Chapter 6: The Woman Behind the Second Identity
At 6:15 the next morning, Daniel received a call from a forensic accountant.
By 6:30, he had locked himself inside the hospital conference room.
By 7:00, he came out looking like a man who had just discovered that the ground beneath his feet was about to collapse.
“Jasmine,” he said, “we have a problem.””
I was sitting beside Lily, helping her eat a bowl of oatmeal.
“What happened?””
He glanced at Tasha.
“Can we speak privately?””
I kissed Lily's head.
“Mommy will be right outside.””
She nodded.
I followed Daniel into the hallway.
He handed me a printed report.
“The accountant traced the transfers from the family trust.””
I scanned the pages.
Several payments had gone to companies I didn't recognize.
Others had been routed through Evelyn Carter Holdings.
“Where did the money end up?””
“Some went into property purchases. Some went into investment accounts. But a significant portion went to a private bank in the Cayman Islands.””
I looked up.
“How much?””
“Fourteen million dollars.””
I stared at him.
“Fourteen million?””
“That's the amount we've identified so far.””
I felt my knees weaken.
“Can they recover it?””
“Possibly. But first we need to establish who controlled the accounts.””
“Diane.””
“Most likely.””
I looked down at the report again.
There were transaction dates going back eight years.
Some were before my father died.
Others were after his death.
“Why didn't anyone catch this?””
“Your mother controlled the administrative records. The trust's ordinary statements were altered before they reached you.””
I shook my head.
“She told me the investments were performing poorly.””
Daniel looked at me.
“They were performing very well.””
I felt a bitter laugh escape.
“Of course they were.””
He opened his laptop.
“There's something else. The company Evelyn Carter Holdings purchased a property outside Atlanta.””
“What kind of property?””
“A private estate. Twenty-three acres, gated entrance, security cameras, and a guesthouse.””
I frowned.
“Why would my mother need that?””
Daniel clicked another document.
“The property was purchased under a company registered to Evelyn Carter.””
“Can we go there?””
“Not without a warrant. But I have already provided the records to the authorities.””
I folded my arms.
“Then what can we do?””
Daniel hesitated.
“We need Rebecca.””
I looked at my phone.
She had sent a message an hour earlier.
*I'm ready to meet you. But there's something I need to bring.*
I replied immediately.
*Where?*
She sent an address.
A small coffee shop near Midtown Atlanta.
Daniel offered to accompany me, but I insisted on bringing two security officers as well.
Before leaving, I checked on Lily.
She was watching cartoons with Tasha.
“Mommy, are you coming back?””
I kissed her forehead.
“Soon, baby.””
“Promise?””
“Promise.””
I left the hospital with a heaviness in my chest.
My daughter was safe.
But my mother was still out there.
And I had no idea what she might do next.
Rebecca was waiting in the corner of the coffee shop.
She stood when she saw me.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then I saw her face clearly.
The same dark eyes.
The same narrow chin.
The same small crease between her eyebrows that appeared when she was worried.
She looked like an older version of me.
“Jasmine?””
I nodded.
“Rebecca.””
She approached slowly.
I expected her to hug me.
Instead, she stopped a few feet away.
“I don't know if you're ready to believe anything I say.””
I swallowed.
“I don't know what to believe anymore.””
She gave a sad smile.
“That's fair.””
We sat down.
Rebecca placed a thick envelope on the table.
“I brought everything Dad gave me.””
Inside were letters, photographs, financial records, and several copies of trust documents.
I picked up the first photograph.
My father was standing beside Rebecca at what looked like a restaurant.
He was older than I remembered him in most family pictures.
But he was smiling.
Really smiling.
“Did he visit you often?”” I asked.
“Not often enough.””
Her voice cracked.
“He would bring books. Sometimes flowers. He tried to make up for lost time.””
I looked at the photograph.
“Why didn't he tell me?””
“Because he was afraid of Diane.””
I raised my eyes.
“Did he love her?””
Rebecca looked down.
“I think he loved the woman he believed she was when they first met.””
She opened another envelope.
“Your father kept copies of everything. He suspected your mother was using a false identity to move money.””
She placed a bank statement in front of me.
The account belonged to Evelyn Carter.
The opening date was twenty-two years earlier.
“That's before he died,” I said.
“Yes.””
“Did he know about the offshore accounts?””
“He knew about some of them. He didn't know the full amount.””
Rebecca pulled out another document.
“This is the important one.””
It was a private investigation report.
The investigator had tracked Evelyn Carter's identity through several public records.
A driver's license.
A business registration.
A rental agreement.
A passport application.
Each document contained a different version of Diane's personal information.
I stared at the photograph attached to the report.
It was my mother.
No question.
“Why would she do this?””
Rebecca lowered her voice.
“Because Diane had a life before she married your father.””
I frowned.
“What kind of life?””
“She was married to a man named Michael Carter.””
I stared at her.
“Carter?””
“Evelyn Carter was the name she used during that marriage.””
“Was he alive?””
Rebecca shook her head.
“He died under suspicious circumstances.””
My fingers went cold.
“What happened?””
“House fire. Twenty-four years ago.””
I leaned back.
“Did she kill him?””
“I don't know. Your father hired the investigator because he discovered she had received a substantial life insurance payment.””
“How substantial?””
“Two million dollars.””
I covered my mouth.
Rebecca continued.
“Your father thought the money had been used to purchase some of the first properties in his company.””
I looked at the report.
“Did he confront her?””
“Yes. And that's when everything changed.””
Rebecca reached into the envelope and removed a final letter.
It was addressed to her.
I recognized my father's handwriting.
She slid it across the table.
“Read this.””
I unfolded it.
Rebecca,
I have discovered that Diane's first marriage ended under circumstances that were never properly investigated. She has lied about her age, her identity, and her financial history.
I now believe she married me for access to my business.
If something happens to me, do not trust the documents she presents.
The original beneficiary certificate is the only proof of your rights.
Protect Jasmine.
I lowered the letter.
“Protect me?””
Rebecca nodded.
“Your father knew Diane might eventually turn against you.””
I looked at her.
“Why didn't you come sooner?””
She reached into her handbag and pulled out a small photograph.
It showed a younger Rebecca standing outside a house.
A woman stood behind her.
My mother.
Rebecca's face was tense.
“Because she came to see me six years ago.””
I stared at the image.
“What happened?””
“She offered me money to sign away my inheritance.””
“How much?””
“Three hundred thousand dollars.””
I looked at her.
“And you refused?””
“Yes.””
Rebecca's eyes filled with tears.
“She slapped me. Then she told me she would make sure nobody ever believed me if I tried to contact you.””
I reached across the table.
Rebecca hesitated, then allowed me to take her hand.
“I'm sorry,” I whispered.
She nodded.
“I wanted a sister. I never wanted your money.””
I squeezed her fingers.
“Neither did I. I just wanted the truth.””
For a moment, we sat in silence.
Then Daniel's phone rang.
He answered and listened.
His expression changed.
“What?”” he said.
He stood.
“Are you certain?””
He ended the call and looked at us.
“The police have located the private estate registered under Evelyn Carter.””
Rebecca's face went pale.
“What's there?””
Daniel checked his phone.
“They found a storage building.””
“And?””
“Inside were boxes of financial records, identity documents, and several passports.””
I looked at Rebecca.
“Whose passports?””
Daniel swallowed.
“Your mother's. Under at least four different names.””
I felt a chill.
“Is she there?””
“No. But the investigators found something else.””
He turned his phone toward us.
It was a photograph of a wall covered with newspaper clippings.
One clipping showed my father's obituary.
Another showed Rebecca's supposed death notice.
And beneath them was a photograph of me holding baby Lily at her first birthday party.
Someone had drawn a red circle around Lily's face.
My stomach turned.
“What is that?””
Daniel didn't answer.
He zoomed in on a handwritten note pinned beside the photograph.
*SECOND GENERATION. FINAL PROBLEM.*
Rebecca covered her mouth.
I stood so quickly that my chair scraped across the floor.
“My daughter.””
Daniel nodded grimly.
“The investigators believe your mother has been monitoring your family for months.””
I couldn't speak.
Then his phone rang again.
He answered.
Listened.
And slowly closed his eyes.
“What happened?”” I demanded.
Daniel lowered the phone.
“Your mother has just filed an emergency petition to freeze the family trust.””
“On what grounds?””
He looked directly at me.
“She's claiming you're mentally unstable and that you're incapable of protecting your daughter's interests.””
I laughed in disbelief.
“She tried to drown Lily!””
“I know.””
“And now she's trying to take my daughter?””
Daniel's silence was answer enough.
Then Rebecca opened the envelope again.
“There is one more document,” she whispered.
She pulled out a folded page and placed it on the table.
It was a signed medical authorization.
My name appeared at the top.
The document supposedly gave Diane permission to make medical decisions for Lily in an emergency.
I stared at the signature.
It looked exactly like mine.
But I had never seen the document before.
At the bottom was a date.
Three weeks earlier.
And beside my forged signature was a witness name.
Arthur Collins.
The same man who had notarized the fraudulent trust amendment.
I looked at Daniel.
“Can she use this to take Lily?””
He shook his head.
“Not legitimately. But if she has filed it with the court, we need to respond immediately.””
My phone rang.
The hospital.
I answered.
“Hello?””
A nurse spoke quickly.
“Mrs. Whitmore, I'm sorry, but there's a situation with your daughter.””
My heart stopped.
“What situation?””
“Your mother has returned.””
I gripped the table.
“Don't let her inside.””
“That's not the problem, ma'am.””
“What do you mean?””
The nurse hesitated.
“She's here with a court order.””
I felt the blood drain from my face.
“What court order?””
May you like
The nurse's next words shattered the little security I had left.
“She's claiming she has temporary custody of Lily.””
