Chapter 7 - The Other Wife)
Amanda Cole answered Sarah's phone call on the second attempt.
At first, she thought it was a scam.
Then Sarah mentioned Derek.
Silence.
"Who are you?"
Sarah explained.
Amanda interrupted.
"Is Derek in trouble?"
"We're trying to locate assets associated with him."
Another silence.
"How much?"
Sarah did not answer directly.
"Mrs. Cole, are you currently married to Derek?"
"Yes."
"Are you separated?"
"Yes."
"For how long?"
"Eight months."
Jack sat across from Sarah, listening on speakerphone.
Amanda continued.
"He moved out in January."
January.
The loan application had been filed in January.
Sarah asked, "Did Derek tell you he was in a relationship with someone else?"
Amanda laughed once.
A bitter sound.
"He told me he needed space to work on himself."
Jack looked away.
Sarah said, "Would you be willing to meet?"
Amanda hesitated.
"Is Natalie Miller there?"
Jack's eyes moved back to the phone.
Sarah said, "No."
Amanda exhaled.
"I know who she is."
Jack's body stiffened.
"How?"
"Because Derek is an idiot."
The meeting happened the following morning.
Amanda was thirty-four, blond, tired, and visibly furious.
She placed a thick folder on Sarah's desk.
"I started collecting this when money disappeared from our savings."
Sarah opened it.
Bank statements.
Credit reports.
Screenshots.
Property records.
Derek had taken nearly forty thousand dollars from Amanda during their separation.
He had opened two credit lines without telling her.
He had also transferred twelve thousand dollars to Red River Property Solutions.
Sarah looked up.
"Did you sign anything for Red River?"
"No."
"Your name appears on a purchase agreement."
Amanda stared at her.
"What?"
Sarah showed her.
Amanda's face changed.
"That's not my signature."
Jack leaned back.
A pattern.
Not one forged spouse.
Two.
Paul Grayson joined by video call.
Within minutes he became animated.
"If both signatures are false, Derek may have been creating the appearance of multiple equity partners."
"For what?" Jack asked.
"Financing. Private lenders. Investors."
Amanda looked confused.
Paul explained.
"Derek could represent Red River as being funded by multiple individuals. If he shows assets, contracts, or supposed capital contributions, he can solicit additional money."
Sarah looked at Jack.
"Using stolen money to look legitimate enough to steal more money."
Amanda's eyes filled with disgust.
"He always wanted people to think he was successful."
Jack said quietly, "He was wearing my clothes."
Amanda looked at him.
"What?"
Jack regretted saying it.
"Nothing."
Amanda studied him.
Then she understood.
"Oh."
The room became uncomfortable.
Finally Amanda said, "I'm sorry."
Jack looked at her.
She continued.
"I know I'm not the person who owes you that. But I know what it feels like."
Jack nodded.
"Same."
That one word formed an unexpected alliance.
Amanda provided access to older statements.
Sarah subpoenaed more.
Paul tracked Red River.
By evening, they discovered three properties linked to the company.
None fully owned.
All under contracts.
All used in investor presentations.
Derek had been raising money.
Potentially illegally.
The largest transfer came from a retired dentist named Frank Holloway.
One hundred twenty thousand dollars.
Another came from a small business owner.
Seventy-five thousand.
Derek had told them Red River was buying distressed homes for renovation.
In reality, most purchase contracts had expired.
The funds moved elsewhere.
Jack stared at the numbers.
"How much did he take?"
Paul answered.
"That we can currently see? More than half a million."
Amanda whispered, "Jesus."
"But there may be more."
Sarah turned to Jack.
"Your home equity money wasn't the goal."
"What was?"
Paul answered.
"Seed money."
Jack felt sick.
Derek had used Jack's identity and military status to strengthen the appearance of legitimacy.
A decorated soldier's financial profile.
Stable employment.
Excellent credit.
Home equity.
It made Red River look safer.
Jack asked, "Did Natalie know?"
No one answered immediately.
That was the central question.
Was Natalie a victim?
An accomplice?
Both?
The answer mattered in court.
It mattered criminally.
Most of all, it mattered to Sophie.
That afternoon, Natalie voluntarily contacted Sarah.
"I want to give you something."
Sarah put the call on speaker with Jack's permission.
"What?"
"Files."
"Why?"
Natalie's voice cracked.
"Because Derek forged Amanda too."
Jack looked at Sarah.
Natalie continued.
"I didn't know he was married."
Sarah asked, "Did you know Jack's signature was not genuine when the loan was submitted?"
Silence.
Jack closed his eyes.
There it was.
The question nobody could avoid.
Natalie whispered, "Yes."
Jack opened his eyes.
Sarah remained expressionless.
"Did you sign it?"
"Yes."
Jack stared at the wall.
He had known.
But hearing her admit it still felt different.
Natalie began talking faster.
"Derek said the power of attorney made it legal. He said the bank just needed the signature to match. He said Jack had already authorized me to manage everything."
Sarah interrupted.
"Did you believe Jack would agree to borrowing one hundred seventy-eight thousand dollars?"
Natalie cried softly.
"No."
Jack stood and walked toward the window.
Sarah continued.
"Then why did you do it?"
Natalie's answer was quiet.
"Because I wanted the money."
Jack's hand tightened against the windowsill.
It was the first completely honest sentence Natalie had spoken in months.
Sarah asked, "Why are you telling us now?"
"Because Derek has files on everyone."
"What does that mean?"
"He kept folders."
"Where?"
"His storage unit."
Sarah looked sharply at Jack.
"Do you have access?"
"I know the code."
"Do not enter it."
"Why?"
"Because it may contain evidence and because you don't own it."
Natalie breathed.
"I already called the police."
Jack turned.
Sarah asked, "When?"
"Ten minutes ago."
"Why?"
"Because Derek texted me."
Jack's face hardened.
"What did he say?"
Natalie hesitated.
Then read the message.
You should have kept your mouth shut.
Sarah immediately asked her to forward a screenshot.
Then she said, "Natalie, where are you?"
"At my apartment."
"Are you alone?"
"Yes."
"Lock the door. Call law enforcement again and tell them you received a threatening message related to a fraud investigation."
Natalie whispered, "Do you think he'll come here?"
Jack looked toward Sarah.
For one second, instinct told him to drive to Natalie.
Protect her.
The reflex came from ten years of marriage.
Then he remembered Sophie.
The lies.
The forged signature.
The letter hidden inside his father's book.
Sarah answered calmly.
"I don't know. That's why you need police, not Jack."
Jack sat down again.
She was right.
His job was no longer to rescue Natalie from every consequence.
Twenty minutes later, officers arrived at Natalie's apartment.
Two hours after that, investigators searched Derek's storage unit under a warrant.
What they found changed the case completely.
Financial records.
Copied identification.
Fake notary seals.
Prepaid phones.
Investor agreements.
And a locked metal case containing passports.
Four passports.
One belonged to Derek.
One belonged to Amanda.
One was counterfeit.
The fourth belonged to Jack Miller.
Jack stared at the evidence photograph when Sarah showed him.
"How did he get my passport?"
"Was it in your home office?"
Jack nodded slowly.
He had not needed it during deployment.
Sarah continued.
"There's more."
Jack looked at her.
"Investigators found airline reservations."
"Where to?"
"Costa Rica."
"When?"
Sarah turned the screen toward him.
The departure date was two days after Jack's scheduled return.
Two passengers.
Derek Cole.
Natalie Miller.
Jack stared at the names.
Natalie's reservation had been paid with money traced back to the home equity loan.
But Derek had cancelled only one ticket.
His own.
Three days earlier.
May you like
He had known Jack was coming home.
And he had already decided to leave Natalie behind.
