Chapter 8: The Real Thief
“Nathan is alive?””
I stared at Vanessa.
She nodded.
“I saw him.””
“When?””
“Last night.””
“Before or after the money disappeared?””
“Before.””
“Where?””
“In the kitchen.””
Maya backed away.
“Why didn't you tell us?””
Vanessa's voice broke.
“Because he threatened you.””
“You keep saying that!””
Maya's tears returned.
“You keep saying everyone is threatening you, but somehow you're always the one with the secrets!””
Vanessa looked down.
I couldn't blame Maya.
I was beginning to feel the same way.
Laura stepped closer.
“Where is Nathan now?””
“I don't know,” Vanessa said.
“What did he want?””
“He wanted the envelope.””
“The tuition money?””
“Yes.””
“Did you give it to him?””
“No.””
I stared at her.
“You said you handed the black handbag to a man.””
“I did.””
“Wasn't Nathan?””
“No.””
“Then who?””
Vanessa looked at Eric.
“Caleb.””
I turned.
“What?””
“He works for Nathan.””
“Then why did Laura say Nathan was involved?””
“Because he is.””
I paced across the room.
“This is a maze.””
Laura said, “It's supposed to be.””
I looked at her.
“What does that mean?””
“Every person Nathan uses is another layer between him and the money.””
“And the person at the center?””
“Nathan.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
Everyone looked at me.
“Nathan isn't the center.””
Laura frowned.
“Why?””
“Because he keeps using other people.””
I looked at Vanessa.
“He used you.””
Then Eric.
“He used Caleb.””
Then Laura.
“He used my mother.””
I looked at the bank alert.
“And someone is using him.””
Laura went still.
“What makes you say that?””
“Because Nathan has been stealing from me for months.””
“Yes.””
“But if he had control of the foundation, he could have taken everything.””
Laura nodded.
“He didn't.””
“He only moved small amounts.””
“Correct.””
“Why?””
Nobody answered.
I opened the bank records.
The transfers were strangely precise.
$2,400.
$1,800.
$3,200.
$4,100.
Never enough to trigger immediate attention.
Never enough to look like one massive theft.
But together, they totaled tens of thousands.
I looked at Vanessa.
“Who knew how much was in my accounts?””
She hesitated.
“You.””
“Who else?””
“Me.””
“Anyone else?””
She looked away.
“Vanessa.””
“My brother.””
“Nathan?””
“Yes.””
I looked at Laura.
“Who else?””
She didn't answer.
“Laura.””
She finally said, “Your mother.””
“She died six years ago.””
“Yes.””
“So who has access now?””
Laura's eyes shifted toward Maya.
Maya frowned.
“Me?””
“No.””
“Then who?””
Laura whispered:
“Your father's estate attorney.””
I froze.
“What?””
“Your mother transferred control to a trust administrator.””
“Who?””
Laura took out her phone.
She showed me a document.
At the bottom was a name.
*Richard Hale.*
I knew him.
He had handled my mother's estate.
He had handled mine afterward.
He knew about every account.
Every document.
Every property.
Every signature.
I felt sick.
“You think Richard is behind this?””
Laura nodded.
“Your mother suspected him.””
“Why didn't she tell me?””
“Because she didn't have proof.””
I called him.
He answered on the fourth ring.
“Daniel?””
“Where are you?””
A pause.
“At my office.””
“I need to see you.””
“Is something wrong?””
“Yes.””
Another pause.
“What happened?””
“My daughter's tuition money was stolen.””
Silence.
Then Richard said:
“I was afraid this would happen.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
“I'll explain everything.””
“Now.””
“I can't.””
“Why?””
“Because someone is listening.””
I looked around the room.
Laura.
Vanessa.
Maya.
Eric.
Nobody was near me.
“Who?””
Richard whispered,
“Blackridge.””
The call ended.
I stared at the phone.
Laura's face had gone pale.
“What did he say?””
“Blackridge.””
She immediately locked the doors.
“Everyone stay away from the windows.””
Maya looked frightened.
“Why?””
“Because if Richard is telling the truth, this is bigger than Nathan.””
A car passed slowly outside.
Then another.
I moved toward the window.
Laura grabbed my arm.
“Don't.””
I looked at her.
“You think they're watching?””
“Yes.””
“Then we're already trapped.””
Eric suddenly spoke.
“Not if we leave through the garage.””
We moved quickly.
I grabbed the laptop and the memory card.
Maya grabbed her backpack.
Vanessa followed.
Laura stayed behind.
“Come on,” I said.
She shook her head.
“I need to get something.””
“What?””
“My mother's file.””
“What file?””
“The one proving who owns the foundation.””
“Where?””
“Your office.””
I stared.
“My office?””
“Yes.””
We went upstairs.
My office door was locked.
I entered the code.
The cabinet opened.
Most of the folders were exactly where I'd left them.
Except one.
A black folder sat on top.
I didn't recognize it.
I opened it.
Inside was a single contract.
The Carter Foundation.
Beneficiary:
*Maya Carter.*
Administrator:
*Richard Hale.*
Secondary administrator:
*Vanessa Carter.*
I looked at Vanessa.
She stepped back.
“I didn't know.””
“Your name is right here.””
“I swear I didn't know.””
Then I saw another page.
A handwritten amendment.
Dated six months ago.
It removed Maya as beneficiary.
And replaced her with:
*Morris Educational Consulting LLC.*
My hands shook.
“Someone changed the trust.””
Laura looked over my shoulder.
“This is forged.””
“How do you know?””
“Because your mother would never have signed it.””
I looked at the signature.
It was perfect.
Too perfect.
Then I saw something else.
A notary stamp.
Richard Hale.
I called him again.
He didn't answer.
I tried his office.
No response.
Eric looked at the document.
“There's a digital signature hidden in the PDF.””
I opened the file properties.
The document had been created yesterday.
At 8:03 p.m.
Three minutes before Vanessa moved the camera.
I looked at her.
“You were downstairs at 8:03.””
“Yes.””
“Who was with you?””
“Nobody.””
I checked the camera.
At 8:03, Vanessa was alone.
At 8:05, Maya entered.
At 8:08, Maya left.
At 8:09, Vanessa returned.
At 8:11, the camera moved.
I looked at the file.
Someone had created the forged trust amendment during that window.
But Vanessa had been visible on camera.
Unless—
I stopped.
“The laptop.””
“What?”” Maya asked.
“The office laptop.””
I opened the browser history.
Someone had remotely accessed the computer.
The session lasted twelve minutes.
From 7:59 to 8:11.
I checked the IP address.
It wasn't local.
It belonged to a VPN.
But one login name was visible.
*RHale_Admin.*
Richard Hale.
I stared at the screen.
Laura whispered, “He did it.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“Someone used his credentials.””
“Why?””
“To frame him.””
I looked at the forged amendment again.
Then at the tuition payment.
Then at the camera footage.
Everything had been designed to point toward different people.
Maya.
Vanessa.
Nathan.
Richard.
Even Laura.
Someone wanted us fighting each other.
And while we fought, they moved the money.
My phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
*You're getting close.*
Another message.
*But you still haven't found the real thief.*
Then a photograph appeared.
It showed our living room from the night before.
Vanessa stood beneath the camera.
Maya was upstairs.
The black handbag sat on the table.
And behind Vanessa, barely visible in the dark hallway, was another figure.
A figure I hadn't noticed in the footage.
I zoomed in.
My blood ran cold.
It was me.
Standing in the hallway.
At 8:10 p.m.
Three minutes before the camera moved.
Maya stared at the photograph.
“Dad…”
I couldn't speak.
I knew I had been at work until 8:30.
I couldn't have been there.
Unless the timestamp was wrong.
Or someone had made the photograph.
Then another message appeared.
*Check the footage of Daniel entering the house.*
I opened the front-door camera.
At 8:10 p.m., the door opened.
A man entered.
He was wearing my coat.
My face was visible for only two seconds.
But it was enough.
Maya whispered:
“That looks exactly like you.””
I stared at the screen.
Then Laura said,
“Daniel…”
I turned.
She was pointing at the man's left hand.
He was wearing my wedding ring.
But I was wearing mine.
I looked down.
My ring was still on my finger.
Someone had copied my face.
Someone had copied my identity.
May you like
Someone had been inside my house pretending to be me.
And whoever it was had known exactly when the cameras would be blind.
