Chapter 2 - TWENTY-THREE MISSED CALLS
Now, twenty-four hours later, Emily sat on the edge of her bed staring at her phone.
Daniel was already dressed.
“We need to find out what that transfer is.”
Emily nodded.
She opened her banking application.
At first, everything looked normal.
Then she checked recurring payments.
Her stomach dropped.
There were dozens.
Mortgage.
Insurance.
Property taxes.
Utilities.
Private school tuition.
Credit card payments.
Business expenses.
Medical bills.
Subscriptions.
Loans.
Emily stared at the list.
Some belonged to Diane.
Some belonged to Ryan.
Some belonged to people Emily had never heard of.
Daniel leaned closer.
“How long has this been happening?”
“I don't know.”
“Look at the dates.”
Emily scrolled.
Years.
The transfers went back years.
Small at first.
Then larger.
Then enormous.
Daniel whispered,
“Emily, this isn't helping your family.”
“What is it?”
“This is supporting an entire financial network.”
Emily stopped scrolling.
“Why didn't I see it?”
“You trusted them.”
She looked at the screen.
“I gave Mom access to one account years ago.”
“For emergencies?”
“Yes.”
“Then somebody expanded that access.”
Emily's face hardened.
“Without asking me.”
Daniel nodded.
“That's what it looks like.”
Emily called the bank.
The representative asked security questions.
Then there was a long silence.
“Ms. Whitmore, there are several authorized users associated with your account.”
Emily's eyes widened.
“Who?”
The representative couldn't disclose everything over the phone.
But one name was enough.
Ryan Whitmore.
Emily closed her eyes.
Her brother.
The man who had laughed when she said she would stop helping.
Daniel took her hand.
“There's more.”
Emily opened her eyes.
“How do you know?”
“Because Ryan sounded terrified.”
Emily stared at the phone.
Her family hadn't been afraid of losing her.
They were afraid of losing access to her.
And that distinction hurt more than yesterday's insult.
Then her bank representative said something that made Emily sit completely still.
“Ms. Whitmore, there is also an outstanding secured loan associated with one of the properties.”
Emily frowned.
“What property?”
The representative gave the address.
Emily recognized it immediately.
Her mother's house.
Emily whispered,
“That house was paid off.”
The representative paused.
“According to our records, it was refinanced eighteen months ago.”
Emily looked at Daniel.
Neither spoke.
Diane's house had been paid off years ago.
May you like
So why had someone refinanced it?
And where had the money gone?
