Chapter 5
"Alicia Carter?"
I repeated the name.
Detective Harris confirmed it.
I stood in my mother's kitchen, trying to understand.
My late wife had been Alicia Bennett.
Before marrying me, she'd been Alicia Morgan.
She had never been Alicia Carter.
At least, not that I knew.
"Are you saying my wife is alive?"
The detective immediately corrected me.
"No, Mr. Bennett. I'm not suggesting that. We have no evidence connecting this person to your late wife."
I closed my eyes.
Relief and confusion hit me at once.
"Then who is Alicia Carter?"
"That's what we're still establishing."
After the call, I sat down.
My mother entered the kitchen.
"Marcus?"
I looked up.
"There's someone named Alicia Carter connected to Raymond."
Mom frowned.
"Alicia?"
I nodded.
She sat opposite me.
"That could be a coincidence."
"I know."
But something about it bothered me.
Alicia was not an unusual name.
Still, Denise's strange secrecy made every coincidence feel threatening.
Later that afternoon, Karen contacted me.
She had obtained additional information through lawful records searches.
Alicia Carter was Raymond's former wife.
They had divorced four years earlier.
The rental listing apparently contained outdated occupant information.
There was no connection to my late wife.
I exhaled slowly.
For the first time all day, I felt foolish for imagining something impossible.
But Karen wasn't finished.
"Marcus, there's something more important."
"What?"
"Raymond has been involved in property transactions with people experiencing financial distress."
"That's legal, isn't it?"
"Sometimes. But there have been complaints about misleading agreements."
I leaned forward.
"What kind of complaints?"
"People claimed they signed documents they didn't understand and later discovered unfavorable loan terms."
My stomach tightened.
Denise had been pushing me to sign paperwork.
Raymond had been entering my office.
Now it made sense why they needed my signature.
Karen continued.
"I've also confirmed that the Pine Hollow house is currently rented by Raymond."
"Why?"
"We don't know yet."
I stared out the window.
"Could Denise have planned to send Maya there?"
"We can't conclude that without more evidence."
I nodded.
She was right.
But I couldn't forget Maya's fear.
The next day, I met with Daniel Price, a financial investigator recommended by Karen.
He reviewed my mortgage records.
My bank statements.
The attempted refinancing application.
Then he pointed to a document.
"Mr. Bennett, do you recognize this?"
It was an authorization form.
My name appeared at the bottom.
The signature looked like mine.
But I hadn't signed it.
"No."
Daniel studied me.
"Are you certain?"
"Absolutely."
He nodded.
"Then we need to dispute it formally."
I stared at the page.
"How much were they trying to borrow?"
"Seventy-five thousand dollars."
My stomach dropped.
"And where would the money go?"
"According to the application, a portion would be used for renovations. The rest was designated for an investment partnership."
"What partnership?"
Daniel turned the page.
Carter Property Solutions.
Raymond's company.
I felt sick.
Denise had been trying to use my house to finance Raymond's business.
And she'd been doing it while threatening my daughter.
I asked Daniel to provide a complete report for Karen.
He agreed.
Then I drove back to Mom's house.
Maya was sitting at the dining table doing homework.
She looked up.
"Daddy, can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Do we have to move?"
I paused.
"Maybe someday. But not because you did anything wrong."
She looked worried.
"Will we lose our house?"
I pulled out a chair.
"I'm working to protect it."
She nodded.
Then whispered, "Denise said the house was supposed to be hers."
My chest tightened.
"When?"
"After Raymond came over."
"What exactly did she say?"
Maya thought carefully.
"She said once you signed the papers, she wouldn't have to pretend anymore."
I felt a chill.
"Pretend what?"
Maya looked down.
"Pretend she liked being my mom."
I closed my eyes.
My daughter had heard that.
She had carried those words around for weeks.
I moved beside her.
"Sweetheart, you never needed Denise to pretend to be anything."
She looked up.
"You have people who love you exactly as you are."
She leaned into me.
For several minutes, we sat quietly.
Then she whispered, "Daddy, can I tell you a secret?"
I nodded.
"Raymond gave Denise a ring."
My heart stopped.
"What kind of ring?"
"A shiny one."
"When?"
"At Christmas."
I stared at her.
Christmas.
Six months earlier.
Around the same time Raymond began visiting our house.
"What did Denise say?"
Maya swallowed.
"She said it was their secret."
I felt cold.
Then Maya added, "Raymond kissed her."
I looked away.
I'd suspected something.
But hearing it from my daughter hurt in a way I couldn't describe.
I wasn't just being deceived financially.
My wife was having an affair.
And my nine-year-old daughter had been forced to keep the secret.
I held Maya closer.
"I'm sorry you had to see that."
She whispered, "Denise said if I told you, you'd be so sad you'd stop loving me."
I felt tears burning my eyes.
"That was a lie."
Maya nodded.
"I know now."
That evening, I told Karen about the ring.
She advised me to keep the focus on verifiable facts and Maya's well-being.
I agreed.
I wasn't interested in revenge.
I wanted safety.
Truth.
And a clean separation.
Two days later, Denise finally admitted part of the affair.
She sent me a long message.
Raymond and I made mistakes. But you pushed me away. You never stopped loving Alicia, and I couldn't compete with a dead woman.
I stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived.
If you'd let Maya spend more time with your mother, none of this would have happened.
I felt anger rise.
She was still blaming my daughter.
I forwarded the messages to Karen.
Then I replied once.
Do not contact Maya. Communicate through our attorneys.
Denise called immediately.
I didn't answer.
She left a voicemail.
"Marcus, you have no idea what Raymond is capable of."
I stopped breathing.
Her voice continued.
"He has documents. He says if you don't cooperate, he'll make sure you lose everything."
The message ended.
I stared at my phone.
Then I played it for Karen.
She was quiet for several seconds.
"Marcus," she said, "we need to take that threat seriously."
I nodded.
Because now I understood something frightening.
Denise wasn't just hiding an affair.
May you like
She was trapped in a scheme that had grown bigger than she expected.
And Raymond was no longer pretending to be harmless.
