Chapter 5
I drove to my mother's house without calling first.
She opened the door wearing her favorite blue cardigan.
One look at my face and she stepped aside.
"Come in, baby."
I walked into the kitchen.
My hands were shaking.
Mom noticed.
"Marcus, what's wrong?"
I sat down.
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
Then I whispered, "Uncle Raymond."
Her expression changed.
"What about him?"
I swallowed.
"His name came up in the investigation."
She stared at me.
"What investigation?"
I explained the forged agreement.
The office access.
Richard Collins.
Harold Price.
And the possibility that someone was trying to gain control over Bennett Construction Group.
Mom listened quietly.
When I mentioned Raymond, she covered her mouth.
"No."
I looked at her.
"Mom."
She shook her head.
"Raymond would never hurt you."
I wanted to believe her.
Raymond was fifty-nine.
He had been my father's closest friend as well as his brother.
After Dad died, Raymond came by every weekend.
He taught me how to change a tire.
He attended my basketball games.
He helped me study for my driver's test.
When I graduated from college, he cried harder than Mom.
I couldn't imagine him helping Richard Collins steal from me.
But I also couldn't ignore evidence.
"Rachel said his name appears in correspondence."
Mom stared at the table.
"Maybe there's a mistake."
"Maybe."
I took her hand.
"That's why we need to understand what happened."
She nodded slowly.
Then she looked at me.
"Marcus, you need to know something."
My stomach tightened.
"What?"
"Raymond borrowed money from me last year."
I froze.
"How much?"
She looked ashamed.
"Twenty thousand dollars."
I stared at her.
"Mom."
"He said he needed help with a business investment."
I rubbed my forehead.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because he asked me not to."
I closed my eyes.
Raymond knew my mother lived on a modest retirement income.
Twenty thousand dollars was a significant amount of money for her.
"Did he repay it?"
She shook her head.
"No."
My stomach tightened.
"What business?"
"He said he was investing in commercial property."
I stared at her.
"With whom?"
She hesitated.
"I don't know."
I took a breath.
"Mom, did he mention Richard Collins?"
Her eyes widened.
Then she nodded.
"He did."
I felt sick.
"What did he say?"
"He said Richard had a wonderful opportunity."
I looked away.
The pieces were beginning to connect.
Richard.
Raymond.
Harold.
Vanessa.
A web of people who had access to different parts of my life.
I wondered how long they had been planning this.
Mom reached for my hand.
"Marcus, please don't assume the worst."
I looked at her.
"I don't want to."
She nodded.
"Then find out the truth."
I promised her I would.
That afternoon, I met with Rachel.
She showed me several emails obtained through the company's internal review.
One message from Harold to Richard mentioned Raymond as a potential intermediary.
Another referred to a proposed investment involving Bennett Construction's future contracts.
I studied the documents carefully.
"Does this prove Raymond was involved?"
Rachel shook her head.
"Not by itself."
I exhaled.
"Then what do we know?"
"We know his name was used in discussions. We need to establish whether he knew the purpose."
I nodded.
She continued.
"Marcus, I want you to prepare for the possibility that someone close to you made a serious mistake."
I looked at her.
"I already have."
That evening, I called Raymond.
He answered immediately.
"Marcus!"
His voice sounded cheerful.
"How's my favorite nephew?"
I felt my chest tighten.
"Can we talk?"
His tone changed.
"Sure. Everything okay?"
"I'd rather speak in person."
He hesitated.
Then said, "Come by tomorrow."
I agreed.
When I arrived the next morning, Raymond greeted me with a hug.
His house looked smaller than I remembered.
Several pieces of furniture were missing.
There was a stack of unopened mail on the kitchen counter.
I noticed a past-due notice partly hidden beneath a newspaper.
Raymond saw me looking.
He quickly moved it.
"Coffee?"
I shook my head.
"No, thanks."
We sat across from each other.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then I asked, "Do you know Richard Collins?"
Raymond froze.
The change was immediate.
His smile disappeared.
He looked toward the window.
"Why?"
I felt my heart sink.
"Just answer me."
He swallowed.
"Yes."
"How?"
"We've done some business."
I leaned forward.
"What kind of business?"
He rubbed his hands together.
"Investments."
I thought of Mom's money.
"Did you use the twenty thousand dollars you borrowed from my mother?"
His eyes widened.
"She told you?"
I nodded.
Raymond looked ashamed.
"Marcus, I was going to pay her back."
"That wasn't my question."
He looked down.
"Yes."
I took a breath.
"What happened to the money?"
He hesitated.
Then whispered, "It's gone."
I closed my eyes.
"Raymond."
"I know."
He covered his face.
"I made a terrible mistake."
I waited.
He explained that he had invested in a commercial development proposed by Richard.
At first, the returns looked promising.
Then the project stalled.
Raymond borrowed additional money.
He hoped to recover his losses.
Instead, his debts grew.
"How much do you owe?" I asked.
He looked ashamed.
"Almost two hundred thousand."
I stared at him.
"Raymond."
He nodded.
"I know."
Then he said something that made my stomach tighten.
"Richard told me he could help."
I leaned forward.
"How?"
"He said he needed information about your company."
I closed my eyes.
"What information?"
Raymond began crying.
"Marcus, I didn't know what he was planning."
I stared at him.
"What did you give him?"
He swallowed.
"Some old family records."
I frowned.
"What records?"
"Documents from your father's estate."
My heart pounded.
"Why would Richard want those?"
Raymond looked down.
"Because your father originally owned part of the land where you built your first office."
I stared at him.
I remembered Dad leaving a small parcel of property in my name.
Years later, I used that land to secure financing for my first business expansion.
"What does that have to do with Richard?"
Raymond wiped his face.
"He said there might be an unresolved ownership issue."
My stomach tightened.
"An issue involving who?"
Raymond hesitated.
"Me."
I stared at him.
"What?"
He began shaking.
"Marcus, your father and I had an agreement before he died."
I felt cold.
"What agreement?"
"He promised me a share of the property if I helped him develop it."
I shook my head.
"Was that written down?"
Raymond looked away.
"No."
I took a breath.
"Then why did you tell Richard?"
"He asked questions. I thought he could help me recover money."
I stared at my uncle.
The man who taught me to ride a bicycle.
The man who helped me bury my father.
The man who had always told me family came first.
"You gave a businessman ammunition against me because you were in debt?"
Raymond began crying.
"I'm sorry."
I stood.
I couldn't sit there anymore.
He reached toward me.
"Marcus, please."
I turned.
"Did you know Richard was trying to take my company?"
Raymond shook his head.
"Not at first."
My stomach dropped.
"At first?"
He covered his face.
I stared at him.
"Raymond."
He began sobbing.
"By the time I understood, I was already trapped."
I closed my eyes.
Then he whispered something that made my blood run cold.
"Richard has documents that could ruin me."
I looked at him.
"What documents?"
Raymond swallowed.
"He made me sign a statement saying your father never intended to leave that land to you."
I stared at him.
"You lied about Dad's wishes?"
He began crying harder.
"Yes."
I felt something break inside me.
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
Then I asked the question that mattered most.
"Did you sign it willingly?"
Raymond looked down.
At first, he didn't answer.
Then he whispered, "Yes."
I stepped backward.
He reached for me.
"Marcus, I was desperate."
I shook my head.
"You should have come to me."
"I was ashamed."
I looked at him.
"You helped someone who wanted to destroy what Dad left us."
His face crumpled.
"I know."
I walked toward the door.
Behind me, Raymond called my name.
I stopped.
He whispered, "I never wanted to hurt you."
I looked back.
"But you did."
Then I left.
Outside, I sat in my car for nearly twenty minutes.
My hands were shaking.
I had lost my bride.
I had discovered betrayal inside my company.
And now I had learned that my father's own brother had signed a false statement about his inheritance.
I stared at the steering wheel.
Then my phone rang.
Rachel.
I answered.
"Marcus?"
"Yes."
Her voice sounded urgent.
"We have a major development."
I closed my eyes.
"What now?"
"Harold Price has been suspended pending the investigation, and the forensic team uncovered unusual transfers."
My stomach tightened.
"How much?"
She hesitated.
"Nearly four hundred thousand dollars."
I sat upright.
"From where?"
"Company accounts connected to one of our development projects."
I stared at the road.
"Where did the money go?"
Rachel took a breath.
"To a consulting company owned by Richard Collins."
My blood ran cold.
Then she added something worse.
"Marcus, the payments were approved under your electronic credentials."
I couldn't speak.
Rachel continued.
"We believe someone used your access to authorize them."
I gripped the steering wheel.
Because suddenly, the betrayal wasn't only emotional.
May you like
Someone had been moving money out of my company while using my identity.
And I realized that if we didn't act quickly, Richard might destroy everything before we could stop him.
