Chapter 7: The Attorney Who Had Been Lying for Four Years
I looked at Eleanor Whitmore.
She stood beside Robert's old workbench, holding the document that had supposedly revealed Daniel's biological father.
Her face had lost all its color.
"Detective Lawson," I said into the phone, "are you certain the person accompanying Daniel was an attorney?""
"Yes, ma'am. We have surveillance footage from the bank. The individual identified himself as Robert Hayes's former estate attorney.""
Eleanor slowly lowered her eyes.
"Can you tell me his name?""
The detective paused.
"Franklin Mercer.""
I felt the blood drain from my face.
Franklin Mercer.
Robert's attorney.
The man who had handled our estate planning for almost twenty years.
The man who had attended Robert's funeral.
The man who had stood beside me afterward and promised that every document was in order.
But Eleanor Whitmore was also our attorney.
I turned toward her.
"Who is Franklin Mercer?""
She looked at me.
"He's the attorney Robert originally hired to handle the trust.""
"Originally?""
Eleanor nodded.
"Robert dismissed him four years ago.""
I stared at her.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because Robert asked me not to until we had enough evidence.""
Daniel stepped forward.
"Wait. Dad fired his attorney?""
"Yes," Eleanor answered.
"Why?""
She looked at him.
"Because Franklin had been providing information about the estate to Steven.""
Daniel shook his head.
"That makes no sense. Franklin was at Dad's funeral. He spoke to us.""
"People can attend funerals for reasons other than grief," Eleanor replied.
I looked at the document in her hand.
"Then why did Robert never tell me?""
"Because he suspected Franklin had access to private information about your family. He didn't want you or Daniel involved until he understood the extent of the problem.""
Detective Lawson was still waiting.
"Mrs. Hayes, I'd like to arrange an interview with you and your son. We also need to speak with Ms. Whitmore.""
Eleanor answered immediately.
"I'll cooperate fully. Please send the formal request to my office.""
After the call ended, nobody spoke.
Daniel walked toward the garage door.
Then he turned around.
"Mom, I swear I didn't go to that bank.""
I looked at him.
"The detective says there's footage.""
"Then someone used my identity.""
"Your signature was on the document.""
"I told you it wasn't mine!""
His voice cracked.
He looked toward Eleanor.
"Can you help me?""
Eleanor nodded.
"I can help preserve the evidence and arrange for independent counsel. But we need to be careful. We don't know what the recording actually shows.""
Daniel sank onto the wooden stool.
"I can't believe this is happening.""
I wanted to tell him everything would be all right.
But I had already spent too many years offering reassurance before knowing the truth.
Instead, I sat beside him.
"Tell me about the day you signed Vanessa's paperwork.""
He stared at the floor.
"It was October twenty-eighth. Steven came over around lunchtime. Vanessa said they needed me to sign some financial documents.""
"Did you read them?""
"No.""
"Why not?""
He rubbed his eyes.
"Because I trusted her.""
"Daniel, that's what you said before.""
"I know.""
He swallowed.
"But there was something else.""
"What?""
"Steven told me Dad had left a debt in my name.""
I frowned.
"What debt?""
"He said Dad had borrowed money from a private investment group before he died. He claimed the debt had transferred to me because I was the intended beneficiary of the trust.""
I stared at him.
"Did you believe that?""
"At first, no. But he showed me statements.""
"What statements?""
"Bank statements. They had Dad's name on them. They showed several payments made to an account I didn't recognize.""
Eleanor moved closer.
"Do you remember the bank?""
"First National.""
"Did you keep the statements?""
Daniel nodded.
"Vanessa has them.""
"Where?""
"In her office. A locked filing cabinet.""
Eleanor wrote something down.
"Do not try to retrieve them yourself. We need to handle this properly.""
Daniel looked at me.
"Mom, I think Vanessa has been lying to me for years.""
I studied his face.
"Why do you think that?""
He hesitated.
"Because last month, I found a message on her phone from Steven. He said the first transfer had failed, but the second one would work.""
My stomach tightened.
"What second transfer?""
"I don't know.""
"Did you ask her?""
"Yes. She said they were talking about a business deal.""
I closed my eyes.
My son had been surrounded by warnings.
And every time someone offered him an explanation, he had accepted it because it was easier than asking difficult questions.
Then Daniel said something that made me look at him sharply.
"Mom, there's another reason Vanessa wanted me to believe you stole the money.""
"What?""
He took out his phone.
He opened a message thread and showed me a conversation.
The first message was from Vanessa.
Your mother has been asking questions about Dad's estate again.
The second was from Steven.
Then make sure Daniel doesn't speak to her alone.
The third was from Vanessa.
I know. Once he believes she stole the money, she'll never be able to turn him against us.
I read the messages twice.
"How long ago were these sent?""
"Last Tuesday.""
Three days before the slap.
I felt sick.
They had discussed separating me from my son before the accusation even happened.
Daniel handed me the phone.
"There's more.""
The next message was from Steven.
Get him angry. Don't let him watch the cameras. If she starts talking about Robert, remind him about the account.
I slowly lowered the phone.
Daniel's eyes filled.
"They knew what they were doing.""
I looked at him.
"And you hit me.""
He closed his eyes.
"I know.""
"No, Daniel. I need you to understand that the messages explain what they planned. They don't excuse what you did.""
He nodded.
"I understand.""
For a long time, we sat in silence.
Then Eleanor's phone rang.
She answered.
"Hello?""
Her expression changed.
"Yes, Detective.""
She listened.
Then she looked at me.
"Understood.""
She ended the call.
"What happened?"" I asked.
"Detective Lawson has reviewed the bank footage.""
Daniel stood.
"And?""
Eleanor looked at him.
"The man accompanying you was not Franklin Mercer.""
Daniel frowned.
"What?""
"The person in the recording was wearing a similar coat and carrying a briefcase. The bank employee initially identified him as Franklin, but the detective now believes it was Steven.""
Daniel exhaled.
"Thank God.""
Eleanor raised one hand.
"There's something else.""
"What?""
"The individual presenting the authorization wasn't you.""
Daniel stared at her.
"Then who was it?""
Eleanor turned the laptop toward us.
A still image appeared.
A man sat across from the bank clerk.
He wore Daniel's coat.
He had Daniel's hairstyle.
But his face was slightly different.
I leaned closer.
"That's not Daniel.""
"No," Eleanor said.
Daniel stared at the screen.
"That's Steven.""
I looked again.
The resemblance was disturbing.
Steven had grown a beard and gained some weight, but the similarities were obvious.
He had deliberately dressed like my son.
The detective had explained that the bank was now investigating possible identity fraud.
But one question remained.
How had Steven obtained Daniel's identification?
Daniel answered it himself.
"My wallet.""
I turned toward him.
"What about it?""
"Last month, I lost my wallet at a restaurant. Vanessa said she found it in the car the next morning.""
He looked sick.
"She must have copied everything.""
Eleanor nodded.
"That would explain how someone obtained your identification details.""
Daniel sat down again.
Then he looked at me.
"Mom, I need to tell you something about Dad.""
I waited.
"When Dad was in the hospital, I visited him alone one afternoon. He asked me if Vanessa had ever requested my personal financial information.""
My heart tightened.
"What did you say?""
"I told him no.""
"Was that true?""
Daniel looked away.
"Not exactly.""
I waited.
"She had asked me for copies of my identification and some old bank statements. She said we needed them for a mortgage application.""
"Did you give them to her?""
"Yes.""
I closed my eyes.
Robert had known.
He had tried to warn our son.
And Daniel had protected Vanessa instead of telling his father the truth.
"Did Robert say anything else?""
Daniel nodded.
"He told me to be careful about signing documents I didn't understand.""
His voice broke.
"He said, 'A man who loves you won't rush you into signing away your future.''"
I felt tears sliding down my cheeks.
Daniel looked at me.
"I thought Dad was being paranoid.""
I touched his hand briefly.
"He was trying to protect you.""
Daniel lowered his head.
Then Eleanor's phone rang again.
This time, she answered and immediately put it on speaker.
A woman's voice spoke.
"Ms. Whitmore? This is Detective Lawson. We've found something in the bank's records.""
"What is it?""
"The attempted transfer was authorized using a document that contained a digital attachment from a private estate file.""
Eleanor frowned.
"What attachment?""
"A scanned copy of a page from the original trust agreement.""
I leaned forward.
"Which page?""
"The beneficiary page.""
Eleanor went still.
"Who was listed?""
The detective paused.
"That's the unusual part. The beneficiary named on the scanned page wasn't Margaret Hayes or Daniel Hayes.""
I gripped the edge of the workbench.
"Then who was it?""
The detective answered.
"Vanessa Hayes.""
Daniel looked as if he had been punched.
"That's impossible.""
Detective Lawson continued.
"The document appears to have been altered. But the original file contains a second name that we're trying to verify.""
Eleanor asked, "What name?""
The detective read it aloud.
"Steven Hayes.""
I stared at the laptop.
The room felt unbearably cold.
Then the detective added:
"There's one more problem. The altered document was created using a computer registered to Eleanor Whitmore's law office.""
Nobody moved.
I slowly turned toward Eleanor.
She stood motionless.
Her face was pale.
And for the first time since she had entered my house, she looked frightened.
"Margaret," she whispered, "I need to explain something.""
I took one step backward.
"What have you done, Eleanor?""
She closed her eyes.
Then she said:
"Someone has been using my office after hours.""
"Who?""
She looked directly at me.
"Someone who has a key.""
May you like
And before I could ask another question, she added:
"Someone who was supposed to be dead.""
