Chapter 6 - The Signature
The investigators discovered that Daniel had submitted the property transfer at 4:31 p.m. on the day Maya died.
The authorization document claimed Maya had signed at 4:10.
At 4:10, Maya was under emergency care and unable to review or sign legal documents.
Daniel had copied her signature from an older business contract.
Celeste had signed as a witness.
The false transfer gave Daniel ownership of Maya’s house, company shares, investment accounts, and intellectual property. It also removed Maya’s sister as the alternate trustee for her daughter’s inheritance.
Daniel replaced Lena with Celeste.
The notary seal belonged to a man who had died eight months earlier.
Forensics also recovered deleted messages between Daniel and Celeste.
Once the transfer goes through, we can sell her shares.
What if she tells Lena?
Then we make Lena look obsessed.
And the baby?
The trust becomes ours if Daniel controls the estate.
The most damaging message had been sent after Maya asked Daniel to call for help.
Celeste wrote:
Do not leave yet. If you go now, she will know we were together.
Daniel replied:
I’ll wait a little. She always panics.
That wait became forty-seven minutes.
When confronted with the evidence, Celeste blamed Daniel.
She claimed he had told her Maya was exaggerating. She insisted she believed all the documents were legal.
Daniel blamed Celeste.
He claimed she created the vendor accounts and pressured him to hide the relationship.
Neither knew that investigators were recording every contradiction.
Captain Hayes wanted to arrest them immediately, but Rose Caldwell warned that another piece of evidence was still missing.
Daniel had transferred the stolen company money through six shell accounts. The final account had not yet been identified.
Without it, much of Maya’s money might disappear forever.
Lena suggested waiting until the funeral.
Daniel believed the investigation had stalled. He also believed he would inherit everything once Maya was buried.
He would come to the chapel confident.
And if Celeste came beside him, they would likely discuss the hidden account before entering.
Captain Hayes authorized surveillance.
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Lena chose the navy uniform Maya had once told her made her look fearless.
Then she prepared to bury her sister and expose her killers in the same room.
