Chapter 5: M. Carter
Dad stared at the name on the screen.
“M. Carter.””
Melissa backed toward the bedroom door.
“This has gone far enough.””
Dad turned.
“Who is he?””
“It's none of your business.””
For a second, even Tyler looked shocked.
Dad's expression went completely blank.
“Money from property taken out of my house is being transferred to this person.””
He pointed at the screen.
“That makes it my business.””
Melissa shook her head.
“You don't understand.””
“Then explain it.””
“I can't.””
“Can't or won't?””
She said nothing.
Dad pulled out his phone.
“Fine.””
“What are you doing?””
“Calling the police.””
Melissa rushed forward.
“No!””
Dad stopped dialing.
That single word told him everything.
“Why not?””
“Because this can be handled privately.””
“The laptop can be handled privately. The watch can be handled privately.””
Dad pointed toward Tyler's spreadsheet.
“Thirty-one transactions and nearly nineteen thousand dollars being funneled somewhere? We're past private.””
Melissa's breathing became shallow.
Tyler looked between them.
“Mom?””
She ignored him.
Dad clicked through the transfer screenshots.
Most were small.
Four hundred.
Seven hundred.
Nine hundred.
Then I noticed something.
“Dad.””
“What?””
“Scroll up.””
He did.
One transfer was different.
*$4,500.*
Dad clicked the screenshot.
The date was February 18.
He frowned.
“I remember that day.””
Melissa went rigid.
Dad looked at her.
“You told me your sister needed emergency dental surgery.””
Melissa said nothing.
“You asked me for three thousand dollars.””
“It was an emergency.””
“Did your sister ever receive it?””
“Yes.””
“Call her.””
Melissa blinked.
“What?””
“Call Rachel.””
“It's almost nine.””
“Call her.””
“No.””
Dad nodded slowly.
Then he called her himself.
Melissa reached for the phone.
“Daniel, don't.””
He stepped away.
Rachel answered after four rings.
“Hey, Daniel. Everything okay?””
Dad put the call on speaker.
“Rachel, sorry to bother you. I need to ask something strange.””
Melissa whispered, “Don't do this.””
Dad continued.
“Back in February, did Melissa give you three thousand dollars for dental surgery?””
Silence.
Then Rachel laughed uncertainly.
“What dental surgery?””
Dad closed his eyes.
Melissa turned away.
Rachel's voice changed.
“Daniel?””
“That's all I needed.””
“Wait. What's happening?””
“I'll explain later.””
He ended the call.
Nobody spoke.
Dad stared at Melissa for several seconds.
“Where did my three thousand dollars go?””
She rubbed her forehead.
“I borrowed it.””
“For M. Carter?””
Silence.
“Who is he?””
Melissa suddenly looked exhausted.
“He's someone I owe.””
“Owe for what?””
“It doesn't matter.””
“It matters to me.””
“He helped me before we got married.””
Dad's jaw tightened.
“What kind of help?””
“Financial.””
“Then why have you been stealing from this family instead of telling me?””
“I wasn't stealing.””
I couldn't stay quiet.
“You literally sold my stuff.””
Melissa turned on me.
“Stay out of this.””
“No.””
Her eyes flashed.
“Excuse me?””
“You told me to save for another laptop while you were helping Tyler sell things from this house.””
“I never told Tyler to take your laptop.””
“But you taught him there were no consequences.””
Melissa stepped toward me.
Dad immediately moved between us.
“Don't.””
She stopped.
Tyler sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the spreadsheet.
Then he spoke.
“There's more.””
Melissa whipped around.
“Tyler.””
Dad looked at him.
“What more?””
Tyler's voice shook.
“I heard Mom talking to Carter.””
“When?””
“Last week.””
Melissa moved toward him.
“Stop.””
Dad blocked her again.
“What did you hear?””
Tyler stared at his hands.
“She said she needed another ten thousand.””
Dad frowned.
“For what?””
“I don't know.””
“Tyler!””
Melissa's shout made him flinch.
Dad pointed toward the hallway.
“Melissa, downstairs.””
“What?””
“Now.””
“This is my son's room.””
“And you're intimidating him.””
“I'm his mother!””
“Then act like it.””
Her face twisted with anger.
For a moment, I thought she might slap Dad.
Instead, she stormed downstairs.
Dad closed the bedroom door.
Then he crouched in front of Tyler.
“I need the truth.””
Tyler's eyes were red.
“Am I going to jail?””
Dad didn't lie.
“I don't know.””
Tyler began crying.
“But telling the truth matters.””
“I didn't mean for it to get this bad.””
“Then tell me about Carter.””
Tyler wiped his face.
“I don't know who he is. Mom always goes outside when he calls.””
“Did you ever see him?””
“Once.””
“When?””
“Maybe two months ago.””
“Where?””
“In his car.””
“What kind?””
“Black SUV.””
Dad waited.
Tyler swallowed.
“He came here.””
My skin prickled.
“To the house?””
Tyler nodded.
“You weren't home.””
“What happened?””
“Mom gave him an envelope.””
“What was inside?””
“I don't know.””
Dad stood.
Then his phone vibrated.
A text.
Unknown number.
He opened it.
His face changed.
“What?”” I asked.
He turned the screen toward us.
There was a photograph attached.
Our house.
Taken from across the street.
Tonight.
Underneath were seven words.
*Tell Melissa I'm done waiting for payment.*
Tyler stared at the window.
Dad immediately pulled the curtain shut.
Then another message arrived.
*And tell her the girl’s laptop wasn't enough.*
My stomach dropped.
“How does he know about my laptop?””
Dad didn't answer.
He was already moving toward the stairs.
We followed him.
Melissa was standing in the living room.
Her purse was open.
Her car keys were in her hand.
Dad stopped halfway down the stairs.
“Where are you going?””
Melissa froze.
“Out.””
Dad held up his phone.
“Carter just texted me.””
The keys slipped from her fingers.
They hit the hardwood floor.
Dad descended the last step.
“He knows about the laptop.””
Melissa stared at the message.
Then she whispered something I barely heard.
“We need to leave.””
Dad's expression hardened.
“Who is he?””
She looked toward the dark front windows.
May you like
And when she finally answered, her voice was trembling.
“He's not someone you want coming to this house.””
