Chapter 5 - THE SIGNATURE
For a moment, all I could hear was the air conditioner.
“How did she get that?”
Daniel answered before anyone else.
“The kitchen table.”
Three nights earlier, we had gone to my mother’s house for dinner.
I had brought the marriage-license paperwork because Daniel needed to check one detail.
Vanessa had offered to make copies.
I remembered handing her the pages.
Remembered thanking her.
June studied the authorization.
“The signature image has a faint gray edge. It was lifted from another document.”
Mr. Hale sent it to the designer with instructions to preserve the original email and its details.
Then he handed me a separate page.
“Claire, read this.”
It was an amendment to our company’s operating agreement.
Under the existing agreement, major asset transfers required both sisters’ approval.
The amendment would allow Vanessa to approve them alone.
It also listed me as resigning from day-to-day management.
My signature appeared at the bottom.
Same gray edge.
Same stolen handwriting.
I looked at my mother.
“You witnessed this.”
She didn’t deny it.
“You told me it was for the loan renewal,” she said.
“I never gave you that document.”
Her eyes filled.
“Vanessa did.”
Daniel stepped away from the desk.
He needed space.
I could see that.
So did I.
“Did you watch me sign?” I asked.
“No.”
“Then why did you sign as a witness?”
“She said you were busy.”
My mother said it so softly I almost missed it.
Eight months of records.
Years of accidents.
And there it was.
My sister had never needed a brilliant plan.
She had needed people willing to skip one question.
June’s phone rang.
She stepped into the hallway, then returned quickly.
“The receiving bank hasn’t released the forty-two thousand. There’s a review on the account.”
Mr. Hale nodded.
“We need the bank’s fraud department notified before that changes.”
Daniel was already dialing his own accountant.
Then my mother rose.
“I need to speak to Vanessa.”
“No,” I said.
“She’s my daughter.”
“So am I.”
She stared at me.
I waited.
For once, I made her sit with the words.
Lena’s phone buzzed.
She looked down, frowned, and handed it to me.
Vanessa had posted a picture of herself in the ballroom.
Beautiful green dress.
Champagne glass raised.
The caption read: WHEN THE BRIDE THROWS A TANTRUM, SOMEONE HAS TO KEEP THE PARTY GOING.
May you like
Behind her, beside the open side entrance, stood Eric.
Holding Daniel’s laptop bag.
