Chapter 8: The Man Who Had Been Watching Us
Mr. Haines didn't leave immediately.
He sat back down, opened his briefcase, and placed the protected-account agreement beside the photograph of Brooke and Martin.
“Thomas Whitaker,” he repeated.
“Was he your husband's financial adviser?””
“Yes. Richard met him through a retirement planning seminar. They worked together for several years.””
“Did you ever meet him?””
“Once or twice. He seemed perfectly respectable.””
“Did Richard trust him?””
“Completely.””
Mr. Haines nodded slowly.
“That's what concerns me.””
Carol shifted in her chair.
“I know Thomas.””
I turned toward her.
“How?””
“He used to attend meetings with Brooke and Martin.””
My stomach tightened.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“I didn't know his full involvement.””
Mr. Haines leaned forward.
“Carol, did you ever witness Thomas discussing the protected account?””
She hesitated.
“Yes.””
“When?””
“Last summer. Brooke arranged a meeting at a hotel near the airport. She said they were discussing Daniel's business debts.””
“Who attended?””
“Brooke, Martin, Thomas, and me.””
I stared at her.
“You went to a hotel meeting with them?””
She nodded.
“What happened?””
Carol looked down.
“Thomas said the account could be used to secure a private loan. He said it would be temporary and that the money would be returned before anyone noticed.””
I felt my stomach turn.
“Before anyone noticed?””
She started crying.
“I know. I should have walked away.””
Mr. Haines took notes.
“Did you sign anything?””
Carol nodded.
“What?””
“A witness statement. I thought I was confirming that Richard had discussed the arrangement before he died.””
Mr. Haines stopped writing.
“Did you actually hear Richard authorize it?””
“No.””
“Then why did you sign?””
“Brooke told me it was just a formality.””
I stood and walked to the sink.
I needed something solid beneath my hands.
My sister had signed a statement supporting a transaction Richard had never approved.
The man who had spent his final months trying to protect me had been betrayed by the people he trusted.
I looked out the window.
“Mr. Haines, I want to know where that money went.””
“We'll find out.””
He made several calls.
One was to the bank's fraud department.
Another was to his office.
The third was to a financial investigator he had worked with on previous cases.
By late afternoon, he had an update.
“The protected account was closed eleven months ago.””
I gripped the counter.
“Closed?””
“Yes. The balance was transferred in three separate transactions.””
“To Daniel?””
“Not directly.””
He showed me the transaction records.
The first transfer went to an account associated with Carter Construction.
The second went to a private lending company.
The third went to an account registered to a consulting business.
I frowned.
“What consulting business?””
He pointed to the name.
*Whitaker Financial Solutions.*
Thomas's company.
I felt dizzy.
“Did he take the money?””
“We don't know yet. But his company received approximately $91,000.””
Carol covered her mouth.
“That's the money Brooke said would be returned.””
Mr. Haines looked at her.
“Did Brooke tell you where the remaining amount went?””
Carol shook her head.
I looked at the records.
Nearly one hundred thousand dollars had gone to Thomas.
The rest had been scattered between Daniel's business and creditors.
But something still didn't make sense.
“Why would Thomas help them steal from us?””
Mr. Haines closed the folder.
“That is the question.””
The next morning, Olivia called with an update.
She had located Thomas Whitaker's office and confirmed that the company was still operating.
Mr. Haines arranged a formal request for records and began preparing additional legal notices.
Meanwhile, I decided to do something I hadn't done in months.
I drove to the bank.
My knee still hurt, but I refused to let pain dictate every decision.
The branch manager, a woman named Melissa Grant, greeted me.
“Mrs. Carter. It's nice to see you.””
“I need to review every account connected to my name.””
Her smile faded.
“Is everything all right?””
“No.””
I handed her Mr. Haines's authorization.
“I believe there may have been unauthorized transactions.””
She escorted me into a private office.
For nearly an hour, she printed statements and reviewed account histories.
Then she stopped.
“Mrs. Carter, I think you should see this.””
She turned her computer toward me.
A secondary account appeared beneath my name.
I didn't recognize it.
“What is that?””
“An account opened approximately eighteen months ago.””
“Who opened it?””
Melissa examined the records.
“The application lists you as the primary account holder and Daniel Carter as an authorized representative.””
I stared at the screen.
“Daniel never told me about this.””
“Do you recognize the account number?””
“No.””
She printed the application.
I read the first page.
My personal information was correct.
My address.
My date of birth.
My Social Security number.
But the contact email wasn't mine.
It belonged to Brooke.
I felt my hands go cold.
“Can you tell me what happened to the money?””
Melissa checked the transaction history.
“There have been regular deposits and withdrawals.””
“How much?””
She hesitated.
“Approximately $38,000 has passed through this account.””
“From where?””
“Several sources. Some transfers originated from your primary savings account. Others came from outside institutions.””
I looked up.
“Outside institutions?””
“Yes. There are deposits from two different lenders.””
I felt my throat tighten.
“Loans?””
Melissa nodded.
“Possibly.””
I leaned back.
So it wasn't just my savings.
They had been using my identity to borrow money.
“Can you freeze the account?””
“Not without completing our fraud procedures, but I can flag it for immediate review and restrict certain transactions while our security team investigates.””
“Please do.””
She began typing.
Then she stopped.
“There's one more thing.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
“The account has a scheduled transfer.””
“To where?””
She printed the destination details.
The receiving account belonged to a company called Greenfield Property Holdings.
I didn't recognize the name.
But Melissa did.
“Mrs. Carter, this company is listed as a real-estate investment business.””
I felt my heart pound.
“When is the transfer scheduled?””
“Tomorrow morning.””
“How much?””
She turned the screen.
*$42,500.*
I immediately called Mr. Haines.
He answered while I was still sitting in the bank office.
“Mrs. Carter?””
“Someone has scheduled another transfer from an account I never opened.””
“How much?””
“Forty-two thousand five hundred dollars.””
“Where is it going?””
I read him the company name.
There was a pause.
Then he said:
“Don't leave the bank until they confirm the account has been flagged. I'm coming over.””
Twenty-five minutes later, he arrived.
He reviewed the documents and contacted the bank's legal department.
The transfer was placed on hold pending the fraud investigation.
I thought that would be the end of the day's surprises.
I was wrong.
As Melissa returned with the confirmation paperwork, she lowered her voice.
“Mrs. Carter, I found something else in the account notes.””
“What?””
“Someone called the bank last week asking whether you had visited the branch recently.””
“Who?””
She checked the record.
“The caller identified herself as a family member.””
My stomach tightened.
“Which family member?””
Melissa looked uncomfortable.
“Carol Carter.””
I turned slowly toward my sister, who had been waiting outside the office.
Carol's face went white.
“Why did you call the bank?”” I asked.
She began shaking her head.
“I was trying to find out whether the transfer had gone through.””
I stared at her.
“You were checking whether they had taken another forty-two thousand dollars from me?””
“I didn't know it was your account!””
“Your name is on the application!””
Carol started crying.
Mr. Haines stepped between us.
“Mrs. Carter, let's take a breath.””
But I couldn't.
I looked at my sister.
“Have you been working with Brooke this entire time?””
“No.””
“Then why are you protecting her?””
Carol lowered her voice.
“Because she has something on me.””
“What?””
She looked toward the bank entrance.
Then she whispered:
“She's threatening to send the police a recording of me admitting that I helped forge Richard's signature.””
I froze.
“You did what?””
Carol began sobbing.
“I didn't forge it, Evie. But I helped her get the documents.””
I stared at her.
And then she said something that made the entire situation even worse.
“Brooke told me if I didn't help her, she'd tell Daniel who his real father is.””
The room went silent.
I looked at Carol.
“What did you just say?””
She covered her face.
Mr. Haines slowly lowered the documents.
May you like
Then Carol whispered:
“Richard wasn't Daniel's biological father.””
