Chapter 4: Derek Collins
The word *fraud* seemed to hang in the living room long after the phone stopped buzzing.
Arthur stared at the screen in my hand.
“Give me that,” he said.
I didn't move.
“No.””
“Maya.””
“No.””
His jaw tightened.
“You don't understand what you're reading.””
“I understand ‘fraud investigation.’”
“That doesn't mean I committed fraud.””
“Then why are you afraid?””
Arthur looked at Rose.
She was crying silently.
“Mom, please.””
Rose shook her head.
“Don't call me that right now.””
The words hit him harder than anything I'd said.
Jordan stepped beside me.
“Who is Derek Collins?””
Arthur rubbed his forehead.
“He's an old friend.””
“An old friend whose account received my money?”” I asked.
“It wasn't your money.””
I stared at him.
Arthur immediately corrected himself.
“I mean—it wasn't supposed to become your money.””
My stomach turned.
“What does that even mean?””
Arthur sank into the armchair.
For the first time, he looked old.
Not stern.
Not powerful.
Just exhausted.
“I made a mistake,” he said.
“You keep saying that.””
“Because it's true.””
“What mistake?””
He looked at the floor.
“I was behind on something.””
“On what?””
“Bills.””
“What bills?””
He didn't answer.
Jordan crossed his arms.
“Dad, you're making this worse.””
Arthur's eyes snapped toward him.
“You don't know anything about what I've been dealing with.””
“Then tell us.””
“I said I handled it.””
“You didn't handle it,” I said.
“You moved eighteen thousand dollars from a hospital account to another man's account.””
Arthur looked at me.
“You don't know that I moved anything.””
“The refund did.””
“I didn't request the refund.””
“Then who did?””
Silence.
I felt a chill.
“Who had access to Grandma's insurance information?””
Arthur didn't answer.
Rose slowly looked at him.
“You did.””
Arthur closed his eyes.
“I handled the paperwork.””
“And the online portal?””
“Yes.””
“And the hospital account?””
“Yes.””
“And the insurance?””
“Yes.””
I felt my fingers tighten around the phone.
“So you had access to everything.””
Arthur looked at me.
“I was trying to help.””
“Then why was Derek involved?””
Arthur's face changed.
Just slightly.
But I saw it.
Recognition.
Fear.
Guilt.
Jordan saw it too.
“You know where the money went.””
Arthur stood abruptly.
“I need to make a call.””
I stepped in front of him.
“No.””
“Move.””
“No.””
“Maya, move.””
“You're not leaving until you tell us.””
He stared at me.
Then the front door opened.
All four of us turned.
A man stood on the porch.
Black, early sixties, wearing a charcoal coat and holding a leather folder against his chest.
His eyes moved across the room.
Then landed on Arthur.
“Arthur.””
Arthur went pale.
“Derek.””
Jordan whispered, “That's him.””
Derek stepped inside.
Rose gripped the back of the sofa.
“Why are you here?””
Derek looked at her.
“Mrs. Bennett, I'm sorry.””
Arthur moved toward him.
“You shouldn't have come here.””
“You stopped answering my calls.””
“I told you I'd fix it.””
“You told me that yesterday.””
Derek's voice was calm.
That somehow made everything worse.
I stepped forward.
“Are you Derek Collins?””
He looked at me.
“Yes.””
“Did my eighteen thousand dollars go into your account?””
Derek glanced at Arthur.
Arthur shook his head almost imperceptibly.
Derek saw it.
Then he looked back at me.
“Yes.””
The room went silent.
Arthur closed his eyes.
Jordan whispered, “Why?””
Derek put the leather folder on the coffee table.
“I didn't know it was stolen money.””
My heart pounded.
“Stolen?””
Arthur opened his eyes.
“Derek.””
“You told me it was yours.””
“I know what I told you.””
“You said the money was being transferred temporarily.””
“It was.””
Derek's face hardened.
“You said the refund was legitimate.””
“It was supposed to be.””
“You said the account belonged to your business.””
“It does.””
“No, Arthur.””
Derek opened the folder.
“It doesn't.””
He pulled out several printed documents.
I took them.
The first page was a bank transfer.
The second was an account statement.
The third was something that made my breath catch.
A signed authorization.
My father's name was at the bottom.
But underneath it was another signature.
Mine.
I stared at it.
“I never signed this.””
Arthur immediately said, “Maya—”
“I never signed this.””
Derek looked at Arthur.
“You forged her signature?””
Arthur's face hardened.
“Keep your voice down.””
“You told me she authorized the transfer.””
“She did.””
“I just told you I didn't.””
Derek looked at me.
Then at Rose.
Then back at Arthur.
“You lied to me too.””
Arthur's shoulders dropped.
Jordan picked up the document.
His face went white.
“Dad…”
“What?””
“This isn't just the refund.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
Jordan pointed at the bottom of the page.
“There are three transfers.””
I read the amounts.
$18,000.42.
$7,500.
$12,000.
My mouth went dry.
“What are these?””
Derek answered quietly.
“They're all connected to your grandmother's medical account.””
Rose stumbled backward.
I caught her arm.
“Grandma?””
She looked at Arthur.
“What else did you take?””
Arthur said nothing.
Rose's voice broke.
“Arthur…”
He finally looked at her.
And then Derek said something that made the entire room freeze.
“There's another account.””
May you like
He opened the folder to the last page.
“This one is in Maya's name.””
