Chapter 7: The Man Who Came to Collect
Derrick Coleman stood on my porch like he owned the house.
He wore a charcoal suit, polished black shoes, and the same expensive watch I'd seen in Danielle's photograph. A leather folder rested beneath his arm, and his expression carried the confidence of a man who expected every conversation to end in his favor.
I opened the door but kept one hand against the frame.
"Can I help you?""
Derrick glanced past me toward the hallway.
"Marcus Reed?""
"That's me.""
He extended his hand.
"Derrick Coleman. I believe Tasha has mentioned me.""
I didn't shake his hand.
"She has.""
His smile tightened slightly.
"Good. Then we can save ourselves some introductions. I'd like to come in and discuss a business matter.""
"Then discuss it from there.""
He looked at my hand against the doorframe.
For the first time, his smile disappeared.
"Listen, man, I understand there's been some confusion. Tasha told me you had questions about the investment. I'm here to clear things up.""
I studied him.
"An investment that involved twenty-seven thousand dollars from my wedding account?""
"Your joint account," he corrected smoothly.
"Tasha has access to it, doesn't she?""
"That wasn't my question.""
He sighed as though I were wasting his time.
"Look, I don't know what she's told you. But we have an agreement, and money has already been committed. I came here because I prefer to handle these things professionally.""
I stepped aside just enough to let him enter.
Not because I trusted him.
Because I wanted to hear what he had to say.
Derrick walked into the living room, glanced at the stained dress still draped over the couch, and raised his eyebrows.
"Rough night?""
"Something like that.""
Tasha appeared in the hallway.
The moment she saw him, her face tightened.
"Derrick, what are you doing here?""
He turned toward her.
"Taking care of the situation you said you had under control.""
"I told you I'd call you.""
"And I told you we were running out of time.""
Their exchange was brief, but it revealed something important.
They weren't meeting for the first time.
They were continuing an argument that had started long before I entered the picture.
I pointed toward the sofa.
"Sit down. Both of you.""
Derrick sat without waiting for permission.
Tasha remained standing.
I brought the printed bank statements from the office and placed them on the coffee table.
"Let's start with the money.""
Derrick glanced at the pages.
"Those are transfers between consenting parties. There's nothing unusual about them.""
"Did I consent?""
He looked at Tasha.
She stared at the floor.
"Your fiancée told me you approved the investment," he said.
"She told you I approved every transfer?""
"She said you were aware of the arrangement.""
I turned to Tasha.
"Did you tell him that?""
She rubbed her arms.
"I told him I was going to explain it to you.""
"That isn't what he said.""
Derrick leaned forward.
"Marcus, I'm not here to get between a couple. I'm here because money was transferred for a project, and the project has expenses. We need to resolve the remaining paperwork.""
"What paperwork?""
He opened his folder and removed several documents.
The first page carried the name of a company I didn't recognize: Coleman Development Partners.
Below it was a proposed business agreement involving an event venue and promotional services.
I scanned the page.
My name appeared near the bottom.
Not as a witness.
Not as an emergency contact.
As a proposed guarantor.
I looked up.
"Why is my name here?""
Derrick folded his hands.
"Because your financial profile strengthens the application. Tasha explained that you have stable employment and a good payment history.""
I felt my stomach turn.
"You used my name to support a business deal?""
"Not without authorization," he replied.
"The paperwork hasn't been finalized.""
"Did you submit my information to a lender?""
He hesitated.
That hesitation was enough to make me take the document out of his hands.
"Did you?""
"We made preliminary inquiries.""
"What information?""
"Your name, employment status, and the fact that you were expected to participate in the business.""
"Did you submit my Social Security number?""
Derrick looked at Tasha.
She started crying.
"Marcus, I was going to tell you.""
I turned toward her.
"When?""
She covered her mouth.
Derrick stood.
"This conversation isn't productive. If you refuse to participate, we need to discuss repayment of the funds already committed.""
I looked at him.
"You're demanding repayment from me?""
"I'm asking for a reasonable resolution.""
"You received money from an account I never authorized you to use.""
"Tasha transferred it.""
"And you accepted it.""
He straightened his jacket.
"Then perhaps you should take that up with your fiancée.""
The casualness of his response made my hands curl into fists.
I wanted to hit him.
I wanted to drag him off my property and throw his folder into the street.
But I remembered Mama's warning about acting before I knew the facts.
So I stepped back and took out my phone.
"I'm documenting this conversation.""
Derrick's expression hardened.
"That's unnecessary.""
"Then you won't mind.""
I photographed the documents, including the page containing my name and the proposed guarantee.
Then I placed them on the table.
"You're leaving now.""
He looked at Tasha.
"Tell him what happens if you walk away from this.""
She shook her head desperately.
"Please, Derrick.""
"Tell him!""
His voice cracked through the room.
I stepped between them.
"Don't raise your voice in my house.""
Derrick turned toward me.
"You think you're protecting her? She came to me because she needed help. She told me she was tired of waiting for you to build the kind of life she wanted.""
Tasha flinched.
I looked at her.
"Is that true?""
She couldn't meet my eyes.
Derrick continued.
"She wanted a bigger future. I offered her a way to get there. She agreed to the arrangement, and now she's afraid to follow through because you've started asking questions.""
I stared at him.
"What arrangement?""
He smiled without warmth.
"Ask your fiancée.""
Then he picked up his folder.
"I'll give you until Monday to decide whether you're participating in the business agreement. After that, I'll protect my interests.""
He walked toward the door.
I followed him.
Before stepping outside, he turned back.
"One piece of advice, Marcus. Don't assume that marrying someone automatically makes you entitled to control every decision they make.""
I held his gaze.
"And don't assume that having someone's name on a document gives you permission to use it.""
His smile vanished.
He walked down the steps and got into a black SUV parked at the curb.
I watched until the vehicle disappeared around the corner.
Then I shut the door.
Tasha stood in the living room, crying silently.
I didn't comfort her.
"Tell me everything," I said.
She sank onto the sofa.
"Derrick approached me about a property investment three months ago. He said he had an opportunity to lease a commercial space and turn it into an event venue.""
"How much did he say it would cost?""
"Initially, he said he needed fifteen thousand dollars to secure the deal.""
"And you sent him money from our wedding account.""
She nodded.
"He promised to repay it within thirty days.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I thought I'd have the money back before you noticed.""
"And when you didn't?""
"I kept trying to fix it.""
"By sending him more?""
She covered her face.
I sat opposite her.
"What does he have on you, Tasha?""
She lowered her hands.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then she whispered, "The first time I transferred the money, he told me it was a temporary investment. The second time, he said the deal had changed. By the third time, he showed me documents with your name on them.""
My heart began to pound.
"What documents?""
She looked toward the front door.
"The ones he said you had already agreed to sign.""
I stared at her.
"I never signed anything.""
"I know.""
"Then why did you let him use my name?""
Tasha began to sob.
"Because he told me he'd already started the process. He said if I stopped cooperating, I'd lose everything I'd invested.""
I felt sick.
"Everything you invested? Or everything you stole from us?""
She flinched as though I'd struck her.
Then she reached into the pocket of her robe and pulled out a folded sheet of paper.
"I found this in his folder last week," she whispered.
"I didn't know what it meant until today.""
I unfolded it.
At the top was a heading from a financial services company.
Beneath it was my name, my employer's information, and an estimated annual income.
At the bottom was a line marked *Applicant Authorization*.
My signature appeared there.
It looked almost exactly like mine.
But I had never signed that document.
May you like
And as I stared at the forged signature, Tasha whispered the words that changed the entire situation.
"Marcus, Derrick didn't just take our wedding money. He's been trying to open a line of credit in your name.""
