Chapter 7: The Woman Who Knew Everything
"Mom, what do you mean I'm not his only victim?""
I stood in Mr. Reynolds's office, gripping my phone so tightly that my fingers hurt.
On the other end, Nia was breathing unevenly.
"Maya, I can't explain everything over the phone.""
"Then tell me where Marcus went.""
"I don't know.""
"You just said he took the original documents!""
"He said he was going to meet someone.""
"Who?""
My mother hesitated.
Then she whispered a name.
"Denise.""
Mr. Reynolds looked up immediately.
Patricia stopped typing.
I repeated the name.
"Denise who?""
"I don't know her last name. She's someone Marcus used to work with. They started having problems a few months ago.""
"What kind of problems?""
My mother began crying again.
"He said she had copies of some financial records. He was afraid she would tell someone.""
Mr. Reynolds reached for my phone.
"Put her on speaker.""
I did.
"This is Robert Reynolds," he said calmly.
"Mrs. Johnson, I need you to answer a few questions.""
Nia sounded startled.
"Who?""
"Robert Reynolds. I represent Tasha's interests concerning her mother's estate.""
There was a pause.
"Oh.""
"Do you know Denise's full name?""
"Denise Carter.""
Patricia immediately looked at Mr. Reynolds.
"Does she work at the dealership?"" I asked.
"No," my mother replied.
"She used to work with Marcus at Johnson Home Solutions.""
Mr. Reynolds exchanged a look with Patricia.
"Mrs. Johnson, do you know where Marcus is going?""
"I think he's meeting her at the storage facility on Route 18.""
"What storage facility?""
"The one behind the old hardware store. He rents a unit there.""
Mr. Reynolds wrote something down.
"Do you know what is inside?""
My mother hesitated.
"Boxes. Paperwork. Old business files.""
"Anything else?""
Her voice dropped.
"Documents belonging to Elena.""
Tasha, who had been sitting beside me, suddenly stood.
"My mother?""
Nia heard her.
"Yes.""
Tasha moved closer to the phone.
"What documents?""
"I don't know all of them. I saw a box with your mother's name on it.""
"Why would Marcus have my mother's documents?""
My mother began sobbing.
"Because he never got rid of them.""
Tasha looked at me.
Her expression was a mixture of anger and fear.
"Mom, did you know about this the entire time?""
"No.""
"Don't lie to me.""
"I swear, Tasha. I didn't know about the trust transfers until much later.""
"Then why didn't you tell me when you found out?""
Nia couldn't answer.
Tasha closed her eyes.
"That's what I thought.""
Mr. Reynolds interrupted.
"Mrs. Johnson, do not contact Marcus. Do not attempt to retrieve any documents yourself. We will handle this through the appropriate authorities.""
"But what if he destroys everything?""
"That's exactly why we need to act carefully.""
The call ended.
Mr. Reynolds immediately contacted someone.
Patricia opened her laptop and began preparing a formal request for preservation of records.
I looked at Tasha.
"Are you okay?""
She shook her head.
"No.""
I pulled her into a hug.
She rested her forehead against my shoulder.
"Why would he keep Mom's documents?""
"I don't know.""
"What if he took something important?""
I didn't answer.
Because I was thinking the same thing.
An hour later, we were sitting in the attorney's conference room when Patricia received a call.
She listened for several minutes, occasionally asking questions.
Then she covered the microphone.
"They located the storage facility. Marcus's vehicle is there.""
Mr. Reynolds stood.
"Has anyone entered the unit?""
"Not yet. The authorities are being contacted because of the reported financial documents and suspected unauthorized signatures.""
Tasha immediately stood.
"I want to go.""
Mr. Reynolds shook his head.
"That isn't a good idea.""
"But those documents belong to my mother.""
"I understand. We need to make sure nothing is disturbed.""
Tasha looked frustrated.
"Everyone keeps telling me to wait.""
Patricia softened her voice.
"You're not being ignored. We're protecting your ability to recover what belongs to you.""
Tasha sat down.
I took her hand.
A few minutes later, my phone buzzed.
It was a message from Mom.
Please don't let Marcus know I told you anything.
I stared at it.
Then another message arrived.
There is something else you need to know about Denise.
I typed back.
What?
Her response came immediately.
She has a daughter.
I frowned.
Okay?
Then the next message appeared.
Her daughter was supposed to receive money from Marcus too. He promised to pay for her education.
I looked at Tasha.
She read the message over my shoulder.
"What does that mean?""
Before I could answer, Patricia's phone rang.
It was an unknown number.
She answered.
"Patricia Cole.""
A woman's voice came through.
"Ms. Cole? My name is Denise Carter. I believe you're investigating Marcus Johnson.""
Patricia glanced at Mr. Reynolds.
"Yes.""
"I need to talk to you.""
"About what?""
There was a pause.
Then Denise said something that made the entire room go silent.
"Marcus didn't just steal from Tasha. He used the same arrangement with my daughter.""
Denise arrived at the office forty minutes later.
She was in her late forties, with tired eyes and a gray sweater.
She carried a large brown envelope.
She didn't sit immediately.
Instead, she looked at Tasha.
"You're Elena's daughter?""
Tasha nodded.
Denise's expression softened.
"I knew your mother.""
Tasha looked surprised.
"You did?""
"Years ago. We worked together at the hospital before I moved into administrative finance.""
"Was she a good person?""
Denise smiled sadly.
"She was one of the kindest women I ever met.""
Tasha's eyes filled.
Denise sat down.
"My daughter, Olivia, is twenty years old. Marcus hired me to help with bookkeeping when he started expanding his business.""
Patricia opened her notebook.
"How long did you work with him?""
"Almost three years.""
"And when did the problems begin?""
Denise placed the envelope on the table.
"About a year and a half ago.""
She explained that Marcus had initially presented himself as a hardworking father trying to build a stable future for his family.
He spoke frequently about Tasha.
He claimed she had inherited a substantial amount of money from her mother but lacked financial experience.
He told Denise he was helping protect it.
At first, Denise believed him.
Then she noticed transfers that didn't match the business records.
"One afternoon, I was reconciling the accounts," Denise explained.
"I found several payments that had nothing to do with the company.""
Patricia asked, "What kind of payments?""
"Personal expenses. Vehicles. Credit cards.
Property maintenance. Things Marcus told me were business-related.""
"Did you question him?""
"Yes.""
Denise looked down.
"He told me to stop asking questions.""
Tasha leaned forward.
"What happened next?""
Denise took a breath.
"He told me he needed another person to approve some financial arrangements. He said it was temporary and that everything would be corrected once the business received a new investment.""
"Did you sign anything?"" Patricia asked.
Denise nodded.
"One document. I thought it was a bookkeeping authorization.""
"What did it actually authorize?""
"I didn't know until much later.""
She opened the envelope.
Inside were copies of emails, bank statements, and several signed documents.
"I discovered that my electronic signature had been attached to transfers I never approved.""
Patricia examined the papers.
"Did you report it?""
"I tried.""
Denise's voice became quieter.
"Marcus told me he would make sure I lost my job and that my daughter would never receive the money he had promised for her college.""
Tasha frowned.
"What money?""
Denise took out another document.
"My daughter received a scholarship, but it didn't cover everything. Marcus promised to provide additional educational assistance through a business development fund.""
"Was that fund real?"" I asked.
Denise shook her head.
"Not in the way he described it.""
She placed another statement on the table.
"There were transfers from different accounts. Some belonged to clients. Some came from company funds. And some...""
She looked at Tasha.
"...came from your mother's trust.""
Tasha looked devastated.
"How much?""
Denise pointed to a list.
"Approximately thirty-two thousand dollars passed through accounts connected to the business.""
Mr. Reynolds leaned forward.
"Do you have the original transaction records?""
"Yes.""
"Why didn't you bring them earlier?""
Denise looked ashamed.
"Because I was afraid.""
She reached into her bag and pulled out one final document.
It was a printed email.
The sender was Marcus.
The recipient was Denise.
The date was nearly four months earlier.
Patricia read it.
Then her expression changed.
"What?"" I asked.
She turned the page toward Mr. Reynolds.
He read it silently.
His jaw tightened.
"Read it aloud," Tasha whispered.
Patricia hesitated.
Then she did.
Denise, the girls don't need to understand the details. Maya will be happy with the vehicle, Tasha won't know about the transfers, and Olivia will receive her education money once the property transaction is completed. Just keep the paperwork consistent.
I felt sick.
Marcus hadn't simply taken Tasha's money.
He had built a system around promises, fake authorizations, and people who trusted him.
Tasha looked at Denise.
"Did Olivia get her money?""
Denise shook her head.
"No.""
"Did Marcus ever intend to pay her?""
Denise stared at the document.
"I don't think so.""
Tasha leaned back.
For a long moment, she said nothing.
Then she whispered:
"He used my mother's money to promise another girl a future.""
Denise's eyes filled.
"I'm sorry.""
Tasha looked at her.
"You didn't take it.""
Denise wiped her cheeks.
"But I helped him.""
Patricia gathered the documents.
"This changes the investigation significantly.""
Mr. Reynolds nodded.
"We need to contact the authorities and provide copies of everything.""
Denise reached into the envelope again.
"There is one more thing.""
She placed a small flash drive on the table.
"I copied the company's internal records before Marcus dismissed me.""
Patricia looked at it.
"What is on here?""
Denise swallowed.
"Everything.""
She paused.
"Including a recording of Marcus explaining why he chose Maya's birthday to complete the vehicle purchase.""
My heart stopped.
"Why my birthday?""
Denise looked directly at me.
"Because he believed nobody would question a birthday gift.""
Then she opened her phone.
And played the recording.
Marcus's voice filled the room.
"If Maya gets the car on her birthday, everybody will think it's a gift. Nobody will ask where the money came from. And if Tasha complains, Nia will handle her.""
There was a brief pause.
Then Marcus said something even worse.
"By the time they figure out what's missing, the property will already be sold.""
Tasha covered her mouth.
I felt my stomach turn.
The birthday surprise hadn't been an impulsive purchase.
It had been planned.
And the car had been part of a much bigger deception.
But the recording wasn't finished.
A second voice entered.
A man's voice I didn't recognize.
"Fine. But what about the other girl?""
Marcus laughed.
"She'll sign whatever her mother tells her to sign.""
Patricia stopped the recording.
She looked at Denise.
"Who is the other man?""
Denise shook her head.
"I don't know his name.""
Tasha looked at me.
Then at the attorney.
"How many people are involved in this?""
Nobody answered.
May you like
And for the first time, I wondered whether Marcus had been the mastermind all along.
Or whether someone else had been using him.
