Chapter 13 - THE MISSING SIGNATURE
Detective Brooks called the courthouse while an officer drove us there. By the time we arrived, Daniel was sitting on a bench outside the records office with a folder on his lap.
He stood when he saw Luca.
“I came to settle it,” Daniel said.
Brooks took the folder. It contained the property transfer and a new witness page.
My signature was on it.
I stared at the handwriting. The first letter looked like mine. The rest leaned the wrong way.
“That’s forged,” I said.
“I know,” Brooks answered.
Daniel held up both hands. “I didn’t sign it.”
“Who did?” Luca asked.
“Vanessa.”
“She says the transfer was your plan.”
“Of course she does.”
Brooks stepped between them. “You can both give statements. Right now, nobody is recording this document.”
The clerk came out, having heard the last sentence. Brooks explained the forged witness signature and handed her the preservation notice. The clerk marked the filing as disputed.
Daniel watched her carry it away. His shoulders dropped.
“Why come here?” Luca asked. “You knew the police were looking for you.”
“Because Paul kept copies of the first invoices. I thought if I gave up the transfer, you’d look at Vanessa instead.”
“Paul says you started taking money before I met her.”
Daniel’s face hardened. “Paul signed off on every payment.”
“He says you told him you’d put it back.”
“I did put some back.”
Luca stared at him. “That’s your defense?”
Daniel looked down at his shoes. “I borrowed money when my father got sick. Then I borrowed more. By the time you offered me a bigger role, I couldn’t let anyone see the books.”
“You could have told me.”
“I know.”
They stood in the courthouse hall surrounded by people carrying ordinary problems on paper. For a moment I could see the boys they had once been. Then Daniel looked at my bandaged hand.
“Vanessa should never have touched her,” he said.
“No,” Luca answered. “She shouldn’t have.”
Brooks escorted Daniel to speak with investigators. As he passed, he leaned toward Luca.
“Ask Vanessa who made the first photograph,” he said.
Luca frowned. “What?”
“The photograph from your study. Claire’s camera didn’t take it.”
May you like
Noah opened the file on his phone. Daniel was right.
The first image had been added to the card a day before I set up my camera.
