Chapter 2: The Gift Bag Nobody Wanted Opened
The first officer asked everyone to remain where they were.
The second stood near the front door, his hand resting beside his belt as my relatives exchanged frightened glances.
The birthday cake remained untouched.
One of the candles had fallen sideways, leaving a thin trail of pink wax across the frosting.
I held Ava's hand while Officer Daniel Brooks examined the documents I'd spread across the dining table.
"Ms. Bennett," he said, "I need you to explain how you obtained these records.""
"I requested my credit reports, disputed the accounts, and obtained copies of the applications from the lenders. I also filed an identity-theft report.""
He nodded.
"Have you ever authorized your sister to open financial accounts in your name?""
"No.""
Kiara let out an irritated breath.
"Can we stop acting like I'm some criminal? Natalie gave me her information two years ago.""
I turned toward her.
"For a rental application.""
"You gave it to me voluntarily.""
"For a rental application.""
"You didn't tell me I couldn't use it for anything else.""
Officer Brooks looked up.
"Ms. Kiara Bennett, are you saying your sister authorized you to open these loans?""
Kiara folded her arms.
"She gave me her Social Security number. What am I supposed to think?""
"That I trusted you!"" I said.
My mother grabbed my wrist.
"Lower your voice.""
I pulled away.
"Stop touching me.""
The room fell silent again.
It was the first time I'd ever said those words to her.
Officer Brooks placed one application beside another.
"These accounts were opened using different email addresses, but several share the same contact number.""
He looked at Kiara.
"Do you recognize this number?""
She glanced at the page.
"Lots of people have my number.""
"Is it yours?""
"Yes, but that doesn't prove anything.""
"It may be relevant to our investigation.""
My uncle Richard stepped forward.
"Officer, surely you can see this is a family disagreement. Maybe the girls can settle it after everyone's had time to calm down.""
The second officer, a woman named Officer Elena Ruiz, shook her head.
"Identity theft and fraudulent loan applications aren't automatically a private family matter.""
Richard's face reddened.
"Nobody said they were.""
"Then please give us room to do our jobs.""
He backed away, muttering something about how nobody respected family anymore.
Kiara seized the opportunity.
She turned toward our cousins, her eyes suddenly shining with tears.
"Can you believe this? I helped Natalie when she needed me, and now she's trying to put me in jail.""
Jasmine stared at her.
"When did you help her?""
Kiara blinked.
"What?""
"You just said you helped her. When?""
"I don't have to explain every detail of my relationship with my sister.""
Jasmine looked at the documents.
"I thought Natalie was the one helping you pay your bills last year.""
Kiara's expression hardened.
"Stay out of this.""
Officer Brooks asked me for the lender correspondence, and I handed him another folder.
Inside were records of payments, overdue balances, and electronic application confirmations.
"I also found this," I said.
I showed him a printed email from a lender's fraud department. It included a partial login history and a recovery address that matched an account Kiara had used when we were younger.
Officer Brooks studied it.
"How did you connect this address to your sister?""
"She used it for years. I have old messages from her sent from the same account.""
Kiara stepped forward.
"That email could have been hacked!""
Officer Ruiz looked at her.
"Do you know who hacked it?""
"No!""
"Then let's not speculate.""
Kiara's mouth snapped shut.
For the first time that afternoon, she looked genuinely frightened.
My mother noticed.
She immediately moved beside her.
"She's overwhelmed," Mom said.
"She's always been impulsive. Natalie knows that.""
I stared at her.
"Are you defending her again?""
"I'm trying to keep this from ruining both your lives.""
"She's already ruined mine.""
My mother looked away.
Ava tugged at my sleeve.
"Mommy, can we go home?""
I bent down.
"Not yet, sweetheart.""
"I don't like it here.""
Neither did I.
But I wasn't leaving until the officers had everything they needed.
Officer Ruiz began asking the guests whether they'd seen anything unusual. Most knew nothing about the loans, but Jasmine mentioned that Kiara had recently purchased a new phone and started receiving packages at our mother's address.
"She said it was for work," Jasmine explained.
"She told me she was starting an online business.""
Kiara spun around.
"Why are you talking about my packages?""
"Because the officer asked me a question.""
"You could have kept your mouth shut.""
Jasmine recoiled.
"Excuse me?""
"You heard me.""
Officer Ruiz stepped between them.
"Ms. Bennett, I need you to stop confronting the witnesses.""
Kiara threw up her hands.
"This is ridiculous!""
Then Officer Brooks asked a question that made her go completely still.
"Where is the phone you purchased recently?""
Kiara glanced toward the hallway.
"It's at home.""
"Do you have the receipt?""
"Why would I carry a receipt around?""
"Can you provide it later?""
"Probably.""
Officer Brooks wrote something down.
My mother moved closer to him.
"Officer, please. My daughter isn't dangerous. She's just made some poor choices.""
He looked at her calmly.
"We haven't determined the full extent of what's happened. Right now, we're collecting evidence.""
Then he turned back to the table.
"Is there anything else we should know about?""
I thought about the last page of my credit report, where a lender had listed an unfamiliar address in another state.
"No," I said slowly.
"Not that I know of.""
Ava had drifted toward the gift table.
She was staring at a small gold bag with white tissue paper sticking out of the top.
"Mommy," she whispered, "is that Aunt Kiara's present?""
I followed her gaze.
The bag sat beneath a stack of wrapped gifts, partly hidden behind a large stuffed bear. A black ribbon was tied around its handles.
I hadn't noticed it earlier.
Neither had I seen Kiara put it there.
"Don't touch it, sweetheart.""
Officer Ruiz heard me.
"What's in the bag?""
"I don't know.""
Kiara suddenly moved toward us.
"That's mine.""
Officer Brooks stepped into her path.
"Please stay where you are.""
"It's just a gift!""
"Then you won't mind if we establish what it is.""
Kiara's face flushed.
"You can't just search my belongings!""
Officer Brooks remained calm.
"We're not asking you to agree with our investigation. We're trying to determine whether the bag is relevant to the suspected fraud. We'll handle it according to the applicable procedures.""
My mother began crying.
"Please, everybody, stop. It's her birthday.""
Nobody answered.
Officer Ruiz carefully moved the other presents away from the bag without disturbing its contents. She photographed it, then asked Kiara whether she would identify what was inside.
Kiara shook her head.
"I already told you. It's a present.""
"For whom?""
She hesitated.
"For me.""
Jasmine frowned.
"Why would you buy yourself a present and hide it under the table?""
"Because I wanted to!""
Officer Brooks exchanged a brief glance with his partner.
Then he asked Kiara whether she would consent to the bag being opened.
"No.""
He didn't argue. Instead, he documented her response and continued discussing the next steps with Officer Ruiz.
I assumed that would be the end of it.
Then Jasmine spoke.
"Wait. I saw that bag earlier.""
Everyone turned toward her.
"Where?"" Officer Ruiz asked.
"In the kitchen. Kiara was putting something inside it while everyone else was outside.""
Kiara stared at her.
"You're lying.""
Jasmine shook her head.
"I'm not.""
"What did you see?"" the officer asked.
Jasmine swallowed.
"She had a phone box. A brand-new one. She was taping something underneath it.""
Kiara lunged forward half a step.
"Jasmine, shut up!""
Officer Brooks immediately intervened.
"That's enough. Step back.""
Kiara obeyed, but her eyes never left Jasmine.
My stomach tightened.
A phone box.
Tape.
Something hidden underneath.
I thought about the unfamiliar accounts, the different email addresses, and the loans that had appeared under my name.
"What did you put in that bag?"" I asked.
Kiara looked at me with naked hatred.
"You should have stayed home.""
Officer Ruiz documented Jasmine's statement and continued the investigation. After the appropriate steps were taken to address the bag, Officer Brooks carefully opened it.
Inside lay a brand-new smartphone, still sealed in its retail box.
The room remained silent.
Officer Brooks lifted the box and examined its underside.
A folded piece of paper had been taped beneath it.
He removed the paper and unfolded it.
His expression changed.
"What is it?"" Officer Ruiz asked.
He handed her the sheet.
She read it once.
Then she read it again.
My mother moved closer.
"What does it say?""
Officer Ruiz didn't answer her immediately.
Instead, she looked at Kiara.
"Where did you get these names?""
Kiara's face drained of color.
I reached for Ava's hand and pulled her gently against my side.
Officer Brooks turned the paper toward me.
It contained handwritten names, dates of birth, partial Social Security numbers, and short notes beside each entry.
Some names belonged to strangers.
Others belonged to people I knew.
Jasmine's name was there.
So was my cousin Marcus's.
And near the bottom of the page, written in block letters, was my full name.
Beside it were the dates of three loans I'd never known existed until that month.
I stared at the list, unable to process what I was seeing.
"How many people are on this?"" I whispered.
Officer Ruiz counted the entries.
"At least eleven.""
My mother sank into a chair.
Kiara shook her head violently.
"No. That's not what it looks like.""
Officer Brooks folded the paper carefully.
"Then I suggest you explain what it is.""
Kiara looked around the room as if searching for someone who might rescue her.
Nobody moved.
Then she looked directly at me.
"You don't understand," she whispered.
For once, I believed her.
I just didn't think she was about to tell the truth.
Because when Officer Ruiz asked whether anyone else had access to the names on that list, Kiara gave an answer that made my mother stop crying.
"My sister didn't get the first loan," Kiara said.
She pointed at me.
"She got the first loan for me.""
I felt the room tilt.
"What are you talking about?""
Kiara's lips trembled.
May you like
Then she said the words that changed the entire investigation.
"Natalie knows exactly how this started. She just doesn't remember what she agreed to.""
