Chapter 8 - THE SIGNATURE
By morning, Caroline’s face was everywhere.
An old photograph from a foundation gala.
A grainy image taken through the hospital entrance.
A headline asking whether Daniel Mercer had fallen for an elaborate fraud.
Noah saw it on a television outside the family waiting room.
“That’s not true.”
Daniel took the remote from the table and switched it off.
“I know.”
“Then why are they saying it?”
“Because someone gave them a story before we could give them the facts.”
The boy looked disgusted.
“That’s stupid.”
“Yes,” Daniel said. “It is.”
Rachel obtained the documents Victor had distributed.
The bank transfers bore Caroline’s signature.
So did a statement claiming she had voluntarily separated from Daniel and accepted a financial settlement.
Caroline stared at the pages.
“That one is mine.”
Daniel felt the room go quiet.
Rachel leaned forward.
“Which one?”
“The last page. I signed it at Harbor.”
“Did you read it?”
“They told me it authorized Noah’s release to me.”
Her voice thinned.
“I couldn’t hold a pen properly. My right shoulder was broken. They moved the paper under my hand.”
Rachel compared the pages.
“The signature page references an attachment. There’s no attachment.”
“Can you prove they changed it?” Daniel asked.
“Not from these copies.”
Caroline looked at him.
“You don’t have to believe me just because—”
“I believe you.”
“You used to believe Victor.”
The words landed hard.
Daniel nodded.
“I did.”
He didn’t defend himself.
He had been injured. He had been deceived.
Before that, he had also ignored her concern about the accounts because his brother had sounded more certain.
Both things were true.
Rachel’s assistant called with records from the supposed settlement account.
It was in Caroline’s name.
The opening paperwork used an address she had never lived at.
The contact number belonged to Victor’s office.
Rachel smiled without warmth.
“Well. That’s helpful.”
A knock came at the door.
A hospital administrator stood outside with Ruiz.
Behind them were two detectives Daniel hadn’t met.
Caroline straightened.
“What now?”
Ruiz looked unhappy.
“The prosecutor’s office received a financial complaint this morning. They need to interview you.”
“Here?” Daniel demanded.
One detective stepped forward.
“Mrs. Mercer, did you authorize the transfer of two hundred thousand dollars from the foundation?”
Caroline looked at the document he held.
May you like
Then she looked at Daniel.
“That transfer happened the morning of the crash.”
