter M looked like mine.
I stared at it.
Then I noticed something.
The signature contained a tiny mark at the end.
I always made that mark when signing documents with a pen that skipped.
But this one was too consistent.
It looked copied.
"I didn't sign this," I said.
Eleanor leaned forward.
"We'd like the original digital authentication records preserved.""
Deputy Harris nodded.
"Of course.""
He closed the folder.
"Mrs. Carter, I should warn you that the funds are currently being investigated as potentially misappropriated money. Until the source and destination are verified, you should avoid making any financial transfers connected to this matter.""
I nodded.
After he left, I sat in the kitchen for a long time.
Daniel came over and placed a blanket around my shoulders.
"Mom, we'll get through this.""
I looked at him.
"Your father used to say that a person's name was worth more than their money.""
Daniel swallowed.
"I know.""
"Someone is trying to steal mine.""
He sat beside me.
"And I won't let them.""
The following morning, Eleanor received a call from the overseas bank.
They had temporarily frozen the account.
But the account opening documents contained something unexpected.
A photograph of me.
Not an old driver's license photograph.
A recent photograph taken at the wedding.
I stared at the screen.
It showed me standing near the reception tent, wearing my navy-blue dress.
Someone had photographed me without my knowledge and used the image during the account verification process.
Eleanor enlarged the image.
"Who had access to the wedding photographs?""
Daniel looked at me.
"Tiffany.""
I nodded slowly.
"She hired the photographer.""
Eleanor continued reading.
"The account was opened using a digital identity verification service. The verification video was recorded on September tenth.""
Daniel frowned.
"September tenth? The wedding was on the fourteenth.""
"Correct.""
I leaned forward.
"Can we see the video?""
Eleanor nodded.
She requested a copy.
Two hours later, it arrived.
The recording showed a woman sitting in front of a plain white wall.
She wore a dark blouse.
Her hair was pulled back.
The camera quality was poor.
But I recognized the face.
It was Tiffany.
She was wearing a pair of glasses I had bought her for Christmas the previous year.
Daniel stared at the screen.
"That's my wife.""
Eleanor paused the video.
"She appears to be impersonating your mother.""
Daniel shook his head.
"She used Mom's photograph, but she couldn't possibly pass the voice verification.""
Eleanor replayed the recording.
The woman was speaking quietly.
Then I noticed something.
She was reading from a script.
And the voice sounded strangely familiar.
Not exactly like mine.
But close enough to fool someone who had never spoken to me.
Daniel leaned closer.
"Wait.""
He pointed at the screen.
"Look at her left hand.""
There was a small gold ring.
Tiffany had worn it at our wedding reception.
I looked at the video again.
The account had been opened by someone pretending to be me.
And Tiffany had done it four days before she walked down the aisle.
I felt tears gathering in my eyes.
Not because of the money.
Because she had been planning to destroy my life while smiling for wedding photographs.
Daniel stood abruptly.
"I'm calling her.""
Eleanor stopped him.
"No.""
"She impersonated my mother!""
"And now we have evidence. Don't give her an opportunity to destroy it.""
Daniel sat down again.
His face was pale.
Then his phone rang.
A message appeared.
It was from an unknown number.
Tell your mother to stop digging. Thomas has people who can make this problem disappear.
Daniel showed Eleanor.
She photographed the message.
Then another arrived.
If she keeps going, she'll lose more than the house.
I stared at the screen.
For the first time, I was afraid.
Not of losing the property.
Of what these people might do when they realized their plan was collapsing.
Eleanor looked at Daniel.
"Do you recognize this number?""
He shook his head.
Then his phone rang again.
This time, the caller ID displayed a name.
*THOMAS CARTER.*
Daniel answered on speaker.
"Hello?""
Thomas's voice sounded almost cheerful.
"Daniel. We need to talk.""
"About what?""
"Your mother.""
Daniel looked at me.
"What about her?""
Thomas sighed.
"She's making a terrible mistake. Tell her to stop cooperating with the police.""
Daniel's expression hardened.
"Why?""
"Because if she doesn't, I will release documents proving she authorized everything.""
Eleanor leaned closer to the phone.
"What documents?""
Thomas paused.
Then he laughed.
"Ah. Eleanor Price. Still cleaning up other people's messes?""
"Mr. Carter, any further communication will be documented.""
"Document whatever you like.""
Then Thomas delivered the sentence that made my blood run cold.
"Ask Margaret why Robert left her a second bank account.""
The call ended.
I stared at Eleanor.
"What second bank account?""
She looked at me.
"Mrs. Carter, did Robert ever maintain a separate account that you didn't know about?""
I shook my head.
"No.""
But as I spoke, I remembered something.
A small envelope Robert had kept inside his desk.
He had told me it contained documents for an emergency.
May you like
I had never opened it.
And suddenly, I wondered whether Thomas knew something about it that I didn't.
