Chapter 8: The Recording Nobody Was Supposed to Hear
The following morning, I woke up to twenty-three missed calls.
Most were from my mother.
Three were from numbers I didn't recognize.
And one was from Marcus.
I didn't answer any of them.
Tasha was sitting across from me at the breakfast table in Patricia's office, staring at the flash drive.
She hadn't slept much.
Neither had I.
The recording had played in my head all night.
She'll sign whatever her mother tells her to sign.
I kept hearing those words.
I had trusted my mother.
I'd signed school forms, permission slips, medical documents, and anything else she placed in front of me.
I had never imagined that someone could take an ordinary signature and turn it into a financial weapon.
Patricia entered carrying two coffees.
"Good morning.""
Tasha looked up.
"Did you review the recording?""
"Yes.""
"Who is the other man?""
"We're working on identifying him.""
Mr. Reynolds followed her into the room.
He placed a folder on the table.
"There's been progress.""
Tasha sat straighter.
"What kind?""
"The dealership has agreed to preserve all purchase records. The lender has also confirmed that the guarantor application was submitted using your stepsister's personal information.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"Can they cancel the loan?""
"That depends on the investigation. But the lender has flagged the application for suspected identity misuse.""
Patricia added, "The vehicle registration is also under review.""
I looked down.
"Can they take the car back?""
"If the purchase is shown to involve unauthorized funds or invalid financing documents, the transaction may be challenged.""
Tasha nodded.
"Good.""
Mr. Reynolds opened the folder.
"There's another development concerning the property on Willow Creek Road.""
He placed a printed document in front of us.
The proposed sale had been submitted through an online real estate platform.
But there was a problem.
The seller's authorization contained a digital signature that appeared to belong to Tasha.
"That's not mine," she said immediately.
"We know.""
Patricia tapped the screen.
"The buyer is a company called Northbridge Property Holdings.""
I frowned.
"Who owns it?""
Mr. Reynolds answered.
"We're checking.""
Tasha leaned forward.
"Why would Marcus sell my mother's house through another company?""
"Possibly to conceal the relationship between the seller and the buyer.""
"Can he do that?""
"Not legally without the necessary authority.""
Tasha stared at the paperwork.
Then she noticed something.
"Wait.""
She pointed at the address listed beneath the buyer's information.
It was an office building in the same city where Marcus ran his business.
I looked closer.
The registered mailing address belonged to a commercial suite.
The company name sounded unfamiliar, but something about it bothered me.
"Have you heard of Northbridge before?"" I asked.
Mr. Reynolds shook his head.
"Not yet.""
Patricia typed the company name into her laptop.
A business registration page appeared.
She scrolled.
Then stopped.
"Interesting.""
"What?"" Tasha asked.
"The company was registered less than six months ago.""
"By Marcus?""
"Not directly.""
She enlarged the document.
The registered owner was a woman named *Elaine Brooks*.
Tasha frowned.
"Who is she?""
Patricia continued reading.
"She's listed as the managing director.""
Mr. Reynolds leaned over her shoulder.
Then he looked at Denise's documents.
"Wait a minute.""
He pulled out the printed email from the previous day.
The message containing the mysterious reference to another man.
At the bottom was a signature block.
*Elaine Brooks Northbridge Property Holdings*
I stared at it.
"That's the other person?""
Mr. Reynolds nodded slowly.
"Possibly.""
Tasha looked confused.
"Who is Elaine Brooks?""
Denise, who had joined us by video call, suddenly spoke.
"I know that name.""
Everyone turned toward the screen.
Denise adjusted her camera.
"Elaine was Marcus's business partner before I started working with him.""
"Was?"" Patricia asked.
"They had a disagreement. She left the company.""
"When?""
"About eight months ago.""
Tasha leaned forward.
"Did she know about my mother's trust?""
Denise nodded.
"She handled some of the original paperwork.""
Mr. Reynolds frowned.
"Why would she be involved in the property transaction?""
Denise hesitated.
"Because she helped Marcus establish the company that was supposed to manage the house.""
Tasha looked stunned.
"My house didn't need a management company.""
"That's what I told him.""
Patricia typed something.
"Do you know whether Elaine still works with Marcus?""
Denise shook her head.
"Not officially.""
Then she paused.
"But I received a message from her two weeks ago.""
"What did she say?""
Denise opened her phone.
"I still have it.""
She read the message aloud.
I think Marcus is about to do something reckless. If anyone contacts you about the Willow Creek property, don't sign anything.
Patricia looked up.
"Did you respond?""
"Yes. I asked what she meant.""
"And?""
Denise showed us the reply.
Ask him about the original ownership certificate.
Tasha stared at the screen.
"What ownership certificate?""
Mr. Reynolds went quiet.
Then he opened a separate folder.
"Your mother kept the original property documents in a safe deposit box.""
Tasha blinked.
"Where?""
"At First National Bank.""
"Does Marcus have access?""
"Not according to the original estate records.""
Patricia looked at him.
"Did you verify that?""
Mr. Reynolds nodded.
"Yes. The bank confirmed that the box was registered under Elena's estate, with Tasha named as the successor beneficiary.""
Tasha looked confused.
"Then why would Marcus need an ownership certificate?""
Mr. Reynolds took a breath.
"Because the property transfer documents he submitted may not have been sufficient without the original certificate.""
I felt a chill.
"So he was trying to sell the house without having the real documents?""
"That's what it appears.""
Tasha shook her head.
"Why would Elaine warn Denise?""
"Maybe she regretted her involvement," Patricia suggested.
Denise looked down.
"I think she knew something we didn't.""
Mr. Reynolds closed the folder.
"We need to locate her.""
That afternoon, Patricia arranged a meeting with Elaine Brooks.
It took place at a small conference room in a downtown office building.
Elaine arrived wearing a navy suit and carrying a thin leather portfolio.
She looked to be in her early fifties.
Her expression was serious.
When she saw Tasha, she stopped.
"You're Elena's daughter.""
Tasha nodded.
Elaine sat down.
"I'm sorry.""
Tasha frowned.
"For what?""
"For not stopping this sooner.""
Patricia opened her notebook.
"Let's start at the beginning.""
Elaine folded her hands.
"I helped Marcus establish Johnson Home Solutions. Initially, it was a legitimate business. He wanted to expand into property maintenance and renovation.""
"What changed?"" Mr. Reynolds asked.
"Money.""
Elaine explained that Marcus began using business accounts to cover personal expenses.
At first, she assumed the transfers were temporary.
Then she discovered that several payments were connected to Elena's estate.
"I questioned him," Elaine said.
"What did he tell you?"" Tasha asked.
"He said Elena had wanted him to manage the property and use some of the funds for household expenses.""
Tasha shook her head.
"That's not true.""
"I know that now.""
Elaine looked down.
"Back then, I didn't know the full estate arrangements.""
Patricia asked, "When did you realize something was wrong?""
"After I saw the proposed sale of Willow Creek Road.""
She opened her portfolio.
Inside was a printed email chain.
"Marcus asked me to prepare a company structure that would allow the property to be purchased through Northbridge.""
Mr. Reynolds leaned forward.
"Did you establish Northbridge?""
"No. I refused. But he used my name and some old company information to register it.""
Patricia studied the documents.
"Are you saying your identity was used without permission?""
Elaine nodded.
"Yes.""
Tasha looked at her.
"Then why didn't you tell me?""
Elaine's face softened.
"Because I was afraid.""
"Of Marcus?""
"Yes.""
Tasha stared at the table.
Everyone seemed to have been afraid of Marcus.
Everyone except the person who had been losing the most.
Elaine continued.
"There's something else. Before I left the company, Marcus told me he had a plan to recover all the money he'd taken from the trust.""
Tasha looked up.
"How?""
"By selling the house.""
"That doesn't make sense. The house belongs to me.""
"He believed he could transfer it through a private agreement before anyone noticed.""
Patricia asked, "Who was supposed to purchase it?""
Elaine hesitated.
Then she opened another document.
A company name appeared.
*BROOKSTONE DEVELOPMENT GROUP.*
Tasha looked confused.
"Who owns that?""
Elaine stared at her.
"Your stepfather.""
Mr. Reynolds frowned.
"That's a different company.""
"Yes.""
"Is it registered in his name?""
"Not directly.""
Elaine took a breath.
"There's a second owner.""
She turned the page.
And there, beside Marcus's name, was another name.
*Nia Johnson.*
My mother.
I stared at the paper.
"Mom owns part of that company?""
Elaine nodded.
"She was listed as a silent partner.""
I felt dizzy.
"How much?""
"Forty percent.""
Tasha turned toward the window.
My mother hadn't merely known about the transfers.
She had apparently been connected to the business arrangement.
I shook my head.
"No. That can't be right.""
Elaine looked at me.
"I'm sorry.""
I wanted to believe she was wrong.
I wanted to believe my mother had been manipulated from beginning to end.
But the documents were becoming harder to explain away.
Patricia gathered the papers.
"Do you have the original company registration documents?""
Elaine nodded.
"Some of them.""
"Where?""
"In a safe deposit box.""
Mr. Reynolds looked at her.
"Why haven't you brought them forward?""
Elaine hesitated.
"Because there's a final document.""
"What document?""
She looked at Tasha.
"An agreement showing who was supposed to receive the money after Willow Creek was sold.""
Tasha swallowed.
"Who?""
Elaine opened her portfolio.
She removed a folded page.
Then she placed it on the table.
Tasha read the first name.
Then the second.
Her face went completely white.
I leaned closer.
The agreement stated that the sale proceeds would be divided between Marcus Johnson, Nia Johnson, and a third individual.
The third name was unfamiliar.
But beneath it was a handwritten note.
Final payment to be made after Maya's vehicle financing is approved.
I looked at Elaine.
"What does this mean?""
She didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she looked at Tasha.
"Marcus wasn't only trying to take your inheritance.""
She paused.
"He was trying to use your stepsister's identity to secure the money needed to pay someone else.""
I stared at the handwritten note.
Then I noticed the date.
The agreement had been signed nearly six months earlier.
My birthday car was never the beginning of the plan.
It was supposed to be the final step.
May you like
And the person waiting for payment wasn't Marcus.
It was someone none of us had expected.
