Chapter 5: The Man Outside the University
Maya stared at the photograph.
“I've never seen him.””
I believed her.
But I couldn't ignore the fact that someone had been watching her.
I zoomed in.
The man stood across the street from the university entrance.
Gray coat.
Black baseball cap.
One hand in his pocket.
His face was partially visible.
“Do you recognize him?”” I asked.
Maya shook her head.
“No.””
Vanessa stood behind her.
She whispered, “I do.””
I turned.
“You know him?””
She nodded.
“His name is Caleb.””
“Caleb what?””
“Caleb Morris.””
“Who is he?””
Vanessa swallowed.
“Someone Nathan hired.””
“For what?””
“To follow Maya.””
Maya looked at her.
“You knew someone was following me?””
“I found out last week.””
“And you didn't tell me?””
“I was trying to protect you.””
“You keep saying that!””
Maya's voice cracked.
“You keep saying you were protecting me, but everything you've done has made me more afraid.””
Vanessa flinched.
I understood.
There are lies people tell because they want to hurt you.
And then there are lies people tell because they're terrified of what the truth will destroy.
Vanessa's were the second kind.
That didn't make them less damaging.
I took my keys.
“I'm going to the university.””
Maya grabbed my arm.
“Why?””
“Because I want to know who Caleb is.””
Vanessa stood.
“I'll come.””
“No.””
“Daniel—”
“You've hidden enough.””
She stopped.
Maya looked at me.
“I'm coming too.””
“No.””
“Dad.””
“You're not going anywhere near this man.””
“He's already been following me.””
“Exactly.””
“I need answers.””
I looked at her tear-streaked face.
She wasn't the little girl who used to hide behind my leg when strangers came to the door.
She was twenty-one.
And someone had dragged her into a mess she didn't create.
“Fine,” I said.
“But you stay beside me.””
We drove to campus.
The rain had stopped.
The sidewalks were crowded with students carrying umbrellas and coffee cups.
Everything looked normal.
That almost made it worse.
Maya pointed toward the library.
“I usually study there.””
“Where were you yesterday?””
“Same place.””
“Did anyone approach you?””
She thought.
“There was a man.””
My hands tightened around the steering wheel.
“What man?””
“I don't know.””
“What did he say?””
“He asked if I was Maya.””
I turned toward her.
“When?””
“Yesterday afternoon.””
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“I thought he was from the financial office.””
“What did he want?””
“He gave me an envelope.””
My heart stopped.
“What envelope?””
Maya stared at me.
“I threw it away.””
“Why?””
“Because I thought it was a scam.””
“What did it look like?””
“White. No name. Just my student ID written on it.””
Vanessa suddenly spoke.
“That was him.””
Maya turned.
“Caleb?””
“Yes.””
I pulled into a parking space.
“Where's the financial office?””
Maya pointed.
“Building C.””
We walked inside.
The receptionist looked up.
“Can I help you?””
I explained that we needed information regarding Maya's tuition account.
The woman checked the computer.
Her expression changed.
“There's a hold.””
“What kind of hold?”” I asked.
“Third-party payment verification.””
Maya frowned.
“What does that mean?””
“It means someone attempted to make a payment on your account using an outside source.””
“Who?””
“I can't disclose that without authorization.””
I showed my identification.
The woman hesitated.
Then she called a supervisor.
Ten minutes later, we were sitting in a small office.
A financial administrator named Ms. Greene placed a file on the desk.
“There was an attempted payment of $3,800 yesterday.””
Maya stared.
“From who?””
“We don't have a name.””
“What do you mean?””
“It came through a cashier's check.””
I looked at Vanessa.
She had gone white.
“Was the payment accepted?””
“No.””
“Why?””
“The check was flagged.””
“Flagged by whom?””
Ms. Greene turned the file toward us.
“The bank.””
I leaned closer.
“What was wrong with it?””
“The check appeared legitimate, but the account number had been reported for suspicious activity.””
I looked at Vanessa.
She whispered, “Nathan.””
Ms. Greene frowned.
“I'm sorry?””
“Nothing,” I said.
She continued.
“The payment was attempted at 8:47 yesterday morning.””
I looked at Maya.
“I was at work then.””
“I was in class.””
Vanessa stared at the table.
I asked, “Who brought the check?””
Ms. Greene pulled up a camera still.
A man stood at the counter.
Gray coat.
Black cap.
Caleb.
Maya covered her mouth.
“That was him.””
Ms. Greene zoomed in.
“He presented himself as a family representative.””
“What name did he use?””
“Daniel Carter.””
I felt my stomach drop.
My name.
He had used my identity.
Again.
“Did he show ID?””
“Yes.””
“What kind?””
“A driver's license.””
“Was it mine?””
She nodded.
Maya looked at me.
“Dad…”
I could barely speak.
“Someone has a copy of my driver's license.””
Vanessa whispered, “Nathan.””
Ms. Greene frowned.
“You know this person?””
“We think so.””
“Then you need to contact campus security.””
“We will.””
I stood.
“Can I get a copy of the check?””
She hesitated.
“For legal reasons—”
“Please.””
After a phone call, she printed a copy.
The name on the check wasn't Nathan.
It wasn't Vanessa.
It wasn't me.
It was made payable by:
*Morris Educational Consulting LLC.*
I stared at the name.
“Caleb.””
Maya looked confused.
“What is that?””
“I don't know.””
We left the office.
Outside, I called Eric.
He answered immediately.
“Did you find anything?””
“Do you know Morris Educational Consulting?””
There was silence.
Then:
“Yes.””
My stomach tightened.
“What is it?””
“It's not an education company.””
“What is it?””
“A shell company.””
“Whose?””
Eric lowered his voice.
“Nathan's.””
I looked at Maya.
She had heard him.
“Why would Nathan create a fake education company?””
Eric said, “To move money.””
“How much?””
“Daniel…”
“How much?””
“Over sixty thousand.””
My jaw tightened.
“From where?””
“Different accounts.””
I looked down at the copy of the check.
Three thousand eight hundred dollars.
The same amount as Maya's tuition.
“So the tuition money was supposed to go into his shell company.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Eric hesitated.
“Because once it went there, he could make it look like you paid a business expense.””
I frowned.
“I never authorized a business expense.””
“I know.””
“Then what was the point?””
Eric said quietly, “To create a paper trail.””
“For what?””
“For the forty-two-thousand-dollar loan.””
I understood.
Nathan wasn't just stealing.
He was manufacturing transactions that would make the stolen money look legitimate.
And Maya's tuition payment was supposed to become part of that trail.
But there was something I couldn't understand.
“Why did he need my daughter involved?””
Eric was silent.
Then he said:
“Because your daughter was the one person whose account could explain where the money supposedly came from.””
I looked at Maya.
She was staring at the campus entrance.
Then she suddenly whispered,
“Dad.””
I followed her gaze.
Across the street stood Caleb.
Gray coat.
Black cap.
Watching us.
I started toward him.
He turned immediately.
“Caleb!””
He ran.
I chased him.
Students scattered.
He cut between two buildings.
I followed.
“Stop!””
He didn't.
He reached a parking garage.
I saw him disappear around a concrete pillar.
Then a car engine roared.
I ran around the corner.
A black sedan was pulling away.
I caught only part of the license plate.
Maya arrived seconds later.
“Dad!””
I watched the car disappear.
Then something caught my eye.
A small envelope lay on the pavement.
I picked it up.
My name was written across the front.
Inside was a photograph.
It showed Nathan standing beside Caleb.
Behind them was the front door of my house.
On the back, someone had written:
*Your brother isn't the one who started this.*
I turned the photograph over again.
There was another line beneath it.
*Ask your wife what happened seven years ago.*
Maya looked at me.
“What happened seven years ago?””
I looked at Vanessa.
She had stopped walking.
She was staring at the photograph.
May you like
Then she whispered,
“Someone found us.””
