Chapter 6: The Signature I Never Gave
I stared at the photograph until the screen dimmed.
Then I tapped it again.
Patricia stood beside Richard Hayes outside my mother's house. They were smiling at each other.
She held a white document folder.
My name was clearly visible on the first page.
Emily Carter.
I felt my stomach tighten.
"What is it?"" Daniel asked.
I handed him the phone.
He studied the picture.
"That's Richard.""
"And that's Patricia.""
"Why does she have a document with your name on it?""
"I have no idea.""
Daniel enlarged the photograph.
The image was slightly blurry, but the signature at the bottom looked disturbingly familiar.
It resembled mine.
Not exactly.
But enough to make me uncomfortable.
I called the unknown number.
It rang once.
Twice.
Then someone answered.
"Hello?""
"Who is this?""
A man spoke quietly.
"Someone who knows what your mother has been doing.""
"How did you get this photograph?""
"That doesn't matter right now.""
"It matters to me. What document is Patricia holding?""
There was a pause.
"It's a property waiver.""
My heart skipped.
"What?""
"Your mother needed your signature to move forward with the transfer.""
I looked at Daniel.
He had gone completely still.
"Why would I sign a property waiver?""
"Because the house was supposed to pass to both you and your brother.""
I gripped the phone.
"Who are you?""
"My name is Michael. I worked for Richard Hayes until last month.""
"Why are you contacting me?""
"Because I discovered something in the estate records that shouldn't have been there.""
I sat down.
"What did you discover?""
"Your signature was used on a document giving up your interest in your father's property.""
I felt dizzy.
"I never signed anything.""
"I know.""
"How can you know?""
"Because I was the one who prepared the original document. The signature was added later.""
Daniel took the phone from my hand.
"Listen carefully. Are you saying someone forged my sister's signature?""
"Yes.""
"Who?""
Michael hesitated.
"That's what I'm trying to establish.""
Daniel's voice became sharper.
"Then give us your office address.""
"I can't meet you there. Richard has connections, and I don't want him knowing I've contacted you.""
"Where do you want to meet?""
"Tomorrow morning. A coffee shop near White Rock Lake. Nine o'clock.""
Daniel agreed.
Before ending the call, Michael added one more thing.
"Bring the original estate papers if you have them.""
Then he hung up.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Finally, Daniel sat beside me.
"Emily, did you ever sign anything for Mom after Dad died?""
I thought carefully.
"Maybe. She asked me to sign some insurance paperwork once.""
"When?""
"About three years ago.""
"What kind of insurance?""
"I don't remember. She said it was related to the house.""
Daniel shook his head.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I trusted her.""
He looked toward the nursery.
"So did I.""
That night, I barely slept.
At nine the next morning, Daniel and I arrived at the coffee shop.
Michael was already waiting.
He was a thin man in his early thirties, wearing a gray sweater and carrying a laptop bag.
He stood when he saw us.
"Emily Carter?""
"Yes.""
He shook my hand.
"Thank you for coming.""
Daniel sat down.
"Let's skip the introductions. What do you know?""
Michael opened his laptop.
"I worked for Richard Hayes for four years. I handled property transfers, estate paperwork, and probate records.""
He turned the screen toward us.
"This is the original estate distribution.""
A scanned document appeared.
My father's name was at the top.
The house was clearly divided equally between Daniel and me.
I felt my eyes sting.
"That's what Dad wanted.""
Michael nodded.
"Yes. The document was filed and approved.""
Daniel leaned closer.
"Then how did Mom transfer everything into her name?""
Michael opened another file.
"Three years ago, your mother submitted a waiver allegedly signed by both of you. It stated that you voluntarily surrendered your interests in the property.""
Daniel frowned.
"I never signed that.""
Michael looked at me.
"Did you?""
"No.""
He nodded.
"That's what I suspected.""
He enlarged the document.
My signature appeared at the bottom.
It was almost convincing.
Almost.
But there was one detail that immediately caught my attention.
The signature used my maiden name.
I had changed my surname when I married my husband.
By the time the document was supposedly signed, I had been using Carter for almost two years.
"That's not my signature," I said.
Michael nodded.
"There's another problem. The notarization is invalid.""
Daniel frowned.
"How?""
"The notary listed on the document had already surrendered her license six months before the waiver was supposedly signed.""
I looked at him.
"So someone forged the signatures and used a fake notarization?""
"That's correct.""
Daniel leaned back.
"Who submitted it?""
Michael hesitated.
Then he opened a scanned email.
The sender's name appeared at the top.
Margaret Carter.
The recipient was Richard Hayes.
The subject line read:
*FINAL PROPERTY TRANSFER — PLEASE PROCESS BEFORE FAMILY REVIEW.*
I read the email.
My mother had written:
The children do not need to be involved. They have already agreed verbally. Please use the attached documents and finalize the transfer as soon as possible.
Daniel's hands clenched.
"She knew we hadn't signed.""
Michael nodded.
"Yes.""
I stared at the screen.
"Why would Richard process it?""
"That's what I couldn't understand. I asked him about it, and he told me the paperwork had been reviewed.""
"And then?""
"Three weeks ago, I found another email.""
Michael opened it.
This time, the sender was Patricia.
The subject line read:
*CLAIRE'S AGREEMENT.*
The message was short.
Once the baby shower is over and the property transfer is complete, Claire will receive her share. Please make sure the original documents remain inaccessible to Emily and Daniel.
I looked at Daniel.
"Her share?""
Michael nodded.
"Patricia was supposed to receive part of the money.""
Daniel stared at the email.
"So Patricia wasn't helping Claire out of friendship.""
"No. She had a financial interest in the arrangement.""
I remembered the photograph.
Patricia holding a document with my forged signature.
"How much was she supposed to receive?""
Michael opened another attachment.
The amount appeared in bold.
$75,000.
I felt sick.
Seventy-five thousand dollars for helping manufacture a pregnancy, forge documents, and deceive an entire family.
Daniel stood up.
"We're going to the police.""
Michael quickly closed his laptop.
"Wait.""
Daniel turned.
"What?""
"There is something else you need to know.""
"What else could there possibly be?""
Michael looked uncomfortable.
"Your mother's property transfer wasn't the only document Richard processed.""
He opened a final folder.
Inside was a loan agreement.
The borrower was Margaret Carter.
The collateral was the family house.
The amount was $280,000.
Daniel stared at it.
"She borrowed money against the house?""
Michael nodded.
"Six months ago.""
I looked at the date.
It was before Claire announced her pregnancy.
"Where did the money go?""
Michael opened the transaction history.
Several transfers appeared.
The first went to an account belonging to a company called Sterling Medical Consulting.
The second went to Patricia.
The third went to an account under Claire's name.
Daniel shook his head.
"Why would Mom give Claire money before the baby shower?""
Michael didn't answer.
Instead, he pointed at the final transaction.
It was dated just four days before the shower.
The recipient wasn't Claire.
It was a hospital.
I leaned closer.
The transaction description read:
*MATERNITY SERVICES — PRIVATE PATIENT ACCOUNT.*
Daniel stared at the screen.
"That's impossible. There was no baby.""
Michael's face became serious.
"That's what I thought.""
He opened the attached invoice.
The patient's name was listed at the top.
*Margaret Carter.*
I looked at Daniel.
Then back at the screen.
"Why was our mother paying for maternity services?""
Michael lowered his voice.
"Because, according to the hospital's billing records, your mother had recently been admitted for a procedure related to a pregnancy.""
Daniel's chair scraped backward.
"Mom was pregnant?""
Michael nodded slowly.
"But there's something even stranger.""
He turned the laptop toward us.
The invoice showed a second name in the section marked Emergency Contact.
Claire Carter.
And beneath it was a handwritten note from the attending physician:
Patient requested that all information regarding the pregnancy remain confidential from her adult children.
Daniel stared at the screen.
Then he whispered:
"Emily... what if Claire wasn't the only woman in this family hiding a pregnancy?""
My phone began ringing.
It was my mother.
I answered.
"Hello?""
Her voice sounded unusually calm.
"Emily, I know where you are.""
My blood turned cold.
"How?""
"I've been trying to protect this family.""
"From what?""
There was a long silence.
Then she said:
"Come to my house. Both of you. There's something about your father that you need to hear before Patricia destroys what's left of our family.""
May you like
And just before she hung up, she added six words that changed everything.
"Your father wasn't Daniel's biological father.""
