Chapter 11: My Stepmother's Disappearing Act
By eight the next morning, our living room had become an unofficial police interview room.
Two officers sat at the dining table reviewing the recordings Lily had saved. Another examined the envelope delivered to our house. My father paced between the kitchen and the hallway, calling Linda repeatedly.
Every call went straight to voicemail.
Chloe arrived at nine.
She stood in the doorway holding a small overnight bag, her makeup smudged beneath her eyes.
"Where's Mom?"" she asked.
Nobody answered immediately.
She looked at Dad.
"Why are there police officers in our house?""
"Because your mother has some questions to answer.""
Chloe's face went pale.
"What did she do?""
Ethan leaned against the staircase.
"That's what we're trying to find out.""
She glanced at him, then lowered her eyes.
"I didn't know she'd threaten Lily.""
My father stopped pacing.
"Did you know she planned to frame Ethan?""
Chloe swallowed.
"Yes.""
The answer was so quiet that I almost wished I hadn't heard it.
Dad stared at her.
"How long have you known?""
"Since yesterday.""
"That's not what I asked.""
Chloe clutched the strap of her bag.
"Mom told me about the plan two weeks ago.""
Ethan pushed away from the staircase.
"Two weeks?""
Chloe nodded, crying now.
"She said Dad was asking too many questions about Grandpa's estate. She thought if you were forced to leave, nobody would have a reason to investigate the money.""
"And you agreed?""
"I didn't think she'd actually call the police!""
Ethan's voice rose.
"But you knew she wanted to destroy my reputation!""
Chloe covered her ears.
"Stop shouting at me!""
"No!"" I stepped between them before the argument could escalate.
"You don't get to tell him how to react after what you did.""
Chloe looked at me desperately.
"I was scared she'd send me away. She always said she'd lose the house if Ethan got the money back.""
"She bought a house in Florida with his inheritance," Lily said from the sofa.
"She wasn't worried about losing a house. She was worried about losing the money she'd stolen.""
Chloe sank into a chair.
For the first time, she looked less like Linda's accomplice and more like a frightened girl who had spent years learning that obedience was the price of being loved.
But fear didn't erase responsibility.
My father sat opposite her.
"Chloe, I need you to tell the officers everything you know.""
She shook her head.
"Mom will hate me.""
Dad's expression softened, but his voice remained firm.
"Your mother has made her choices. Now you need to make yours.""
Chloe looked at Ethan.
"I'm sorry.""
He stared at her.
"I believe you're sorry you got caught.""
She began to protest, but he turned away.
The police spent the next several hours interviewing everyone separately. Lily handed over copies of both recordings, including the conversation about the inheritance. Ethan provided the bank statements and the property agreement. Daniel gave them copies of Grandpa's original documents.
Then an officer approached my father.
"Mr. Mitchell, we need to ask you about a company called Carter Holdings.""
Dad frowned.
"Linda's company?""
"That's one of its registered names. We found several transactions connected to it.""
He placed a printed spreadsheet on the table.
"The company received money from the estate trust. Some of those funds were then transferred into accounts associated with your personal information.""
Dad stared at the numbers.
"That's impossible.""
"Did you authorize these transfers?""
"No.""
The officer pointed to a signature beside one transaction.
"This looks like your signature.""
Dad studied it carefully.
"It looks like mine. But I didn't sign this.""
Ethan leaned over the table.
"Could Linda have copied it from another document?""
"Possibly," the officer said.
"We'll need a forensic examination.""
Dad looked physically ill.
For years, Linda had used his trust to build a life for herself and her daughters. Now it appeared she had also used his identity to conceal where the money had gone.
But the discovery that followed was worse.
The officer turned to another page.
"There's a transfer dated three days before Sarah's accident. It was made from an account your father controlled.""
Dad gripped the table.
"How much?""
"Seventy-five thousand dollars.""
"To whom?""
The officer pointed to the recipient.
*Daniel Reed.*
Every face in the room turned toward him.
Daniel stood abruptly.
"That's impossible.""
My father looked betrayed all over again.
"You told me you never received money from my father!""
"I didn't!""
The officer remained calm.
"The account was opened under your name. The transfer was deposited and withdrawn within forty-eight hours.""
Daniel shook his head.
"I was living in Kentucky then. I never had an account in Ohio.""
"Could someone have used your identity?""
"Yes. Apparently someone has been doing exactly that to this family for years.""
Ethan studied the transaction.
"Who initiated the transfer?""
The officer checked the records.
"The authorization bears Robert Mitchell's signature.""
Dad recoiled.
"Another forged signature?""
"That's what we need to establish.""
Daniel paced toward the window.
"Your father never sent me money. If seventy-five thousand dollars appeared in an account under my name, someone wanted it to look as if I had taken it.""
I remembered the photograph of Mom's car and the dark sedan following it.
Someone had gone to extraordinary lengths to hide the truth.
Someone had forged signatures, diverted inheritance money, and framed innocent people.
And now that we were finally finding evidence, the person responsible was trying to make us turn against one another.
A phone rang in the kitchen.
Everyone froze.
It was Chloe's phone.
She looked at the screen.
"Mom.""
The officers immediately moved toward her.
"Answer it," one instructed.
"Put it on speaker.""
Chloe's hand trembled as she accepted the call.
"Mom?""
Linda's voice came through, sharp and impatient.
"Are you alone?""
Chloe glanced at the officers.
"No.""
A pause.
Then Linda's tone changed.
"Listen carefully. I need you to get the original will from your father.""
Chloe stared at the phone.
"What?""
"Your grandfather's original will. The one Daniel has.""
"Why?""
"Because it contains something that could destroy all of us.""
The officer signaled for Chloe to keep her talking.
Chloe swallowed.
"Mom, what did you do?""
Linda exhaled sharply.
"There's no time for this. Go into your father's study and find the envelope.""
"It's not here.""
"Then find out where it is!""
Chloe's eyes filled with tears.
"Did you hurt Grandma Sarah?""
The silence on the other end lasted so long that I could hear the refrigerator humming.
Then Linda spoke.
"I told you never to ask me that question.""
Chloe began shaking.
"Mom, please—"
"Get the will. If you do what I tell you, I can still protect you.""
The call ended.
One of the officers immediately began tracing the number.
Chloe lowered the phone and covered her face.
"I didn't know," she whispered.
"I swear I didn't know.""
My father sat beside her.
For a moment, he looked ready to comfort her.
Then the officer's radio crackled again.
They had located Linda's SUV.
It was parked outside an abandoned office building in Columbus.
May you like
The building had once belonged to Carter Holdings.
And according to the officer's latest information, someone had entered it less than ten minutes earlier.
