Chapter 6: Seven Years Earlier
Vanessa sat in the back seat without speaking.
The photograph rested between us.
Nathan.
Caleb.
Our house.
Seven years ago.
I kept replaying her words.
Someone found us.
Not him.
Not Nathan.
Us.
“What happened seven years ago?”” I asked.
Vanessa looked out the window.
“Can we go home?””
“No.””
“Daniel.””
“No more secrets.””
Maya sat beside her.
“Mom, please.””
Vanessa closed her eyes.
“When you were fifteen,” she said, “I made a mistake.””
Maya frowned.
“What kind of mistake?””
“A financial one.””
I turned around.
“What does that mean?””
“I invested money.””
“With whom?””
“Nathan.””
I almost laughed.
“You invested with Nathan?””
“Yes.””
“How much?””
“Twenty thousand.””
“Where did you get twenty thousand?””
She looked at me.
“It was mine.””
“That isn't what I asked.””
Her silence answered.
“Maya,” I said softly, “go inside the house.””
“No.””
“This isn't for you.””
“Yes, it is.””
Vanessa looked at her daughter.
“I used your college fund.””
Maya went completely still.
“What?””
Vanessa's eyes filled with tears.
“I replaced it.””
“When?””
“Two years later.””
Maya shook her head.
“You took my college money?””
“I put it back.””
“But you took it.””
“I was desperate.””
“For what?””
Vanessa looked at me.
“Nathan promised he could double it.””
I rubbed my face.
“You trusted him.””
“Yes.””
“And lost it.””
“Yes.””
“Then what happened?””
“He disappeared.””
I stared.
“That's when he vanished?””
Vanessa nodded.
“Seven years ago, Nathan told me the investment had failed. Then he stopped answering my calls.””
“But he's been here for months.””
“I know.””
“Why did he come back?””
Vanessa looked at Maya.
“Because of the money.””
I frowned.
“What money?””
“The original money.””
“That was seven years ago.””
“Yes.””
“It's gone.””
“No.””
Her voice was quiet.
“It isn't.””
I stared at her.
“What do you mean?””
Vanessa reached into her purse and pulled out an old envelope.
The paper was yellowed.
The corners were worn.
She handed it to me.
Inside were bank statements.
Seven years old.
I read them.
Then read them again.
Twenty thousand dollars had been transferred from an account in Vanessa's name.
But the destination wasn't Nathan's company.
It was an account registered to a person named:
*Evelyn Carter.*
My mother.
I looked up.
“What is this?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“I didn't know at the time.””
“Know what?””
“That Nathan never invested the money.””
“Then where did it go?””
She pointed to the statement.
“Your mother.””
I stared at the name.
My mother had died six years ago.
“She received it?””
“According to the records.””
“Why?””
“I don't know.””
I flipped through the papers.
There were several transfers.
Different amounts.
All sent to Evelyn.
Then, three weeks after the final transfer, the account was closed.
Maya whispered, “Grandma?””
I couldn't speak.
My mother had never mentioned any of this.
Not once.
I looked at Vanessa.
“You said Nathan disappeared.””
“He did.””
“And you thought he'd taken the money.””
“I did.””
“Then why did you never tell me?””
“Because I was ashamed.””
“You let me believe the twenty thousand was lost.””
“I know.””
I stared at the old statement.
Something didn't make sense.
“My mother couldn't have received this.””
“Why?””
“She didn't have an account like this.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“That was what I thought too.””
“Then who did?””
She reached into the envelope.
There was one more document.
A bank verification form.
The account holder's name was Evelyn Carter.
But the signature was not my mother's.
It looked like mine.
I felt my heartbeat in my throat.
“That isn't my signature.””
“I know.””
“Then who signed this?””
“I don't know.””
Maya leaned closer.
“Dad…”
I turned the page.
At the bottom was a handwritten note.
*Account opened using Carter family identification.*
I stared at the words.
My mother's identity had been used.
My identity had been used.
Nathan had access to our documents.
But seven years ago, Nathan supposedly disappeared.
Unless he hadn't.
I called Eric.
He answered on the first ring.
“I need you to find something.””
“What?””
“Everything you can about Nathan from seven years ago.””
“Daniel…”
“Everything.””
There was a pause.
“Okay.””
I hung up.
Vanessa whispered, “There's more.””
I looked at her.
“Of course there is.””
She flinched.
“I found something in Nathan's old files.””
“What?””
“A recording.””
“What recording?””
“A conversation between him and your mother.””
My blood ran cold.
“You have it?””
“Yes.””
“Where?””
She reached into her purse again.
This time, she pulled out a small memory card.
“I found it last week.””
“You found it last week?””
“Yes.””
“And you didn't tell me?””
“I was afraid.””
I took the card.
“Afraid of what?””
“That you'd hear what she said.””
Maya looked at her.
“What did Grandma say?””
Vanessa looked at me.
“She said Nathan wasn't stealing from you.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“She said he was protecting you.””
I almost dropped the card.
“That makes no sense.””
“I know.””
I inserted it into the laptop.
A video opened.
The quality was poor.
A timestamp appeared.
*October 17, 2019.*
Seven years earlier.
My mother's kitchen.
She sat at the table.
Across from her was Nathan.
He looked younger.
Angrier.
My mother was crying.
“I told you no,” she said.
Nathan leaned forward.
“You don't understand.””
“I understand perfectly.””
“If Daniel finds out, everything falls apart.””
“Then let it.””
“You'd ruin your own son?””
“I'd rather lose him than watch you destroy him.””
Nathan slammed his hand on the table.
“You don't know what I've already done.””
My mother stared at him.
“What did you do?””
Nathan's voice dropped.
“I put everything in his name.””
I froze.
Vanessa covered her mouth.
On the screen, my mother whispered:
“You forged his signature?””
Nathan nodded.
“Loans. Accounts. Transfers.””
My mother's face crumpled.
“Why?””
“Because he was the only one they trusted.””
“Who?””
Nathan didn't answer.
My mother leaned forward.
“Who are you working for?””
Nathan looked toward the camera.
For the first time, I noticed someone else in the room.
A shadow behind the doorway.
A woman.
I couldn't see her face.
My mother said,
“If you keep doing this, Daniel will lose everything.””
Nathan replied:
“Not if Vanessa follows the plan.””
Vanessa gasped beside me.
I stopped the video.
She looked at me.
“I didn't know.””
“What plan?””
“I swear I didn't know.””
I restarted it.
My mother stood.
“Vanessa will never agree.””
Nathan laughed.
“She doesn't have to.””
“Then who will?””
He looked toward the doorway.
The shadow moved.
The woman stepped into view.
I leaned closer.
Maya whispered, “Who is that?””
The woman turned toward the camera.
My entire body went cold.
Because I recognized her.
She was someone I hadn't seen in years.
Someone who had attended my mother's funeral.
Someone who had hugged me and told me how sorry she was.
Someone whose name I hadn't thought about in a very long time.
I whispered her name.
“Laura.””
Vanessa looked at me.
“Who is Laura?””
I couldn't answer.
The video continued.
Nathan said,
“She'll make sure Daniel never asks questions.””
My mother's voice trembled.
“And if he does?””
Laura finally spoke.
“Then we'll give him someone else to blame.””
The screen went black.
Maya stared at me.
“Dad… who is Laura?””
I looked at Vanessa.
Then at the old photograph.
Then at the hidden file.
Everything had begun seven years earlier.
The tuition money wasn't the beginning.
It was only the newest piece.
My phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
One final message appeared:
*Now you know who started it.*
Then another:
*But you still don't know who is holding Maya's real tuition money.*
I stared at the screen.
Vanessa's face went white.
Maya whispered,
“Mom?””
Vanessa looked at her daughter.
And said,
“It's not Nathan.””
The front door opened downstairs.
A woman's voice called from the hallway.
“Daniel?””
I knew that voice.
I hadn't heard it in seven years.
May you like
But I knew it.
Laura had come back.
