Chapter 6 - The Woman Who Refused to Be a Signature
Mara Bell agreed to meet with the investigator working alongside our property attorney. She brought her notary journal, travel receipts, and a small box of duplicate paperwork. I wasn't in the room for her formal interview; afterward, Miriam shared what could appropriately be discussed with me.
Mara had not notarized the transfer. She had no journal entry for it and had been out of state on the date shown. Months earlier, she'd visited Luca's office for an unrelated transaction and briefly left her stamp case on a conference table. Those facts raised questions about the seal on the document, but the records would need forensic examination to determine precisely how it had been produced.
"I want them to know I didn't do it," Mara said when I later thanked her by phone.
"I believe you," I told her. "Thank you for coming forward."
The next blow arrived in a thick envelope from the bank. Account statements showed withdrawals and transfers affecting savings intended for our daughters. The exact legal ownership and authorization differed by account, and our accountant insisted we distinguish them carefully. What was clear was that ninety-two thousand dollars had moved into accounts tied to Luca's business and had not been restored.
I sat at Ivan's kitchen table with a calculator. I added each transfer, hoping a different total would appear if I tried again. Hazel's first summer job had been supposed to teach her to save for a car, not rescue a failing investment company. Kelly's birthday checks had been deposited without fail. Grandpa's final contribution to Fiona's future sat among the transferred amounts.
When Ivan saw my face, he didn't ask for a number. He put a sandwich in front of me and sat down.
"I worked Christmas," I said. "Remember? I missed Kelly's pageant because they offered double pay. Luca said it was worth it for the college funds."
Ivan's eyes filled. "You were trying to give them something."
"I was there for everyone except them."
"Jessi, the money being taken doesn't make your effort worthless. But we can change what happens next."
We made a budget that evening. I reduced discretionary expenses, spoke to Denise about an available day-shift role, and began planning childcare with Rebecca and paid help rather than pretending my brother's family had unlimited time. Ivan offered to lend me money for legal fees. I accepted a limited amount, documented the loan, and told him I wanted a date for discussing repayment. He smiled and said that sounded like Grandpa.
The hospital review concluded without a finding that the anonymous complaint demonstrated work-related misconduct. It didn't erase the anxiety of going through it, and it didn't mean my employer could ignore future concerns. But I was permitted to continue working. Denise helped me apply for a daytime position opening in the department.
I celebrated with grocery-store cupcakes. Hazel rolled her eyes at the icing flowers but ate two.
That night, Chloe called from an unfamiliar number. I let it go to voicemail. She sounded different: strained, not smug.
"Jessi, please. I didn't know he would move the money. He said the company needed a bridge loan. He told me the house paperwork was temporary. I thought once the deal closed, everything would go back."
A car horn sounded behind her. She lowered her voice.
"He knows I'm thinking about leaving. He keeps saying I signed things too. Call me back."
I passed the message to Miriam. She explained that Chloe should obtain her own legal advice and provide truthful information through appropriate channels. Contacting her privately could create new risks for both of us. I didn't call back.
The next morning, Chloe left another message saying she'd been asked to sign minutes for Aster House Holdings and that she hadn't read them. She claimed Luca controlled the bank access. None of that removed her name from the filings or explained why she had sought Grandpa's records. It did suggest the partnership between the two of them was fracturing.
Miriam also heard from Nina Lawson, Luca's former controller, through counsel. Nina had preserved information she was lawfully entitled to retain and had made a report about accounting discrepancies. Investigators, not I, would determine whether business crimes had occurred. For our property case, the important question was whether the financing depended on an unauthorized transfer of my house.
The lender's lawyer agreed to pause additional steps against the property while reviewing the dispute, subject to the formal proceedings. It wasn't a victory parade. It meant the house would not quietly vanish while we were still sorting out the facts.
On Friday afternoon, a supervised contact session was arranged for Luca and the girls. Hazel refused to go at first. Kelly wanted to know whether she had to hug him. Fiona asked if he would give her the puppy after all.
I told them their feelings were allowed and discussed the specific arrangements with the professional overseeing contact. Their questions were heard, and the session was handled within the temporary court order and the children's welfare needs. I resisted asking them afterward what Luca had said about me. A parent should not turn a child into a source of evidence over dinner.
Fiona came home quiet. After supper she sat beside me on the couch.
"Daddy said he misses me."
"I hear you."
"I miss him when he reads the dragon book. But I don't want to do the kitchen game again."
"You can miss someone and still need rules that keep you safe," I told her. "Those are two different feelings."
She thought about that and leaned against me. Then she asked if I would read the dragon book. I did, giving the dragon a ridiculous deep voice until she giggled.
When she fell asleep, I stayed beside her for a while. I couldn't undo the fear Luca had put in her body. I could keep showing her, night after night, that warmth and safety weren't prizes to be won.
May you like
My phone buzzed as I switched off her lamp. Miriam had sent a short update: the property examination had uncovered a signature image embedded in an earlier draft file, with metadata predating the purported signing appointment. A specialist would have to verify its meaning. The forged name on the deed was finally becoming a traceable act rather than an accusation that Luca could talk his way around.
I placed my phone down and left Fiona's door open. She could come find me whenever she needed. There would be no latch.
