Chapter 7 - The Truth Behind the Missing Millions
The number haunted me.
Two million dollars.
I had spent most of my adult life budgeting carefully.
I drove a ten-year-old car.
I rented a modest apartment.
I worked long hours as an electrical engineer and put whatever I could into savings.
Two million dollars was more money than I could imagine.
But the most disturbing part wasn't the amount.
It was my father's name.
Someone had continued using his identity after his death.
And they had made it look as though I benefited.
Rebecca explained the findings the next morning.
"The account appears to have been used to move proceeds from multiple real estate transactions."
I stared at the statement.
"And I'm connected to it?"
"On paper, yes. But the evidence we've seen suggests your identity was used without authorization."
Marcus sat beside me.
His face was pale.
"Can they accuse Ethan of stealing the money?"
Rebecca answered carefully.
"Investigators will examine the records and the people involved. Our job is to document his lack of involvement and preserve the proof."
I rubbed my forehead.
"Why use Dad's name?"
Grace spoke from the other side of the table.
"Because Daniel's old business history made him a convenient cover."
I looked at her.
She continued.
"If someone questioned why funds were moving between old property entities, they could point to the partnership."
"Even though Dad was dead?"
"That's what makes the transactions suspicious."
Detective Reed had already referred the findings to financial investigators.
They were tracing the money.
Reviewing records.
Comparing signatures.
And examining Caleb's professional involvement.
But there was one question I couldn't escape.
Why had Maya finally come forward?
I didn't believe it was simply guilt.
Four years of deception didn't disappear overnight.
At lunchtime, Rebecca received permission to share a statement Maya had made through her attorney.
I read it twice.
Then a third time.
Maya admitted she had known Caleb before meeting me.
She admitted he had encouraged her to develop a relationship with me.
She admitted she had provided him with copies of my identification and property documents.
My hands shook as I read.
Then I reached the next paragraph.
Maya claimed Caleb had promised to end the scheme after the duplex transfer.
But she had recently discovered additional accounts under my name.
She feared he intended to blame me if investigators uncovered the fraud.
I looked up.
"So she wasn't trying to save me."
Rebecca tilted her head.
"She may have been trying to save herself. Those motives aren't necessarily exclusive."
I laughed bitterly.
"That's supposed to make me feel better?"
"No. It's supposed to help us stay focused on evidence rather than guessing at her feelings."
I lowered my eyes.
She was right.
I had spent years trying to understand Maya.
Now the important question wasn't whether she loved me.
It was whether she would tell the truth.
Later that afternoon, Detective Reed arranged a formal interview.
I wasn't present.
But Rebecca told me afterward that Maya had begun cooperating.
She provided messages.
Financial records.
And details about Caleb's network of companies.
Some of the information matched Dad's hidden files.
Some implicated other professionals.
Including a notary who had allowed her credentials to be used in suspicious transactions.
For the first time, investigators had information from someone inside the scheme.
That evening, Marcus came to my apartment carrying pizza.
He dropped the boxes on the kitchen counter.
"You look like a ghost."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
I smiled despite myself.
He opened a box.
For a few minutes, we ate without talking.
Then Marcus said, "I keep thinking about Dad."
I looked up.
"Me too."
"He knew somebody might come after us."
I nodded.
"And he still managed to make us feel safe."
Marcus stared at his slice.
"I used to think he was too strict."
I laughed softly.
"He was."
"Remember when I broke the workshop window?"
"You blamed it on a bird."
Marcus grinned.
"A very large bird."
We laughed.
For the first time in days, the laughter felt real.
Then Marcus's expression changed.
"Ethan, I need to tell you something."
I set down my pizza.
"What?"
"Before Dad died, he asked me to keep an eye on Maya."
I stared at him.
"He told you too?"
Marcus nodded.
"He said something about her didn't feel right."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
His eyes filled.
"Because I didn't believe him."
I looked away.
Marcus continued.
"I told him he was being unfair. I said you deserved to be happy."
My throat tightened.
"He wasn't angry?"
"No. He just said he hoped we were right."
I closed my eyes.
Marcus leaned forward.
"That's what he wanted, Ethan. For you to be happy. Even if it meant he was wrong."
I wiped my face.
"I wish I could talk to him."
"Me too."
We sat together in silence.
Then Marcus put his hand on my shoulder.
"But we still have each other."
I looked at him.
And something inside me steadied.
The next morning, Rebecca received a formal update.
The title company had withdrawn the disputed closing pending the investigation.
The court had extended the temporary protections.
And the accounts linked to the suspected fraud were under scrutiny, with certain funds restrained through legal process.
It wasn't over.
But Caleb's plan was beginning to unravel.
Then Detective Reed called me.
"We need to discuss a new piece of evidence."
I drove to the station with Rebecca.
Reed showed us a photograph recovered from one of Caleb's accounts.
It was a spreadsheet.
Names.
Addresses.
Estimated property values.
And beside each entry, a status.
Some read COMPLETED.
Others read PENDING.
My father's duplex was marked PENDING.
Mrs. Patterson's property was marked COMPLETED.
Then I noticed another address near the bottom.
I leaned closer.
I recognized it.
It belonged to Aunt Teresa.
My chest tightened.
"What is that doing there?"
Detective Reed looked at me.
"Do you know the owner?"
"My aunt."
The entry contained her name.
Her address.
And an estimated value.
Beside it were two words.
NEXT TARGET.
I stood so quickly my chair nearly tipped over.
"Does Caleb know she's my aunt?"
Reed nodded.
"It appears he does."
I grabbed my phone.
Teresa answered on the second ring.
"Ethan, sweetheart—"
"Aunt Teresa, lock your doors."
Her voice changed.
"What's wrong?"
"Has anyone contacted you about your house?"
There was a pause.
Then she said, "A very nice young woman came by yesterday."
My stomach dropped.
"What woman?"
"She said she worked for a property assistance program. She offered to help me lower my insurance costs."
I could barely breathe.
"Did you sign anything?"
"No. She left some papers."
"Don't touch them."
Teresa sounded frightened.
"Ethan, what's happening?"
I closed my eyes.
The truth was almost too much to bear.
Caleb wasn't finished targeting my family.
And this time, he had chosen the woman who helped raise me.
May you like
I opened my eyes and looked at Detective Reed.
"We have to stop him before he takes another home."
