Chapter 9: The Woman Who Disappeared
When I arrived home, the front door was unlocked.
Dad stood in his office surrounded by open drawers, scattered folders, and papers pulled from filing cabinets. He looked as though he'd been searching for hours.
Jessica sat on the floor beside the desk, her face buried in her hands.
“Where's Linda?”” I asked.
Dad straightened.
“I don't know.””
“Her car?””
“Gone.””
“Did she take anything?””
He looked toward the empty space where he'd kept the manila envelope.
“The original property documents.””
I set my backpack on the desk.
“Not all of them.””
I removed my mother's letter, the blue notebook, and the copies Dana had made.
Dad stared at the notebook.
“You took it to the attorney?””
“Yes. She photographed every page and made copies. The original is here.””
He let out a breath.
“Good.””
Jessica looked up.
“Are you going to call the police?””
“Not yet,” Dad said.
“We need to understand what we're dealing with.””
I turned toward him.
“That's what we should have done seven years ago.””
He accepted the accusation without protest.
My phone rang again.
Dana Wells.
I answered immediately.
“Emily, I've reviewed the documents you brought in. I contacted the county recorder's office, and they've confirmed that the transfer filing is under review.””
“Can you stop the sale?””
“We're preparing an emergency petition. I need one additional piece of evidence if you can obtain it safely: the original trust instrument or a certified copy from the trust administrator.””
“I have my mother's original letter and notebook.””
“Keep both secure. Also, I've confirmed that Daniel Mercer submitted a request to access the investment account in your name. The institution has placed a temporary hold on further transfers pending verification.””
I gripped the phone.
“Has money already been taken?””
“I can't confirm the amount yet. The account administrator is reviewing the transaction history.””
“What happens now?””
“Now we preserve evidence and seek an order preventing any transfer of the house until the court can review the trust.””
I thanked her and ended the call.
Jessica was watching me.
“Is the house really yours?””
“The trust was established for my benefit.””
“So Mom can't just give me your bedroom?””
“Not without permission from whoever has lawful authority over the property.””
She looked down at her hands.
“I didn't know about any of this.””
“Did you know about the sale?””
She shook her head.
“Mom said we were moving into a bigger house after tomorrow. She told me everything was arranged.””
I stared at her.
“You believed her?””
“I wanted to.””
The words were almost identical to Dad's earlier confession.
I looked away.
“Did you know she was meeting Daniel?””
Jessica nodded.
“He started coming around after I got into trouble at the boutique. Mom said he was helping her fix everything.””
“Did he ask you to sign anything?””
She hesitated.
“Once.””
“What?””
“A statement saying you'd given me permission to use your bank account.””
I felt the room go silent around me.
“I never gave you permission.””
“I know that now.””
“When did this happen?””
“About a year ago. Mom said it was just a formality and that nobody would ever see it.””
I sat down slowly.
“Did you sign it?””
Jessica began crying again.
“Yes.””
Dad turned toward her.
“Jessica!””
“I was scared! The police were asking questions about the boutique, and Mom said I could go to jail if I didn't cooperate.””
“Did you see Emily's signature on it?”” I asked.
Jessica nodded.
“It was already there.””
My stomach turned.
“So someone had forged my signature before you signed.””
“I think so.””
I stared at the notebook on the desk.
The entries about Daniel. The transfer request. The mysterious filing. The threat about my mother's death.
It was no longer a collection of unrelated suspicions.
Someone had been using my identity to gain access to money and property for years.
And Linda had helped them.
A car engine sounded outside.
Dad went to the window.
“It's Mark.””
A moment later, the doorbell rang.
Dad opened the front door but kept the chain fastened.
Mark stood on the porch holding a thick envelope.
“Robert, we need to talk.””
“About what?””
“About tomorrow's closing.””
“There will be no closing until a judge reviews the documents.””
Mark's face hardened.
“You can't afford to fight this.””
“We'll see.””
Mark held up the envelope.
“This is an offer to settle the matter. Emily receives a payment, the outstanding debts are resolved, and everyone walks away.””
Dad didn't take it.
“Leave.””
Mark leaned closer to the gap in the door.
“You're making a mistake. You think you're protecting your daughter, but you have no idea what you're protecting her from.””
Dad's hand tightened around the door.
“Get off my property.””
Mark slipped the envelope through the gap and stepped back.
“Read it before you decide.””
He walked down the porch steps.
I opened the envelope after Dad shut the door.
Inside was a settlement agreement offering me money in exchange for surrendering all claims to the house and the investment account.
The amount was substantial.
It was also a fraction of the value of the property and the account combined.
At the bottom of the final page was a deadline.
*Acceptance required by 11:59 p.m. tonight.*
I looked at Dad.
“They're trying to make me sign before the attorney can get an injunction.””
He nodded.
“Then we won't sign.””
I turned to Jessica.
“Do you still have the statement you signed?””
She shook her head.
“Mom took it.””
“Do you remember where you signed it?””
“At Daniel's office.””
“Which office?””
She gave me an address near the riverfront.
I wrote it down.
Dad frowned.
“Emily, you're not going there.””
“I'm not going alone. Dana can tell us whether it's worth investigating.””
I called the attorney and gave her the address. She told me not to enter the office or confront anyone, but said she'd arrange for the relevant records to be requested through proper legal channels.
For the first time all day, I felt we were making progress.
Then Jessica suddenly stood.
“There's something else.””
Her voice was barely audible.
I turned toward her.
“What?””
She reached into the pocket of her jeans and removed a small silver flash drive.
“Mom gave me this last night. She told me to hide it somewhere safe and never let Daniel find it.””
My heart began pounding.
“What's on it?””
“I don't know. She said it was the only copy.””
Dad took a step toward her.
“Why didn't you tell us?””
“Because she said if I gave it to Emily, Daniel would destroy us both.””
I held out my hand.
Jessica placed the drive in my palm.
A small label had been stuck to its side.
Three words were written in Linda's handwriting.
*MARGARET — FINAL NIGHT.*
I stared at it, unable to speak.
Then my phone rang.
Dana Wells.
I answered.
“Emily, I just received a call from the county clerk. The original trust instrument has been located, but there's a problem.””
“What problem?””
“The copy filed with the proposed transfer contains a page that does not appear in your mother's original document.””
I looked at the flash drive.
“What does the extra page say?””
Dana paused.
“It names a second trustee who was given authority over the property if your mother became incapacitated.””
“Who?””
I heard papers rustling at the other end.
Then Dana spoke the name.
“Robert Carter.””
I looked at my father.
He stared at me in absolute horror.
May you like
Because if the page was genuine, he had authority he claimed never to have possessed.
And if it was forged, someone had used his name to carry out a plan my mother had spent her final months trying to stop.
