Chapter 4: The Signature That Wasn't His
The workshop door opened slowly.
My father stood in the doorway, his face pale and his tie hanging loosely around his collar. He looked older than I remembered. There were dark circles beneath his eyes, and his hands trembled as he glanced between me and Uncle Daniel.
"Emily, come home with me.""
I didn't move.
"Why did you tell me you never signed the withdrawal form?""
He looked toward Daniel.
"Can we speak privately?""
"No," Daniel replied.
"You've had three years to speak privately with your daughter. Look where that got her.""
My father swallowed.
"Daniel, this doesn't concern you.""
"Claire was my sister. Emily is my niece. Everything Vanessa has done with Claire's estate concerns me.""
My father closed his eyes.
I stepped forward.
"Who signed my name?""
He looked directly at me.
"Vanessa.""
The answer hit harder than I expected.
"She forged my signature?""
"She copied it from your school registration documents. I found out yesterday morning.""
"Then why didn't you stop her?""
"Because I was trying to gather evidence.""
I stared at him.
"Evidence? Dad, she stole four months of my work. She hit me.
She stole something that belonged to Mom. And you were gathering evidence?""
He flinched.
"I know.""
"No, you don't.""
My voice cracked.
"You watched me spend every night making that dress. You told me Mom would be proud. You knew how much that scholarship meant to me.""
He lowered his head.
"I made a terrible mistake.""
Daniel pulled a chair away from the workbench.
"Richard, tell her about the company.""
My father rubbed his forehead.
"Vanessa has been using Claire's designs for Brittany's portfolio. At first, I thought she was only borrowing a few sketches. Then I discovered she had transferred several original patterns into a company she controlled.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I thought I could fix everything before it reached you.""
I laughed bitterly.
"You thought protecting me meant lying to me?""
He had no answer.
Daniel placed a document in front of him.
"Tell her about the trust.""
My father stared at the paper.
Then he sat down.
"Your mother left you a financial trust. I was appointed trustee until you turned eighteen. The money was supposed to fund your education and preserve her design collection.""
I looked at the account statement.
The original balance was $186,000.
The current balance was just over $9,000.
My throat tightened.
"Where did the money go?""
My father looked sick.
"Vanessa convinced me to approve payments for the company. She said Brittany's fashion career would eventually generate enough income to repay everything.""
I felt as though the room had tilted.
"You spent Mom's money on Brittany?""
"I didn't understand how much she'd taken until recently.""
Daniel slammed his palm against the table.
"You signed the transfers, Richard!""
"I know!""
My father stood abruptly.
"I know what I did!""
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then I asked the question that mattered most.
"Why did you let Vanessa take my dress?""
His expression changed.
"She told me Brittany had already been selected for the competition. She said you had agreed to let her wear it.""
"That's a lie.""
"I know that now.""
"Did you know she was going to claim she designed it?""
He looked away.
That was answer enough.
I picked up the withdrawal document.
"Then you're going to help me prove everything.""
My father nodded.
"Yes.""
"Not because you want to save yourself. Because you owe Mom the truth.""
His eyes filled with tears.
"I understand.""
Daniel checked his watch.
"It's nearly eight. The competition starts at ten.""
I grabbed my backpack.
My father reached for my arm.
"Emily, wait.""
I turned.
He took a small velvet box from his jacket pocket.
Inside was a silver necklace with a tiny pair of scissors hanging from it.
I recognized it immediately.
My mother's necklace.
"Vanessa kept it in her jewelry cabinet," I whispered.
"I took it back last night. It belonged to Claire, and it belongs to you.""
I closed the box.
"Thank you.""
Then I added quietly:
"But a necklace doesn't make everything okay.""
He nodded.
"I know.""
I walked out with Daniel.
Behind us, my father called my name one more time.
"Emily.""
I stopped.
"There's something else. Vanessa has been meeting the competition director for weeks. I think she knows about the recorder.""
My stomach dropped.
"How?""
He looked toward the house.
"Because yesterday, she asked me whether a recording could be used against someone if the person being recorded didn't know about it.""
I tightened my grip on my backpack.
The recorder was still inside the dress.
And Vanessa knew it existed.
May you like
But what frightened me most was what my father said next.
"Emily, I think she's planning to destroy it before you get a chance to play it.""
