Chapter 5 - My Name, His Crime
"I WILL NOT SIGN AWAY MY GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE!"
I said the words so fiercely that Tessa looked up from her laptop.
Marisol remained on the video call, calm and focused.
"Then we're going to make sure your objection is officially documented."
We spent the next several hours gathering everything that could establish my ownership.
My grandmother's will.
The recorded deed.
Property tax statements.
Insurance records.
And the original correspondence from the attorney who had handled Clara's estate.
I had kept most of those documents in a locked file cabinet.
Fortunately, scanned copies were stored in an account Julian didn't know about.
By morning, Marisol had contacted the county offices and initiated emergency legal action to challenge the suspicious documents.
Detective Ortiz supplied information confirming that the disputed signatures were part of an active investigation.
The sale could not proceed as its organizers had planned.
When Marisol called shortly after nine, I nearly dropped my phone.
"The transaction has been stopped pending further review."
I closed my eyes.
For a moment, relief washed over me.
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet, Morgan."
Her voice became serious.
"This isn't finished."
She explained that Graham Pike's company had been trying to obtain my property for months.
The transaction was connected to a much larger development proposal involving several parcels near my grandmother's land.
That confused me.
"Why would anyone care so much about a little cottage?"
"We're looking into that."
I remembered Julian's insistence that the property was worthless unless I sold it.
Suddenly, I wondered how many of his arguments had been lies.
That afternoon, Tessa and I returned to Caldwell Construction.
I wasn't ready to resume my normal duties, but I needed access to some personal belongings and approved financial records.
Our boss, Daniel Mercer, was waiting near my desk.
Daniel was a polished man in his late forties who prided himself on knowing everything about his company.
Usually, he was friendly.
That afternoon, he looked unusually tense.
"Morgan, we need to talk."
He led me into his office.
Tessa tried to follow.
Daniel stopped her.
"Privately."
Something about his tone made me uncomfortable.
I sat across from him.
"What's wrong?"
Daniel folded his hands.
"We've discovered irregularities in our accounts."
I frowned.
"What kind of irregularities?"
"Unauthorized transfers."
"How much?"
He hesitated.
"Almost ninety-six thousand dollars."
I stared at him.
"That's impossible."
He slid several printed reports across the desk.
The transactions were made to an unfamiliar consulting company.
Each transfer had been approved through an employee account.
My account.
I felt the blood drain from my face.
"I didn't authorize these."
Daniel leaned back.
"The records say otherwise."
"Then someone used my credentials."
"That's a serious accusation."
"So is accusing me of stealing ninety-six thousand dollars!"
His expression hardened.
"Lower your voice."
I looked at the payment dates.
Several transactions had occurred while I was commuting.
One had been processed during my police interview.
I pointed to the timestamp.
"I wasn't even here."
Daniel shrugged.
"Remote access exists."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
The man I had worked for over six years was calmly suggesting that I had stolen from his company.
"Daniel, I've never taken a penny that wasn't mine."
He didn't answer.
Instead, he looked toward the office window.
"Your husband called me yesterday."
I went completely still.
"What?"
"He said you've been under considerable emotional stress."
I stared at him.
"Julian called you?"
"He seemed concerned."
A cold realization began spreading through me.
Julian knew I had gone to the police.
He knew I was challenging the cottage transfer.
And now my employer was questioning whether I was a criminal.
I stood.
"I want copies of these records."
Daniel's expression became colder.
"That's not possible while we investigate."
I walked toward the door.
He spoke again.
"Morgan."
I stopped.
"You should think carefully before making this situation worse."
I turned.
"What exactly does that mean?"
He looked directly into my eyes.
"Some problems can be resolved quietly."
For the first time, I noticed the expensive silver watch on his wrist.
I had seen a watch just like it in the photograph Detective Ortiz had shown me of Graham Pike.
I left Daniel's office without another word.
Tessa was waiting at my desk.
"What happened?"
I told her everything.
She immediately opened her laptop.
"Something isn't right."
She pulled up the transaction summaries still available through her authorized payroll reporting access.
Then she examined the dates.
Her expression changed.
"Morgan, look at this."
She pointed to a transfer.
Ninety-six thousand dollars had been moved through a series of suspicious invoices.
The final recipient was a consulting company associated with a larger corporate account.
Tessa followed the account reference into the company's approved vendor records.
Then she went completely silent.
"What is it?"
She turned the laptop toward me.
The consulting company was linked to Pike Property Strategies.
Graham Pike.
The same man connected to my husband's necklace.
The same man trying to buy my grandmother's cottage.
I felt my heartbeat quicken.
Then Tessa noticed another detail.
The final transfer had been authorized while I was sitting inside the police station.
And the access record showed that my employee credentials had been used from a computer inside Daniel Mercer's executive office.
Tessa looked at me.
"Morgan, someone isn't just trying to steal your cottage."
May you like
She swallowed.
"Someone is trying to make sure you go to prison for their crimes."
