Chapter 2 - The Man in the Kitchen)
Claire heard the back door close at 10:17 p.m.
Noah had finally fallen asleep twenty minutes earlier.
Claire was standing in the laundry room folding tiny blankets when the sound came.
She froze.
The house was old enough to make noises, but Claire knew that door.
It had a loose hinge that made a faint metallic click when opened.
She grabbed her phone.
"Mark?"
There was no answer.
She remembered immediately.
Chicago.
She stepped into the kitchen.
Evan stood beside the counter.
Claire's heart jumped.
"What are you doing?"
He raised both hands.
"Relax."
"How did you get in?"
"The spare key."
"What spare key?"
"The one Mom gave me last Christmas when you were out of town."
Claire stared at him.
"Give it to me."
"Claire."
"Now."
He placed a brass key on the counter.
She snatched it.
"You can't come into my house like this."
"I tried calling."
"My phone is on silent because my baby is sleeping."
"I need to talk to you."
"No."
"Five minutes."
"No."
He stepped in front of her.
Claire felt anger before fear.
"Move."
"I found a solution."
"Good. Use it somewhere else."
"I need you to sign something."
He took folded papers from his jacket.
Claire did not touch them.
"What is it?"
"A temporary loan."
"In whose name?"
Silence.
Claire's eyes narrowed.
"Evan."
"Mine."
"Then why do I need to sign it?"
"Collateral."
"What collateral?"
"The lake house."
Claire went cold.
Their mother had inherited the lake house from Claire's grandmother and transferred it to Claire three years earlier.
It was the one property in the family that did not belong to Robert.
The one place Helen called hers.
"No."
"It's only temporary."
"No."
"I'll repay it in ninety days."
"No."
"You haven't even read it."
"I don't need to."
Evan's voice sharpened.
"Do you understand what happens if I don't pay these people?"
Claire studied him.
For the first time, she saw real fear.
"Who are they?"
"It doesn't matter."
"It matters if you're breaking into my home at ten at night."
"I didn't break in."
"You entered without permission."
"Fine."
Noah cried upstairs.
Claire looked toward the ceiling.
Evan grabbed her wrist.
She jerked away.
"Don't touch me."
"Listen."
"Get out."
"You have everything."
The bitterness in his voice stunned her.
"What?"
"You have Mark. You have the house. Dad respects you. Mom calls you every morning. Now you have the perfect baby."
Claire stared.
"Do you think any of that happened by accident?"
"I didn't say that."
"You think Mark and I didn't work for this?"
Evan shoved the papers onto the counter.
"I need one signature."
"No."
His palm slammed onto the granite.
A framed photograph toppled and shattered.
Noah's crying became louder upstairs.
Claire flinched.
Evan immediately looked ashamed.
"Claire."
"Leave."
"I'm sorry."
"Get out."
"I didn't mean to."
"Get out of my house."
He grabbed the papers.
Claire rushed upstairs.
By the time she returned with Noah, Evan was gone.
She locked every door.
Then she sat in the nursery rocking chair until sunrise.
Mark called at six.
"Morning."
Claire tried to sound normal.
"Hi."
"How's my team?"
"We're fine."
"You sound tired."
"Noah had a rough night."
"Anything else?"
Claire looked at the broken frame she had carried upstairs.
"No."
Mark paused.
"You sure?"
"Yes."
Another lie.
After the call, Claire replaced the photograph.
She swept the last pieces of glass from beneath the kitchen cabinet.
Then she found something under the table.
One page from Evan's loan documents.
He must have dropped it.
Claire picked it up.
Her name was printed on the signature line.
Below it was another signature.
Mark Collins.
Claire stared.
Mark had not signed it.
She knew his handwriting.
She knew the sharp angle of his M.
The signature on the page was close.
Very close.
But wrong.
Claire read the top of the page.
GUARANTOR AUTHORIZATION.
Her pulse accelerated.
She photographed it.
Then she called Evan.
He answered immediately.
"You forged Mark's signature."
Silence.
"Evan."
"It's not what you think."
"You forged my husband's name."
"I was going to fix it."
"How?"
"I don't know."
Claire lowered her voice.
"If you ever use his name again, I will tell Dad everything."
"You can't."
"Watch me."
"Claire."
"You have twenty-four hours to send me proof every document with Mark's name has been destroyed."
Evan exhaled.
"Okay."
"And stay away from my house."
"Okay."
She ended the call.
Claire believed she had taken control.
She had not.
At 2:43 that afternoon, an email appeared in Mark's business account.
Claire knew because Mark had left his tablet at home.
The notification displayed across the screen.
TRANSFER CONFIRMATION: $92,000.
Claire stared.
The sender was Hayes Development Group.
Her father's company.
The recipient account belonged to Collins Construction.
Mark's company.
Except Mark had not requested ninety-two thousand dollars.
Claire opened the email.
Her breath stopped.
Someone had transferred family company money into an account carrying Mark's business name.
Then the money had been moved again.
Claire recognized the destination.
Evan Hayes Holdings.
Her brother had not merely forged Mark's signature.
May you like
He had built an entire trail designed to make it appear Mark was involved.
And now her father's money was missing.
