Chapter 2: The Woman My Father Trusted
I didn't sleep that night.
Vanessa went upstairs shortly after the phone call, claiming she had a headache. She didn't ask about dinner, my flight, or how my meeting in Chicago had gone.
She simply closed our bedroom door.
I stayed downstairs.
At 1:17 a.m., I sat alone in my father's old study, staring at the photograph Nia had given me.
My father looked younger in it.
He was wearing the gray sweater I had bought him for his seventieth birthday. Vanessa stood beside him with one hand resting on his shoulder.
They looked like a happy family.
But I remembered the day the photograph was taken.
It had been shortly before my father became ill.
He had called me into his study and asked me to sit down.
"Michael, there's something about Vanessa I don't like.""
I had laughed.
"What's wrong now, Dad?""
He hadn't laughed with me.
"She asks too many questions about my money.""
I remembered defending her.
"She's my wife. She cares about the family.""
My father had looked at me for a long time.
"That's exactly what worries me, son. She knows how to make you believe whatever she wants.""
I had left his study annoyed.
Now those words returned with painful clarity.
A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.
Nia stood at the doorway.
She had changed into clean clothes and wrapped a towel around her damp hair.
"Mr. Michael?""
"Come in.""
She stepped inside, looking uncomfortable.
I pointed to the chair opposite me.
"Sit down. And please tell me everything.""
Nia sat carefully.
For a moment, she stared at her hands.
Then she began.
"It started about seven months ago.""
"What started?""
"Mrs. Vanessa asking me to bring documents from your father's study.""
"What documents?""
"Bank statements. Insurance papers. Property papers. Sometimes letters.""
"Did you give them to her?""
"At first, yes. She said you had asked her to organize everything.""
I rubbed my forehead.
"Why didn't you call me?""
"I did.""
I looked up.
"When?""
"Three times. I called your office. I left messages with your assistant.""
I reached for my phone.
I remembered receiving a few messages from the office about household matters, but I had been busy closing a business acquisition.
"Did Vanessa know you were contacting me?""
Nia nodded.
"She found out after the first call. She told me if I contacted you again, she would have me arrested for stealing.""
I leaned forward.
"Did you steal anything?""
"No, sir.""
Her voice cracked.
"She searched my room twice. She took my phone once. She told the other staff members I was unstable.""
I felt sick.
"What about the transfers?""
Nia reached into her handbag and pulled out another folded paper.
"I made copies before she could take everything.""
She placed it on the desk.
This one was cleaner.
There were twelve transactions listed, not six.
The amounts totaled more than four hundred thousand dollars.
I stared at the page.
"Four hundred thousand?""
Nia nodded.
"Some went to a company called Vantage Holdings. Some went to a personal account.""
"Whose account?""
She hesitated.
"Your wife's brother.""
I closed my eyes.
Vanessa's younger brother, Daniel, had always been a problem.
He had borrowed money from us repeatedly, claiming he was building a real estate business. Every time I asked for repayment, Vanessa accused me of being cruel.
I had finally stopped asking.
"How did you find this?""
"Your father asked me to help him find a missing envelope.""
"What envelope?""
"He said it contained something important. He couldn't remember where he had put it.""
"Did you find it?""
Nia nodded.
"Inside the bottom drawer of his study. It had bank records and a letter.""
"Where is it now?""
Her eyes moved toward the hallway.
"Mrs. Vanessa took it.""
I stood.
"When?""
"Last Thursday. She came while you were away.""
I remembered Vanessa telling me she was going to visit her mother that afternoon.
"Did you see what was inside?""
Nia reached into her handbag again.
This time, she removed a small photograph.
It showed my father sitting at his desk, holding a document.
On the desk was a second photograph of me as a child.
I recognized the room.
It was the same study.
"Your father asked me to take this picture," Nia explained.
"He said if anything happened to the original papers, I should show it to you.""
I studied the photograph.
The document in my father's hands appeared to have a notary stamp.
"What's this supposed to prove?""
Nia leaned forward.
"He told me he had changed his will.""
My heart skipped.
"Changed it how?""
"He said he wanted to protect the family business from someone who was trying to take it.""
I stared at her.
"Did he say Vanessa?""
Nia nodded slowly.
Before I could ask anything else, footsteps sounded outside the study.
Vanessa appeared in the doorway wearing a silk robe.
Her eyes moved from me to Nia.
"What is she doing here?""
"Talking to me.""
"It's two in the morning, Michael.""
"Then go back to bed.""
Vanessa stared at the documents.
"Are you seriously believing this woman?""
I remained seated.
"She has records of more than four hundred thousand dollars leaving my father's account.""
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
"Those were business expenses.""
"Why did they go to Daniel?""
"Because he was helping your father with investments!""
"Which investments?""
"Don't interrogate me like I'm some criminal!""
Nia quietly stood.
Vanessa pointed at her.
"Get out.""
I raised my hand.
"Sit down, Nia.""
Vanessa's face reddened.
"Michael, this is ridiculous. You are letting a housekeeper interfere in our marriage.""
"She's the only person who seems willing to answer my questions.""
Vanessa walked to the desk and snatched one of the statements.
She scanned it quickly.
Then she tore it in half.
I stood so abruptly that my chair fell backward.
"What the hell are you doing?""
"Those papers are stolen!""
"Then why are you destroying them?""
Vanessa threw the pieces onto the desk.
"You don't know what you're looking at!""
"Then explain it!""
She turned toward Nia.
"She has been stealing money from this house. She knows you trust her because of your father. She's been planning this.""
Nia's eyes filled with tears.
"That's not true.""
"Shut up!""
Vanessa slammed her palm against the desk.
"You should be grateful I haven't called the police.""
I stepped between them.
"One more threat, Vanessa, and you'll be the one explaining things to the police.""
She looked at me as if I had slapped her.
Then she changed tactics.
Her voice became softer.
"Michael, darling. Think about what you're doing. We have a life together.
A marriage. A future.""
I looked at her.
"Did you take my father's original will?""
Her silence lasted two seconds too long.
Then she said, "I don't know what you're talking about.""
I picked up my phone.
"I'm calling his lawyer.""
Vanessa's face drained of color.
"No.""
It was barely a whisper.
I stared at her.
"Why not?""
"Because your father isn't mentally capable of making legal decisions anymore.""
"That's not what I asked.""
She stepped closer.
"Michael, listen to me. There are things you don't understand about your father's condition.""
"Then explain them.""
She shook her head.
"Not here.""
"Where?""
She looked at Nia.
"Alone.""
I didn't move.
"Say it in front of her.""
Vanessa's eyes flashed.
Then she leaned toward me and whispered, "Your father isn't the only one who signed those transfers.""
My blood went cold.
"What does that mean?""
She looked directly into my eyes.
"It means you signed them too.""
For a moment, the room seemed to tilt.
I stared at her.
"I never authorized these transactions.""
Vanessa opened a drawer and removed a thin black folder.
She placed it on the desk.
Inside were copies of authorization forms.
My signature appeared at the bottom of each one.
It looked exactly like mine.
I recognized the date.
Six months earlier, I had signed a stack of documents Vanessa had brought to my office while I was preparing for an overseas trip.
She had told me they were insurance renewals and property management papers.
I had signed them without reading every page.
"Where did you get these?"" I asked.
Vanessa folded her arms.
"From your own office.""
I turned to Nia.
She looked horrified.
"Sir, she told me those papers were for the nursing home.""
Vanessa smiled coldly.
"See? Even she knows nothing.""
I picked up the folder.
There was another document inside.
A transfer authorization for a second account.
The account holder's name was partially hidden beneath a folded corner.
I pulled it open.
And my heart stopped.
The account wasn't under Vanessa's name.
It wasn't under Daniel's.
It belonged to someone I had never expected to find connected to our finances.
My father's former business partner.
May you like
*Edward Collins.*
The man who had been dead for eleven years.
