Chapter 3: The Papers on My Table
“Daniel, tell me exactly what you found,” I said.
My attorney drew a breath.
“The bank received a power-of-attorney form bearing your signature.
It gives Martin control of Sophie’s education account.”
“That’s impossible.
I never signed it.”
“I know.
According to the date, you signed it while you were attending your sister’s funeral in another state.”
Martin spoke before I could respond.
“It was a routine form, Helen.
You probably forgot.”
“I did not forget where I was the day I buried my sister.”
Sophie’s voice became smaller.
“Dad said you wanted him to manage the account.”
“I told him the opposite.”
Martin seized the phone again.
“This is a family misunderstanding.
Tell your attorney to stay out of it.”
Daniel’s chair scraped through the speaker.
“Martin, you attempted to transfer eighty-four thousand dollars tonight.
That stopped being a family misunderstanding the moment you used a false signature.”
The line went quiet.
Then Martin said, “Helen, come home.
We’ll discuss this privately.”
“No.
Bring Sophie to Daniel’s office tomorrow morning.”
“You don’t give me orders.”
“And you don’t sign my name.”
He ended the call.
I lowered the phone, but Daniel was still connected.
“There’s more,” he said.
“The same authorization was used to change the beneficiary on your life insurance policy.”
My fingers closed around the edge of the kitchen counter.
“To whom?”
“Martin.”
“He was already a secondary beneficiary.”
“Not anymore.
Sophie was removed entirely, and Martin was made the sole beneficiary.”
The doorbell rang before I could answer.
Martin stood outside with Sophie behind him and a folder under his arm.
“You have two minutes,” I said through the closed door.
He raised the folder to the glass.
“Then you’ll want to see this.”
I opened the door but left the chain fastened.
Martin slid several pages through the gap.
“You signed an agreement allowing me to manage our household assets.”
I read the first page.
The signature looked almost perfect, down to the long stroke beneath my surname.
“This isn’t mine.”
Sophie stared at me.
“It looks like yours.”
“So did the bank form.”
Martin gave a thin smile.
“Maybe you signed more than you remember.”
“Stop saying that.”
“You’ve been emotional since your sister passed.
People make mistakes when they’re grieving.”
My hand tightened around the papers.
Sophie stepped closer.
“Helen, did you cancel my trip just to punish me?”
“I stopped a transfer after someone copied my signature.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
“I canceled nothing.
Your father told the agency payment was coming from an account he had no right to touch.”
Martin’s smile disappeared.
“You don’t know that,” he said.
I lifted my phone.
“Daniel is still listening.”
Martin’s face drained of color.
Daniel’s voice came through the speaker.
“And I heard every word.”
Martin pulled Sophie back.
“We’re leaving.”
“Not with those papers,” I said.
“They’re copies.”
“Then you won’t mind leaving them.”
For one second, neither of us moved.
Then Sophie took the folder from his hand and pushed it through the opening.
“I want to know who is lying,” she said.
Martin spun toward her.
“Get in the car.”
A small silver seal caught the light at the bottom of the final page.
Daniel asked me to hold it closer to the phone camera.
“That seal belongs to the notary,” he said.
“Do you recognize the name?”
I read it twice.
“Elaine Mercer.”
Sophie blinked.
“Aunt Elaine?”
Martin grabbed the door handle.
“Don’t call her,” he warned.
I looked directly at him and pressed Elaine’s number.
May you like
She answered on the first ring.
“Helen,” she whispered, “I’ve been waiting for you to find that seal.”
