Some money had gone toward legitimate business expenses.
Some had gone toward luxury purchases.
And some had disappeared into accounts that were difficult to trace.
Evelyn had hired Andre to investigate after learning that he had become a respected financial investigator.
She knew he and Danielle had once been together.
She also knew that he was one of the few people Marcus had not managed to intimidate or impress.
But Evelyn had not wanted Danielle involved.
Not initially.
She had simply asked Andre to identify what was happening.
Then her health deteriorated.
Before she died, she left instructions for Patricia to keep the investigation confidential until the evidence was strong enough to protect the people who might be affected.
Danielle had assumed the matter was closed.
Until Patricia called again.
The estate records had been accessed without authorization.
Someone had attempted to move a property title.
And a document had been submitted using Danielle's signature.
That was when everything changed.
Back in the bedroom, Marcus was staring at the photocopies.
He recognized the company names.
He recognized the account numbers.
And he recognized the date of one particular transfer.
It was the same week he had purchased a luxury SUV.
He remembered that purchase clearly.
He had told Danielle that it was a bonus from a successful property deal.
She had been excited for him.
They had taken pictures in the driveway.
His mother had laughed when she saw the vehicle and asked whether he planned to drive it to the grocery store.
Now the memory felt poisonous.
“Where did the money go?” he asked.
Andre folded his hands.
“Some of it went through a company called Reed Development Holdings.”
“That's my company.”
“I know.”
“It's legitimate.”
“I didn't say it wasn't.”
“Then what's the problem?”
“The problem is that your mother's identity was used to secure loans that funded it.”
Marcus shook his head.
“She invested in my business.”
“She invested in the original company. She did not authorize those loans.”
“She wanted me to succeed.”
“I'm sure she did.”
“You don't know anything about my relationship with her.”
Andre's voice remained calm.
“I know she spent the last months of her life trying to protect you from the consequences of your own decisions.”
Marcus's expression hardened.
“Careful.”
“I'm being careful.”
“Don't stand in my bedroom and tell me what my mother wanted.”
Danielle stepped forward.
“Marcus, please. Just look at the dates.”
He glanced at her.
“Why are you defending him?”
“I'm not defending anyone. I'm trying to understand what happened.”
“Then ask him why he brought you into this.”
Andre answered before Danielle could.
“Because someone used her identity too.”
Marcus turned.
“What?”
Andre removed another document.
“This is a property transfer application submitted eleven days ago. The property was part of Evelyn's estate. Your name appears as the beneficiary. Danielle's name appears as the witness.”
Marcus looked down.
The signature on the witness line looked like Danielle's.
Almost.
But something was wrong with the final letter.
He looked at her.
“Did you sign this?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then why is your name here?”
“That's what we're trying to find out.”
Marcus looked back at Andre.
“You think I forged her signature?”
“I think someone did.”
“And you think it was me?”
Andre didn't respond.
That silence was enough.
Marcus threw the document onto the bed.
“Get out.”
Danielle flinched.
“Marcus—”
“Both of you. Get out of my house.”
Andre stood still.
“We're not finished.”
“Yes, we are.”
“No. We're not.”
Marcus stepped toward him.
“You came into my home, brought my dead mother into this, and accused me of stealing from my own family. What more do you want?”
Andre held his gaze.
“The truth.”
Marcus laughed bitterly.
“Then go find it somewhere else.”
Danielle picked up her handbag from the chair.
She had expected this reaction.
She had known Marcus might become angry, deny everything, or accuse her of betrayal.
But she had hoped that seeing his mother's handwriting would make him pause.
She had hoped that somewhere beneath the anger, he would remember the woman who raised him.
Instead, he was doing exactly what Evelyn had feared.
Running from the evidence.
Danielle reached for the envelope.
Marcus caught her wrist.
“Don't touch that.”
She looked down at his hand.
“Let go.”
“That's my mother's letter.”
“And I'm not trying to take it.”
“Then leave it.”
She pulled her hand free.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Andre said something that made Marcus turn.
“Your mother left you one more thing.”
Marcus stared at him.
“What?”
“A recording.”
“Where?”
Andre pointed toward the USB drive.
“It's on there.”
Marcus looked at the device.
“What recording?”
“Your mother wanted you to hear her voice.”
The room became silent again.
Marcus looked away.
He didn't want to hear it.
Not like this.
Not with Andre standing in his bedroom and Danielle watching him as though she were waiting for him to become someone else.
But he also couldn't walk away.
He picked up the USB drive.
“Where's my laptop?”
Danielle pointed toward the desk.
He crossed the room, opened his laptop, and inserted the drive.
A folder appeared.
There were dozens of files.
Scanned statements.
Photographs.
Audio recordings.
A spreadsheet.
And one file labeled:
FOR MARCUS — PLEASE LISTEN ALONE.
Marcus stared at it.
His finger hovered over the trackpad.
Then he clicked.
A faint crackling sound came through the speakers.
A chair moved.
Someone coughed.
Then a familiar voice filled the bedroom.