Cal knocked once.<\/p>\n
Not loudly.<\/p>\n
\u201cRebecca.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nobody answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cRebecca, I know you're in there.\u201d<\/p>\n
She gripped the flash drive.<\/p>\n
Stephanie stood near the bathroom.<\/p>\n
I remained beside the table.<\/p>\n
Cal tried the handle.<\/p>\n
Locked.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease open the door.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca looked at me.<\/p>\n
I shook my head.<\/p>\n
Cal spoke again.<\/p>\n
\u201cJosie, I know you're there too.\u201d<\/p>\n
My skin prickled.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
No answer.<\/p>\n
I moved closer to the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEric.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephanie whispered, \u201cI knew it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cal continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe called me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause he thinks I'm going to run.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAren't you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe suitcase suggests otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was before.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore I knew Rebecca had the ledger.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
There it was.<\/p>\n
Not before I knew my wife had found out.<\/p>\n
Before the evidence surfaced.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo away,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Cal's voice changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecca.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon't call me that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI need five minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou've had two years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI need the drive.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Marcus gets it\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe won't.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don't understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand better than you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRebecca, there are names in that file that shouldn't be there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause you put them there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot all of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n
That mattered.<\/p>\n
Cal said, \u201cPlease.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca opened the door but left the chain engaged.<\/p>\n
Cal stood outside.<\/p>\n
He looked exhausted.<\/p>\n
Unshaven.<\/p>\n
No coat.<\/p>\n
\u201cGive me the drive.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes found me.<\/p>\n
\u201cJosie.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is the six thousand?\u201d<\/p>\n
He blinked.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cash from the suitcase.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI paid someone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA courier.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDocuments.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat documents?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked toward Rebecca.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe originals.\u201d<\/p>\n
She laughed bitterly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're still trying to clean the trail.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I'm trying to prove what Marcus did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou forged Josie's signature.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou stole from her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou used my brother.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou lied about Emma.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Every accusation met the same exhausted answer.<\/p>\n
Not denial.<\/p>\n
Recognition.<\/p>\n
Cal finally seemed to have run out of alternate realities.<\/p>\n
I asked, \u201cWhy did you insure me?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca stepped closer to the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon't.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI applied for coverage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is insuring me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe policy wasn't supposed to issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI needed proof of application.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMarcus.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wanted collateral.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou told Rebecca it wasn't assigned.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn't.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen how was it collateral?\u201d<\/p>\n
Cal rubbed his forehead.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wanted leverage.\u201d<\/p>\n
The word chilled me.<\/p>\n
\u201cExplain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf something happened to me, he couldn't recover the debt. He wanted protection tied to household assets.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you insured me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI submitted an application because he wanted evidence of coverage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy me instead of yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI already had coverage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSeven hundred fifty thousand?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why was mine so large?\u201d<\/p>\n
Cal looked away.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWrong answer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't choose the final amount.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho did?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMarcus's broker.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca said, \u201cThe insurer told me the application came through Northline.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cal nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you forge my signature?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The simplicity of the admission hurt more than another lie.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you know about the sedative?\u201d<\/p>\n
His face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cMartin told you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you put it in my vitamin bottle?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you know it was there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot until you got sick.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why did you think my illness was connected?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause one capsule was missing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom where?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe bottle in my truck.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin's explanation had been wrong.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour father said the bottle was at the apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI lied to him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I didn't want him knowing I brought it home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it was at our house.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the garage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was terrified of being caught with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy not throw it away?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought Marcus would ask for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou hid dangerous pills in a bottle identical to mine.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you put that bottle in the kitchen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho did?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca said, \u201cDiane had access.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cal turned sharply.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mother would never.\u201d<\/p>\n
I almost laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don't get to use never anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cal looked back at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI swear I didn't intentionally give you anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
I believed that he wanted me to believe him.<\/p>\n
That was not the same as believing him.<\/p>\n
Rebecca held up the flash drive.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy do you need this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause the ledger was altered.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou keep saying that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBy whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMarcus.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProof?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's what I paid the courier for.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat originals?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBank records from Northline's first year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou found them?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSome.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy father's storage unit.\u201d<\/p>\n
I frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would Martin have them?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe kept boxes after Northline moved offices.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes he know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere are the documents now?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSafe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
Cal hesitated.<\/p>\n
Rebecca started closing the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cWait.\u201d<\/p>\n
He pushed nothing.<\/p>\n
Made no attempt to force entry.<\/p>\n
\u201cI'll tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEric's office.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephanie stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe office that was broken into?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI put them there afterward.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the police?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCeiling tile in the back storage room.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephanie took out her phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m calling Eric.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cal said, \u201cDon't.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I don't trust him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNeither do I right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe's the one sending Josie messages.\u201d<\/p>\n
She stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI figured it out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe used a phrase in a text to me that matched one sent to the burner.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat phrase?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything changes.\u201d<\/p>\n
I remembered it.<\/p>\n
If she gets into the apartment before me, everything changes.<\/p>\n
The anonymous sender had used similar language.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would Eric help me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause he wants me destroyed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephanie's expression hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou stole from him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen maybe that's not mysterious.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt's more than money.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Cal looked at Rebecca.<\/p>\n
She seemed to know.<\/p>\n
I noticed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat aren't you saying?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca placed the flash drive on the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cEric was supposed to own half of Northline.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephanie stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCal promised him equity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cal said, \u201cIt was conditional.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOn what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFinancing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he provide it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why didn't he get the equity?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMarcus wouldn't allow it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's not true.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cal looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou weren't in those meetings.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have the ledger.\u201d<\/p>\n
She inserted the flash drive into the laptop.<\/p>\n
The file opened.<\/p>\n
She searched Eric's name.<\/p>\n
A corporate distribution schedule appeared.<\/p>\n
Eric Radek: 25%.<\/p>\n
Martin Kincaid: 15%.<\/p>\n
Calvin Kincaid: 35%.<\/p>\n
Another entity:<\/p>\n
MVA Holdings: 25%.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo fifty percent,\u201d Stephanie said.<\/p>\n
Rebecca clicked another tab.<\/p>\n
An earlier agreement appeared.<\/p>\n
Eric Radek: 50%.<\/p>\n
Calvin Kincaid: 50%.<\/p>\n
Then a revision.<\/p>\n
Eric's share vanished.<\/p>\n
Martin appeared.<\/p>\n
Marcus's company appeared.<\/p>\n
Cal remained.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
Cal stared at the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cMarcus demanded control.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why did your father get fifteen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSecurity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHis guarantee.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Eric agree?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephanie whispered, \u201cYou cut him out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't have a choice.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always have a choice.\u201d<\/p>\n
I recognized my own argument in her words.<\/p>\n
Cal looked defeated.<\/p>\n
Rebecca searched another column.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere's the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
She highlighted distributions.<\/p>\n
Payments had gone to an entity called JKM Consulting.<\/p>\n
I frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Cal stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cI've never seen it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca clicked.<\/p>\n
Registered owner:<\/p>\n
Josephine Kincaid Mercer.<\/p>\n
I stared at the name.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat isn't me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Rebecca said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it's designed to look like you.\u201d<\/p>\n
My maiden name was Mercer.<\/p>\n
Josephine Kincaid Mercer was close enough to my real identity to create confusion.<\/p>\n
Too close.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho created it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca searched the incorporation record.<\/p>\n
Organizer:<\/p>\n
Diane Kincaid.<\/p>\n
My stomach dropped.<\/p>\n
Cal whispered, \u201cMom?\u201d<\/p>\n
The entity had received $86,000 over two years.<\/p>\n
Not debt.<\/p>\n
Distributions.<\/p>\n
Someone had been profiting using a company designed to resemble me.<\/p>\n
I thought of Diane saying she had gained nothing.<\/p>\n
Another lie.<\/p>\n
Stephanie said, \u201cCal, did you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
His shock looked real.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca searched further.<\/p>\n
Transfers from JKM Consulting went to another account.<\/p>\n
Account holder information was incomplete.<\/p>\n
Only initials appeared.<\/p>\n
DK.<\/p>\n
Diane.<\/p>\n
Cal sat down on the hallway floor outside the chained door.<\/p>\n
For the first time since Christmas, he looked not frightened for himself but genuinely blindsided.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mother stole from Northline.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot necessarily.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLook at authorization.\u201d<\/p>\n
She enlarged the transaction log.<\/p>\n
Each distribution required two administrator approvals.<\/p>\n
Diane Kincaid.<\/p>\n
And:<\/p>\n
MK.<\/p>\n
Martin Kincaid.<\/p>\n
I stared at the screen.<\/p>\n
Cal whispered, \u201cDad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eighty-six thousand dollars.<\/p>\n
His parents.<\/p>\n
The roof.<\/p>\n
Northline.<\/p>\n
The forged ownership.<\/p>\n
The secret company carrying a version of my name.<\/p>\n
Suddenly Christmas dinner looked different again.<\/p>\n
Maybe Cal had not been the only person waiting for my bonus.<\/p>\n
Maybe the family that watched him volunteer my money had already spent years using my identity as camouflage.<\/p>\n
My phone vibrated.<\/p>\n
Unknown number.<\/p>\n
I opened it.<\/p>\n
You finally found the account.<\/p>\n
Then another:<\/p>\n
Now ask why Martin needed Cal to stay in debt.<\/p>\n
I looked through the chained doorway at my husband.<\/p>\n
For once, Cal looked as confused as I felt.<\/p>\n
The third message arrived.<\/p>\n
Because a desperate son never audits his father.<\/p>\n
Cal knocked once. Not loudly. \u201cRebecca.\u201d Nobody answered. \u201cRebecca, I know you're in there.\u201d She gripped the flash drive. Stephanie stood near the bathroom. I remained beside the table. Cal … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6301,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chapter-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6313"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6313\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6344,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6313\/revisions\/6344"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}