Chapter 7: The Name Hidden in the Records
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Jason stood on my porch, looking less like the confident man who had convinced my daughter to risk everything and more like someone watching a door close on his entire future.
Lauren looked at me.
I could see the question forming in her eyes.
Not suspicion.
Fear.
“Dad,” she whispered, “what does he mean?””
I didn’t answer immediately.
Because I had the same question.
Jason looked between us.
“You need to understand something,” he said.
“I didn’t take your money.””
I stared at him.
“Your account was emptied because of you.””
“No.””
His voice became sharper.
“Because of someone else.””
Lauren stepped closer.
“Who?””
Jason looked away.
That small movement told me he knew.
“You know,” I said.
He didn’t respond.
“Jason.””
His jaw tightened.
“I know who set me up.””
Lauren looked confused.
“What are you talking about?””
Jason ran a hand through his hair.
“I thought I could handle it.””
“Handle what?”” Lauren asked.
He looked at her.
“The person who wanted me gone.””
I almost laughed.
The man who had lied, manipulated, and taken money from my daughter was suddenly claiming he was the victim.
But something about his fear was different.
It didn’t look fake.
“Who?”” I asked.
Jason hesitated.
Then he said:
“Derek.””
Lauren frowned.
“Who is Derek?””
Jason looked at her.
“My old business partner.””
The name meant nothing to me.
But apparently, it meant something to Jason.
“What happened between you two?”” I asked.
Jason sat down on the porch steps.
For the first time, he looked exhausted.
“He found out I was trying to leave the company.””
“Why?””
Jason stared at the ground.
“Because I realized what we were doing was wrong.””
I watched him carefully.
There was something strange about hearing that from him.
A person who had already caused so much damage.
“What were you doing?””
Jason didn’t answer.
Lauren crossed her arms.
“No more secrets.””
He looked at her.
“You really want the truth?””
“Yes.””
He sighed.
“Derek was using company money.””
My eyes narrowed.
“And you?””
Jason looked away.
“I knew.””
The silence that followed was heavy.
Lauren took a step back.
“You knew?””
“I was scared.””
“You knew someone was stealing money, and you stayed?””
Jason looked at her.
“I thought I could fix it.””
The irony was impossible to miss.
My daughter had said the exact same thing.
“I thought I could fix it.””
Everyone in this situation had believed they could repair something broken.
Instead, they had made it worse.
A knock came from the driveway.
We all turned.
Deputy Collins stood there.
“Mr. Reed.””
Jason immediately stood.
“What now?””
Deputy Collins looked at Lauren.
“Ms. Harrison, I need you to come with us as well.””
Her face changed.
“Me?””
“Yes.””
My stomach tightened.
“Why?””
The deputy held up a hand.
“Not because you’re being accused of anything.””
Lauren looked relieved for half a second.
“Then why?””
“Because we found something connected to the account transfer.””
He looked at me.
“And it involves both of you.””
The drive to the county office was silent.
Lauren sat beside me in the back seat.
She kept staring out the window.
Finally, she whispered:
“Dad.””
I looked at her.
“I’m sorry.””
I didn’t answer.
Not because I didn’t hear her.
Because I had heard it many times.
Sorry.
A powerful word.
But sometimes it arrived after the damage was already done.
At the office, Deputy Collins placed a file on the table.
“We found another authorization connected to the transfer.””
Lauren looked confused.
“I only moved the money once.””
The deputy nodded.
“We know.””
He opened the file.
“The first transfer came from your access.””
My heart sank.
Then he continued.
“But the request was prepared before that.””
I frowned.
“What does that mean?””
“It means someone created the transfer information before Lauren approved it.””
Lauren went pale.
“I don’t understand.””
Deputy Collins looked at her.
“Someone knew your access.””
The room became quiet.
I looked at my daughter.
She looked at me.
Then both of us realized the same thing.
Someone had been inside our trust.
Someone close enough to know how to use it.
The deputy turned another page.
“We traced the original setup.””
He pointed at a name.
I leaned forward.
Then I saw it.
A name I never expected.
Lauren gasped.
“No.””
I looked at her.
“You know this person?””
Her lips trembled.
“Yes.””
“Who?””
She looked at the paper.
Then at me.
“It’s…”
She couldn’t finish.
May you like
Deputy Collins said it for her.
“Your daughter’s fiancé’s mother.””
