Chapter 3 - THE SIGNATURE THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE EXISTED
My daughter's signature was on documents authorizing the transfer of nearly four million dollars.
The problem was that Rachel had never worked for Meridian Industrial Systems.
She had no authority to approve company payments.
And until tonight, she hadn't even known I owned the business.
I stared at Margaret's message.
Then I looked up.
“Rachel.”
She turned.
“Yes, Mom?”
“Have you signed any financial documents for Grant recently?”
Her face changed.
Grant immediately stepped between us.
“Why are you interrogating my wife?”
I ignored him.
“Rachel, please answer me.”
She hesitated.
“Some business paperwork.”
“What kind?”
“I don't know. Grant said it was for our future.”
My heart sank.
Grant's expression hardened.
“That's private.”
I looked directly at him.
“Not if my company's money is involved.”
Charles grabbed the back of a chair.
“What?”
I took a breath.
“There are transactions under review involving a company called Whitmore Strategic Holdings.”
Grant went pale.
Diane stared at her son.
“Grant?”
He recovered quickly.
“My company does consulting.”
“For whom?” I asked.
“Various clients.”
“Does Meridian happen to be one of them?”
He said nothing.
I didn't need another answer.
Rachel looked terrified.
“Grant, what is she talking about?”
He snapped at her.
“Stay out of this.”
I stepped forward.
“Don't speak to my daughter that way.”
For a moment, he looked ready to argue.
Then he remembered who I was.
I turned toward Charles.
“The auditors will establish exactly what happened. Nobody in this room gets to decide guilt based on appearances.”
Charles nodded rapidly.
“Of course.”
I picked up my handbag.
“I'm leaving.”
Rachel rushed toward me.
“Mom, please.”
I stopped.
She looked like the little girl who used to wait by the window for her father to come home.
“Can we talk tomorrow?”
I wanted to say yes immediately.
But I remembered her pushing me toward the door.
I remembered her silence when Grant insulted me.
“Call me when you're ready to tell me the truth.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
I walked into the freezing December night.
Snow fell across the Whitmores' enormous driveway.
My old Honda sat between two luxury SUVs.
For years, I'd found comfort in driving that car.
It reminded me of who I was before success complicated everything.
I placed the pie on the passenger seat.
Then my phone rang.
Margaret.
“Evelyn, are you alone?”
“Yes.”
“We've discovered something about Rachel's signature.”
My heart hammered.
“What?”
“The documents weren't signed electronically.”
“Then how?”
“They were notarized in person.”
I closed my eyes.
Margaret continued.
“The notary's records show Rachel appeared with Grant on November seventeenth.”
“Was she told what she was signing?”
“We don't know.”
May you like
Then Margaret said something that made me grip the steering wheel.
“The witness listed on the documents is Diane Whitmore.”
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