Chapter 6: The Man Across the Street
Dad locked the front door.
Then the back door.
Then every downstairs window.
Melissa stood in the center of the living room with her arms wrapped around herself.
“Turn off the lights,” she whispered.
Dad didn't.
“Who is Carter?””
“Daniel, please.””
“No more ‘please.’”
He held up the phone.
“A stranger is photographing my house and talking about my daughter.””
“He's trying to scare me.””
“He succeeded.””
Dad stepped closer.
“Now tell me why.””
Melissa sank onto the couch.
For the first time since I'd known her, she didn't look angry or defensive.
She looked terrified.
“His name is Marcus Carter.””
Dad waited.
“I knew him before you.””
“Knew him how?””
Melissa glanced at Tyler.
“Business.””
Tyler frowned.
“What business?””
“Not now.””
Dad sat opposite her.
“Right now.””
Melissa pressed her fingers against her temples.
“Years ago, I was desperate. Tyler's father had left. Bills were piling up.””
Tyler stared at her.
“You told me Dad died.””
Melissa closed her eyes.
The room went silent.
Tyler stood.
“What?””
“Tyler—”
“You said my dad died when I was little.””
“I was trying to protect you.””
“From what?””
She didn't answer.
Tyler's voice cracked.
“Is he alive?””
“I don't know.””
Dad leaned forward.
“What does this have to do with Carter?””
Melissa looked at him.
“Marcus lent me money.””
“How much?””
“Originally? Twelve thousand.””
Dad frowned.
“You've already sent him more than that.””
“Because it wasn't a normal loan.””
“What does that mean?””
“He kept adding fees.””
Dad stared at her.
“How much does he claim you owe now?””
Melissa whispered, “Twenty-eight thousand.””
I felt sick.
Dad leaned back.
“And instead of telling me, you started selling things.””
“At first, I sold my own things.””
“The necklace.””
She nodded.
“The bracelet. Earrings. Bags.””
“And then?””
“I needed more.””
Dad looked upstairs.
“So you involved Tyler.””
“I told him we were having financial trouble.””
“You told me we were going to lose the house,” Tyler said.
Dad's head snapped toward him.
“What?””
Tyler looked confused.
“Mom said if we didn't get money, you'd lose the house.””
Dad stared at Melissa.
“This house is paid off.””
“I know.””
“You used your son.””
“I was scared!””
“You turned him into a thief because you were scared.””
“I never told him to steal your watch!””
“No. You just taught him that taking property and secretly selling it was how this family solved problems.””
Melissa began crying.
Dad looked away.
Then I asked the question nobody else had.
“Why did Carter know about my laptop?””
Melissa's crying stopped.
Dad looked at me.
Then at her.
“Answer her.””
“I don't know.””
“Wrong answer.””
“I swear.””
Dad showed her the text.
*The girl’s laptop wasn't enough.*
“He didn't say ‘a laptop,’” Dad said.
“He said ‘the girl's laptop.’”
Melissa shook her head.
“I never told him to take it.””
“That isn't what I asked.””
She stayed silent.
Dad's eyes narrowed.
“You told Carter about her laptop.””
Melissa's face crumpled.
“I mentioned it.””
My throat tightened.
“Why?””
“He knew we were running out of things.””
“You told a stranger about something I worked all summer to buy?””
“I wasn't offering it!””
“Then why mention it?””
Melissa stood.
“Because he kept asking what else was valuable!””
There it was.
I stared at her.
Dad's voice became cold.
“And Tyler heard that conversation.””
Melissa covered her mouth.
Tyler looked horrified.
“I thought Mom wanted me to sell it.””
My anger suddenly changed shape.
I was still furious at him.
But now I understood.
He hadn't invented this system.
He had learned it.
Dad walked toward the window and carefully moved the curtain half an inch.
He looked outside.
Then froze.
“What?”” Melissa whispered.
Dad let the curtain fall.
“There's a black SUV across the street.””
Melissa stood so fast she knocked over a lamp.
“Call the police.””
Dad already was.
He gave the dispatcher our address and explained that someone had sent threatening messages and appeared to be watching the house.
Then the SUV's headlights came on.
Tyler moved closer to Melissa.
The vehicle remained parked.
Dad told us to stay away from the windows.
His phone buzzed again.
Another message from Carter.
*Police won't fix what she did.*
Dad typed back.
*Do not contact my family again.*
The reply came instantly.
*Ask your wife what she signed.*
Dad slowly turned toward Melissa.
“What did you sign?””
She stared at the floor.
“Melissa.””
“Nothing.””
His phone buzzed.
A photograph appeared.
It showed a document on a table.
A signature sat at the bottom.
Melissa's.
Dad enlarged the image.
I moved beside him.
Most of the text was blurry, but one line was clear.
*COLLATERAL SECURITY AGREEMENT*
Dad read it twice.
Then looked at Melissa.
“What collateral?””
She started shaking.
“Daniel, I can explain.””
“What did you put up as collateral?””
“It wasn't supposed to matter.””
“What?””
She whispered, “The house.””
Nobody breathed.
Dad's face emptied.
“You pledged my house against your debt?””
“I thought I could pay him back before—”
“You don't own this house.””
“I know.””
“Then how could you sign it?””
Melissa began sobbing.
“He gave me paperwork.””
Dad's eyes sharpened.
“What paperwork?””
“I signed your name.””
Tyler whispered, “Mom…”
Dad stared at her as if he no longer recognized her.
“You forged my signature?””
“I was desperate.””
The SUV outside suddenly pulled away.
Its tires hissed across the wet street and disappeared around the corner.
Melissa rushed to the window.
“He's leaving.””
Dad didn't look.
He was staring at the photograph of the contract.
Then he noticed something near the bottom.
“Wait.””
He zoomed in.
There were two signatures.
Melissa's.
And his forged one.
But beneath them was another line.
*Property ownership verification attached.*
Dad's face changed.
“This doesn't make sense.””
“What?”” I asked.
“He couldn't use this agreement without documents showing ownership.””
Melissa said nothing.
Dad looked up.
“Where did you get the deed?””
Her silence answered.
Dad ran upstairs.
A minute later, we heard a drawer slam.
Then another.
He came back carrying an empty fireproof folder.
“The deed is gone.””
Melissa backed toward the couch.
Dad looked inside the folder again.
Then his eyes narrowed.
Something else had been kept there.
He turned toward her.
“The deed wasn't the only document in this folder.””
Melissa started crying harder.
Dad stepped closer.
“My life insurance policy was in here.””
Tyler stared at his mother.
I felt every hair on my arms rise.
Dad's voice dropped almost to a whisper.
“Melissa.””
She shook her head.
“No.””
“Where is my life insurance policy?””
Before she could answer, someone knocked three times on the front door.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Everyone froze.
Then a man's voice came from the other side.
“Daniel?””
Melissa's face filled with terror.
May you like
The man knocked again.
“I think it's time you learned what your wife actually borrowed the money for.””
