Chương 9
“How was it?”
“Neil said spouses authorize each other all the time.”
Charlotte laughed once.
“You believed a notary who told you identity doesn’t matter.”
“He said there were ways to correct it later.”
“Later.”
“Yes.”
“After the loan was saved.”
“Yes.”
Charlotte opened the folder and looked at the stamp again.
This time she read the full name.
Neil P. Harrow.
The commission number was printed beneath it.
“I have his last name.”
Gertrude went silent.
“Neil Harrow.”
Brandon said nothing.
Charlotte looked at the stamp.
“Why did neither of you tell me his name when it’s literally on the page?”
Gertrude sounded irritated.
“I didn’t memorize it.”
Charlotte almost responded.
Then she stopped.
Something else had caught her attention.
The notarized acknowledgment stated that Charlotte Mercer had personally appeared before Neil Harrow.
The date was a Tuesday at two forty-five in the afternoon.
Charlotte knew exactly where she had been that Tuesday.
She had been at work.
Not vaguely at work.
In a mandatory quarterly compliance meeting with thirty-two other employees and a digital attendance record.
She felt the first clean edge of something usable.
Not anger.
Evidence.
“Brandon.”
“What?”
“The notarization says I personally appeared.”
“I know.”
“At two forty-five on June ninth.”
He said nothing.
“I was in a mandatory meeting.”
Gertrude cut in.
“What difference does that make?”
Charlotte looked toward the window.
Outside, the leaf blower had stopped.
The sudden quiet felt enormous.
“It means I can prove I wasn’t there.”
No one spoke.
Then Brandon said, very softly, “Charlotte, please don’t go to the police yet.”
She felt her stomach tighten.
“I didn’t say anything about police.”
“No.”
“But you were already thinking about them.”
He exhaled.
“I’m thinking about Mom.”
Charlotte stared at the phone.
“Were you not thinking about me when she signed my name?”
“That’s not fair.”
“No.”
Her voice remained calm.
“It isn’t.”
She ended the call.
At ten twenty, Hailey arrived without warning.
Charlotte nearly didn’t open the door.
Then she saw Evan standing behind her.
He was taller than she remembered, broad through the shoulders, wearing a blue work shirt and an expression that suggested he had not slept either.
Charlotte opened the door but did not step aside.
“I have an attorney calling me later.”
Evan nodded.
“Good.”
“I’m not discussing anything off the record if that matters.”
“I’m not asking you to.”
Hailey held up a thick envelope.
“He brought the transfers.”
Charlotte looked at Evan.
“All of them?”
“All the ones I have.”
“Why?”
Evan swallowed.
“Because I think Brandon got set up.”
Charlotte’s face hardened.
“That does not erase what Brandon did.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
He glanced at Hailey.
“I also think I helped set him up without knowing it.”
Charlotte stepped aside.
They sat at the dining table where the seafood had been the night before.
Evan emptied the envelope slowly.
There were printed bank statements, screenshots of emails, two promissory notes, and a spreadsheet.
Charlotte did not touch anything at first.
“Explain.”
Evan pointed to the first transfer.
“I put twenty-five into Inland Venture because Curtis said he was buying distressed freight contracts.”
“Did you verify that?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
Evan’s mouth twisted.
“Because I was greedy and he was convincing.”
Hailey looked away.
Evan continued.
“I got two payments back.”
“How much?”
“Three thousand each.”
“Returns?”
“That’s what he called them.”
“From where?”
“Inland Venture.”
“Then?”
“Curtis told me WestArc had a bigger opportunity and needed private capital fast.”
“So you sent Brandon to him.”
“I mentioned it at poker.”
Charlotte looked up.
“You mentioned it.”
“Yeah.”
“Did Curtis know Brandon owned a house?”
Evan stopped.
Hailey turned toward him.
Charlotte felt the room change.
“How would Curtis know that?”
Evan rubbed his palms together.
“I might have said something.”
“What?”
“That Brandon and you had bought before prices jumped.”
Hailey stared at him.
“Evan.”
“It was poker talk.”
Charlotte leaned forward.
“What exactly did you say?”
“I don’t remember exactly.”
“Try.”
Evan looked sick.
“I said Brandon was cautious because you two had most of your money tied up in the house.”
Charlotte felt cold again.
“And Curtis heard that.”
“Yes.”
“How long before Curtis approached Brandon?”
Evan looked at the papers.
“Maybe two weeks.”
Charlotte stared at the spreadsheet.
The pattern suddenly looked less like bad luck and more like selection.
Not proof.
Not yet.
But selection.
Her phone rang on the table.
The caller ID showed Marisol Vega.
Charlotte picked it up.
Before answering, she looked at Evan.
“Do not leave.”
Then she walked into the kitchen and took the call.
Marisol did not waste time on reassurance.
“I reviewed the pages you sent.”
Charlotte turned away from the dining room and lowered her voice.
“What do you think?”
“I think you should stop speaking to anyone connected to the lender until we understand what was recorded against the property.”
“Recorded?”
“County records.”
Charlotte looked through the kitchen doorway at Evan’s papers spread across the table.
“Can you check that?”
“I already ordered a preliminary title search.”
Charlotte gripped the edge of the counter.
“How long?”
“I may have something today.”
“May?”
“Public indexing and document images do not always move at the same speed.”
Charlotte shut her eyes briefly.
“Okay.”
“There’s another issue.”
Of course there was.
Marisol continued.
“The notarial acknowledgment is facially problematic if you did not personally appear.”
“I can prove I was at work.”
“Good.”
“I have an electronic badge record, a meeting attendance log, probably security video if they keep it.”
“Collect what you can without altering anything.”
Charlotte nodded before remembering Marisol could not see her.
“Do not call the notary.”
“I have his name.”
“I saw it.”
“Neil Harrow.”
“Yes.”
“Do you know him?”
“No.”
Marisol paused.
“But I know how to verify whether his commission was active on the date shown.”
Charlotte looked down the hallway.
May you like
Skylar’s bedroom door was open now, bed unmade, one pink sock abandoned near the wall.
The ordinary little mess steadied her.
