Chapter 7: The Signature of a Dead Man
I stared at the signature until the letters began to blur.
My father's name.
Robert Cole.
He had been dead for eleven years.
I remembered his funeral. I remembered standing beside my mother in the rain while the coffin was lowered into the ground. I remembered Daniel holding my shoulder because I couldn't stop shaking.
And now his signature was sitting on a hospital document dated four years ago.
"Detective," I said quietly, "I need you to look at this.""
Rebecca Shaw took the paper.
She studied the signature, then compared it with the other documents in the folder.
"Are you certain your father died eleven years ago?""
"Absolutely.""
"Was he involved in any medical or financial arrangements before his death?""
I shook my head.
"He owned a construction company. Nothing to do with hospitals.""
Daniel leaned against the wall.
"There's something strange about that signature.""
I turned toward him.
"What?""
"Your father always signed his name with a capital R that looked like a loop. This one doesn't.""
Rebecca looked at him.
"You're saying it's forged?""
"I'm saying someone copied his name.""
I took the document back.
Then I noticed a small number printed beneath the signature.
A patient authorization reference.
Rebecca called the hospital administrator.
Within minutes, she returned with another file.
"Mr. Cole, this authorization was entered into the hospital system four years ago. The account used to submit it belonged to your late father.""
"How is that possible?""
"The account wasn't closed after his death.""
I looked at Daniel.
"Who had access?""
He hesitated.
"Mom.""
My stomach tightened.
"Why would she have Dad's hospital account?""
Daniel rubbed his jaw.
"After he died, she kept most of his paperwork. She handled the estate.""
I looked at Rebecca.
"Can you find out what the account was used for?""
She nodded.
An officer began searching the hospital's archived records.
While we waited, my phone rang again.
My mother.
I answered immediately.
"Where is Emma?""
"Marcus, please listen.""
"Where is my daughter?""
"She's safe.""
"Put her on the phone.""
"I can't.""
"Then tell me where she is.""
My mother began crying.
"You're not supposed to know about her.""
I closed my eyes.
"She's four years old, Mom. She asked me why I let her mother die alone.""
My mother's breathing became uneven.
"I never wanted that.""
"Then why did you tell her I was dead?""
"I was trying to protect her.""
"From me?""
"No!""
Her voice cracked.
"From the people who wanted to use her.""
I stared at the hospital document.
"Who?""
She didn't answer.
"Was it Vanessa?""
A long silence.
Then my mother whispered, "Vanessa was never the person in charge.""
My skin prickled.
"What does that mean?""
"She was working for someone.""
"Who?""
My mother began to speak.
Then a man's voice interrupted.
"Margaret, give me the phone.""
The call ended.
I looked at Rebecca.
"That was him again.""
"Who?""
"I don't know. But he's with my mother.""
Rebecca immediately instructed an officer to trace the call.
Daniel moved closer.
"Marcus, I think I know who it is.""
"Who?""
He looked toward the door.
"Your father's old business partner.""
I frowned.
"Victor Hale?""
Daniel nodded.
Victor Hale had been my father's closest friend for twenty years. They had built a construction company together before my father died.
After the funeral, Victor had helped my mother settle the estate.
He had also been the person who recommended our family lawyer.
I hadn't spoken to him in years.
"Why would Victor be involved?""
Daniel looked uncomfortable.
"Because he was the person who told Mom to keep Dad's accounts open.""
I felt a cold pressure behind my ribs.
Rebecca stepped forward.
"Do you have an address for him?""
I gave her the last address I remembered.
She passed it to an officer.
Then the hospital administrator returned.
"We found something.""
She placed a printed report on the desk.
It showed the access history for the old account.
One login had been made on the night Sarah died.
The user identification belonged to Margaret Cole.
Another had been made two weeks later.
That one belonged to Victor Hale.
And the final entry showed something even stranger.
A document had been uploaded under my father's name.
Its title was:
*Parental Consent and Permanent Guardianship Transfer.*
I read the heading.
Then the first paragraph.
It stated that I had voluntarily surrendered all parental rights to the newborn child.
I nearly tore the paper.
"I never signed this.""
Rebecca examined the document.
"There's no notarization stamp. The signature appears copied.""
"Can this be reversed?""
"That depends on the legal history, but a forged document cannot establish valid consent.""
I stared at the page.
Someone had taken my newborn daughter.
Someone had told the world I was dead.
Someone had forged my father's signature and used it to erase me from my own child's life.
And Vanessa had somehow discovered the secret.
"Why would they do this?"" I whispered.
Daniel answered.
"Money.""
I turned toward him.
He pointed to the final page.
There was a reference to a trust established in Sarah's name.
The beneficiary was Emma.
The trustee was Victor Hale.
The trust had been funded with two hundred and forty thousand dollars.
I felt sick.
"Where did that money come from?""
The administrator looked at the document.
"According to this record, the funds originated from an insurance settlement.""
Sarah's insurance settlement.
But the amount didn't match what I remembered.
I had received three hundred and eighty thousand dollars.
Where had the remaining money gone?
Rebecca closed the folder.
"Mr. Cole, we're going to need financial investigators.""
I nodded.
Then an officer rushed into the room.
"Detective, we have a location.""
Rebecca turned.
"Where?""
"Victor Hale's office. We traced a recent call from Margaret Cole's phone to that address.""
I stood.
"Let's go.""
Rebecca blocked the doorway.
"You're not going in.""
"He's holding my mother and possibly my daughter.""
"We have officers approaching. You stay here.""
I clenched my fists.
Then Daniel's phone rang.
He answered.
His face went pale.
"Who?""
He listened.
Then slowly lowered the phone.
"What?"" I demanded.
He looked at me.
"Victor Hale's office is empty.""
"And?""
Daniel swallowed.
"They found a photograph of Emma on his desk.""
I stepped forward.
"What else?""
Daniel looked directly into my eyes.
"There's a handwritten note beside it.""
Rebecca asked him to read it.
He did.
"Robert's son has finally started asking the right questions.""
May you like
Then he looked at me.
"Your father isn't the only dead man whose name appears in these records.""
