Chapter 8: The Witness Nobody Expected
Dad drove home without turning on the radio.
I watched the road pass through the window, but my mind kept returning to the name Rebecca had read.
Someone from our own family.
"Who was it?"" I finally asked.
Dad kept his eyes on the road.
"Your uncle.""
I turned toward him.
"Uncle Michael?""
He nodded.
My mother's younger brother, Michael Carter, lived two states away. I hadn't seen him in almost a year.
He had attended my mother's funeral and helped Dad organize her belongings afterward.
He had always been kind to me.
When I was younger, he used to call me Moonbeam because I loved drawing stars on everything.
"Why would Uncle Michael sign something like that?""
"I don't know.""
"Did he know Mom was in the hospital?""
"Of course he did.""
Dad's voice sounded strained.
We reached home just after five.
Rebecca was waiting in the living room.
She had printed several documents and arranged them across the coffee table.
Vanessa was nowhere to be seen.
Brielle sat on the stairs, staring at her phone.
"Where's Vanessa?"" Dad asked.
"She went out," Rebecca replied.
"Where?""
"She said she needed to speak to someone.""
Dad shook his head.
"Of course she did.""
Rebecca pointed to the documents.
"I've reviewed the authorization form. The signature attributed to Eleanor is questionable. The witness signature belongs to Michael Carter.""
Dad sat down.
"Did you contact him?""
"Not yet. I wanted to discuss it with you first.""
Dad picked up the paper.
The document stated that Eleanor had authorized Vanessa to manage certain financial transactions during a period of medical incapacity.
But there was a problem.
The date on the document was October 13.
According to the hospital records, Mom had been unconscious for most of that day.
I pointed to a line.
"What's this?""
Rebecca leaned closer.
"That's the notary's registration number.""
"Can we check it?""
"Yes.""
She entered the number into her laptop.
A few minutes later, she looked up.
"The notary listed here retired two years before this document was supposedly signed.""
Dad stood.
"Then it's fake.""
"Possibly. But we need confirmation from the notary's records and the original document.""
I looked at the witness line.
Michael Carter.
My uncle.
"Why would he do that?""
Rebecca answered carefully.
"People sometimes sign documents without understanding what they're witnessing. We shouldn't assume he knew the contents.""
Dad nodded.
"I'm calling him.""
He dialed.
The phone rang four times.
Then a familiar voice answered.
"Daniel? Everything okay?""
Dad looked at me.
"No, Michael. It isn't.""
A pause.
"What's happened?""
Dad glanced at the document.
"Do you remember signing a power-of-attorney form for Eleanor five years ago?""
The silence lasted several seconds.
Then Michael said, "What form?""
Dad's expression hardened.
"Your signature is on a document authorizing Vanessa to access Eleanor's financial accounts.""
Michael immediately raised his voice.
"That's impossible.""
"Is it?""
"Daniel, I never signed anything giving Vanessa access to Eleanor's money.""
Dad looked at Rebecca.
"Are you sure?""
"Absolutely. I signed some hospital paperwork when Eleanor was admitted, but nothing about money.""
Rebecca motioned for Dad to put the call on speaker.
"Mr. Carter," she said, "this is Rebecca Collins, the attorney who handled Eleanor's estate. We have a document bearing your signature.""
Michael sounded shaken.
"Can you send me a copy?""
"Certainly. But first, do you remember meeting Vanessa and a man named Graham Pierce?""
Michael went quiet.
Then he said, "Yes.""
Dad leaned forward.
"When?""
"After Eleanor died.""
My heart started pounding.
"What?"" I whispered.
Michael heard me.
"Maya? Is that you?""
"Yes, Uncle Michael.""
He softened his voice.
"Moonbeam, I'm sorry you're caught up in this.""
Dad interrupted.
"What happened after Eleanor died?""
Michael exhaled.
"Vanessa called me. She said Daniel was overwhelmed and that Eleanor had left some business paperwork unfinished. She asked me to meet her and a consultant.""
"Where?""
"At a coffee shop near the hospital.""
"When?""
"About two weeks after the funeral.""
Dad stared at the document.
"Did you sign anything?""
"No. Graham showed me a paper, but I refused. I told them Eleanor had never mentioned it.""
"Did you see the power-of-attorney form?""
"No.""
Rebecca wrote something down.
"Did Vanessa say why she needed your signature?""
Michael hesitated.
"She said Eleanor had promised her money for a business. She wanted me to confirm that I knew about the arrangement.""
Dad closed his eyes.
"Did you?""
"No.""
"Then why didn't you tell me?""
Michael's voice became quieter.
"Because Vanessa threatened me.""
Dad went still.
"Threatened you with what?""
"She said Eleanor had left a letter accusing me of mismanaging family money. She told me if I interfered, she would make sure you believed I had stolen from my sister.""
I looked at Dad.
"Mom would never have accused Uncle Michael.""
"I know," he whispered.
Michael continued.
"I thought she was bluffing. But after that meeting, I received copies of financial documents with my signature on them. I panicked.""
"Why didn't you call me?"" Dad asked.
"Because I didn't want to destroy your marriage. You were already trying to raise Maya alone.""
Dad rubbed his face.
"Michael, you should have told me.""
"I know.""
Rebecca asked him to preserve any messages or documents connected to Vanessa and Graham.
Michael agreed to travel to our town the following morning.
After the call ended, nobody spoke.
Then Brielle came downstairs.
She was holding a small silver flash drive.
"Can I show you something?""
Vanessa had returned.
She stood in the hallway behind Brielle.
"What are you doing?""
Brielle flinched.
"Nothing.""
Dad looked toward Vanessa.
"Where have you been?""
"Out.""
"With Graham?""
Her eyes narrowed.
"Don't be ridiculous.""
Brielle stepped forward.
"I found something in Mom's laptop.""
Vanessa rushed toward her.
"Give me that.""
Brielle held the flash drive behind her back.
"No.""
Dad moved between them.
"What's on it?""
Brielle looked at me.
"Videos. Mom recorded meetings with Graham.""
Vanessa's face drained.
"Those are private.""
Brielle shook her head.
"One of them has your conversation about Maya's money.""
Dad slowly reached for the flash drive.
"Where did you find it?""
"In the drawer under Mom's bed. It was inside an old birthday card.""
Vanessa's voice became almost a scream.
"Brielle, you have no idea what you're doing!""
Brielle began crying.
"I know you told me to lie about the signature.""
Dad took the flash drive.
Rebecca immediately asked everyone to step away from the laptop.
She made a copy of the files and preserved the original.
There were six recordings.
The first three were conversations about Vanessa's clothing business.
The fourth was a meeting with Graham.
The fifth was a phone call.
And the sixth was a video recorded inside a hospital room.
Dad stared at the screen.
The date was October 14.
The date of the supposed agreement.
The video showed a hospital bed.
A woman lying beneath white sheets.
My mother.
And standing beside her was Vanessa.
Dad leaned closer.
"Turn up the volume.""
Rebecca did.
A man's voice came from behind the camera.
"She can't sign anything in this condition.""
Vanessa answered.
"Then we'll make sure the paperwork is ready when she wakes up.""
The man replied.
"And if she doesn't?""
Vanessa looked directly at the camera.
"Then Daniel will never know.""
Dad's face went completely white.
Because the man holding the camera had just spoken again.
And I recognized his voice.
It belonged to someone who had attended my mother's funeral.
Someone who had hugged me and promised that everything would be okay.
May you like
Someone I had never imagined could be involved.
It was Uncle Michael.
