Chapter 6: The Rest of What Derek Knew
Marcus stood up and looked at Derek over Maya's head.
Derek gave a small nod — the kind that means *when you're ready, not before.*
Marcus turned to his aunt Renee.
"Can you take Maya to get some food?
I think the caterers set up inside."
Renee looked at him with the steady, unspoken understanding of someone who had known him since he was small.
"Come on, sweetheart," she said to Maya.
"Let's go find something good."
Maya went, but she looked back at her father once before she disappeared through the side door.
Marcus walked to Derek.
The two men moved away from the remaining guests, toward the far end of the garden near the hedgerow, where the noise of the crowd — still murmuring, still unsettled — became a low background hum.
"Tell me the rest," Marcus said.
Derek exhaled.
"The apartment isn't the only thing."
Marcus waited.
"Delia — Vanessa's sister — she's been living there, yes.
But the lease isn't the only document with your name on it." Derek pulled out his phone again, but this time he didn't hand it over.
He read from it directly.
"There's a second guarantor agreement.
For a car.
A 2022 SUV registered to Delia.
Monthly payments coming out of a credit line that was opened in your name fourteen months ago."
Marcus went very still.
"I don't have a credit line."
"You do now," Derek said.
"Or you did.
It's been active for fourteen months.
Twelve thousand dollars drawn down."
The birds in the hedgerow were very loud for a moment.
"How do you know this?" Marcus said.
"Because Delia called me three weeks ago in a panic.
Vanessa had told her the wedding was happening and that once you were legally married, everything would be easier to manage.
Delia got scared.
She didn't want to be part of a fraud that went further than it already had." Derek looked at him directly.
"She gave me the documents.
I have copies of everything.
The credit agreement, the car registration, the second forged signature."
Marcus pressed his hand flat against the hedgerow.
He stood like that for a moment.
"Twelve thousand dollars," he said.
"And counting.
The account is still active."
Marcus turned and looked back at the garden — at the white floral arches, the champagne glasses, the guests who were now sitting in small clusters, speaking quietly, not eating.
The caterers moved carefully around them, unsure whether to serve or wait.
"She was going to marry me today," Marcus said.
Not angry.
Just stating it.
"Yes."
"And after that, legally, it would have been—"
"Joint liability," Derek said.
"Yes."
Marcus laughed once — a short, humorless sound.
"She planned this for two years."
"I think she planned it before she met you," Derek said.
"I think you were the plan."
Marcus looked at him.
"And you introduced us."
Derek held his gaze.
"I did.
And I am going to spend a long time being sorry for that.
But I'm here now.
And I have everything documented.
If you want to go to the police — if you want to pursue this legally — Delia is willing to cooperate.
She'll provide a full statement."
"Where is Delia now?"
"At a friend's place.
She moved out of the apartment two weeks ago.
She said she wanted to be clear of it before today."
Marcus nodded slowly.
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the folded bank statement and the lease agreement — the two pages Maya had carried in the pocket of her dress.
He looked at them for a moment.
"My mother knew," he said.
"Iris has known for about three months," Derek said.
"She hired someone to look into it after Maya told her the money had stopped.
She didn't want to bring it to you without proof.
She wanted to make sure you had everything you needed before she said a word."
Marcus folded the papers again carefully and put them back in his pocket.
He thought about his mother — about the phone call that morning when she had sounded careful and tired.
About the way she had said *I love you* at the end, which she always said, but this time had held on to the line a beat longer than usual.
"I need to make some calls," Marcus said.
"I know," Derek said.
"I'll stay as long as you need me."
Marcus looked back at the garden one more time.
The diamond necklace was still sitting on the edge of the table where Vanessa had left it.
A small, hard thing catching the afternoon light.
May you like
He turned away from it.
"Let's start with the bank," he said.
