Chapter 7: The Man Who Knew My Mother's Secret
“Please, Michael. You have to understand. I didn't do this alone.””
My stepmother's words hung in the dining room like smoke after a fire.
Dad stared at her phone screen, where the unfamiliar account holder's name appeared beside the latest transfer.
*Richard Hayes.*
For several seconds, Dad didn't move.
Then he whispered, “No. Not Richard.””
I had never heard that name before, but the look on Dad's face told me everything. This wasn't another creditor. It wasn't a business partner he'd barely met.
It was someone who had once been close enough to know the private details of our family.
“Who is Richard Hayes?”” I asked.
Dad pulled out a chair and sat down heavily.
“He was my best friend.””
Patricia closed her eyes.
Dad continued, his voice strained.
“Richard and I worked together for nearly fifteen years. We built our first construction company together. He was at your mother's funeral. He helped me manage everything after she died.””
He looked at me.
“When I remarried, he was the one who told me I deserved another chance at happiness.””
I stared at Patricia.
“And you've been sending him money?””
She shook her head frantically.
“Not exactly.””
Dad stood.
“Then explain exactly.””
Patricia clutched the back of the chair.
“Richard contacted me about a year ago. He said he had information about some old financial arrangements involving your mother.””
Dad's expression hardened.
“What arrangements?””
“He told me there were documents I needed to review. He said you had forgotten about certain obligations connected to the property you sold.””
Dad shook his head.
“Richard handled the sale of that property with me. Every obligation was settled. We had the closing documents, the tax records, everything.””
“He said there was another account.””
“What account?””
Patricia hesitated.
Then she looked directly at me.
“An account your mother had established before she died.””
The room seemed to tilt.
I gripped the edge of the table.
“My mother?””
Dad moved closer to me.
“Emily, sweetheart, don't panic. We don't know whether what Patricia is saying is true.””
Patricia immediately seized on his uncertainty.
“Richard said your mother had set aside money that Michael never knew about. He told me it was meant to be used for the family, and that he could help me access it.””
Dad's voice rose.
“Your mother's financial records were reviewed after her death! I handled the estate with an attorney. There was no secret account.””
“He showed me documents.””
“What documents?””
“Copies of account statements. A letter with your wife's signature. He said the money had been moved through an investment company and that you were entitled to part of it.””
Dad stared at her.
“And you believed him?””
“He had known your family for years!””
“So had I! I knew my own wife!””
Patricia recoiled.
For the first time, she seemed to understand that invoking my mother's name had made the situation far worse.
Dad took several deep breaths before continuing.
“How much money did Richard claim existed?””
“About one hundred and twenty thousand dollars.””
I felt sick.
Another account. Another secret. Another amount of money large enough to change the future I had imagined for myself.
“And where was this money supposed to be?”” Dad asked.
“In an investment account.””
“Which bank?””
“I don't remember the name.””
“You don't remember the name of the bank holding one hundred and twenty thousand dollars?””
“He handled the paperwork!””
Dad's eyes narrowed.
“Richard handled the paperwork for an account in your name?””
Patricia looked down.
“No.””
The silence that followed was deafening.
Dad leaned forward.
“Whose name was on the account?””
Patricia's lips trembled.
“Richard's.””
Dad turned away, walked to the window, and stared into the dark driveway.
I had never seen him look so betrayed.
“What did he promise you?”” Dad asked.
Patricia wiped her cheeks.
“He said that if I helped him recover the money, he would give me a portion. He told me you had been keeping financial information from me and that I deserved to know what assets existed in the family.””
“So you began transferring money from Emily's education fund to him.””
“I thought it was an advance. He promised he'd return everything once the account was settled.””
“How much did you send?””
“I don't know exactly.””
Dad turned around.
“Guess.””
Patricia's voice was barely audible.
“About thirty thousand dollars.””
I pressed my hand over my mouth.
Thirty thousand dollars from my education fund had allegedly gone to Richard Hayes, a man I had never met, because Patricia believed he could unlock an account that might not even exist.
“And the rest?”” Dad demanded.
“Some went toward Brandon's business. Some paid debts. Some went into the investment account.””
“Which investment account?””
Patricia shook her head.
“I don't know.””
Dad looked at the bank statements again.
“Then we will find out.””
He picked up his phone and called Richard.
The call went to voicemail.
Dad tried again.
This time, someone answered.
“Michael,” a familiar male voice said casually.
“I was wondering when you'd call.””
Dad's face went rigid.
“Richard, we need to talk.””
“About what?””
“Money transferred from my daughter's education account into an account associated with you.””
There was a pause.
Then Richard laughed softly.
“Ah. So Patricia finally told you.””
Dad gripped the phone.
“Told me what?””
“That she agreed to help with the investment arrangement.””
“What investment arrangement?””
“The one your wife has been discussing with me for months.””
“Patricia is not your business partner. And she had no authority to use Emily's education fund.””
Richard's tone changed.
“Michael, I think you're jumping to conclusions.””
“Then explain why thirty thousand dollars was transferred to an account connected to you.””
“Those funds were part of a repayment arrangement.””
“Repayment for what?””
“An old obligation.””
Dad slammed his free hand against the windowsill.
“There was no old obligation! I settled every account connected to that property!””
Richard sighed.
“You should review your records before making accusations.””
“I am reviewing them. That's why I'm calling you.””
A long silence followed.
Then Richard said, “Listen carefully, Michael. Patricia has documents that establish her understanding of the arrangement. If you turn this into a legal dispute, you may expose some things about your late wife that you'd prefer to keep private.””
Dad went completely still.
I felt the blood drain from my face.
“What did you just say?”” Dad whispered.
Richard's voice softened into something almost sympathetic.
“Your wife left some things unresolved. I tried to help. That's all.””
Dad's knuckles whitened around the phone.
“If you have documents, send them to my attorney.””
“I don't think you want to do that.””
“Send them.””
Richard exhaled.
“Fine. But don't blame me for what you discover.””
The call ended.
Dad stared at the phone.
Patricia began to cry harder.
“Michael, I never meant for this to happen.””
He turned toward her.
“Did Richard threaten you?””
She shook her head.
“Not exactly.””
“What does that mean?””
“He said that if I stopped cooperating, he'd reveal documents that would make it look like I'd stolen money from the family. He said he could prove I'd authorized the transfers.””
Dad looked at the statements.
“You did authorize the transfers.””
“I know! But he told me everything was legitimate. He said the money would be replaced.””
Dad's voice was cold.
“And when did you realize it wasn't?””
Patricia looked away.
“I began to suspect something was wrong three months ago.””
I stared at her.
“Three months?””
She nodded.
“You knew the money wasn't coming back?””
“I thought Richard was delaying the payment.””
“And you still tried to take another eighteen thousand dollars tonight?””
She covered her face.
“I was trying to prevent him from doing something worse.””
Dad's expression hardened.
“You were trying to protect yourself.””
She didn't deny it.
For several minutes, nobody spoke.
Then Dad's phone chimed.
An email had arrived from Richard.
There was one attachment.
Dad opened it.
The document appeared to be a scanned letter bearing my mother's name and signature. It referred to an investment account and an agreement involving Richard Hayes.
Dad stared at it.
Then he zoomed in on the signature.
His face changed.
“No,” he whispered.
I leaned closer.
“What is it?””
Dad held the screen toward me.
“That isn't your mother's signature.””
Patricia began shaking her head.
“Richard said it was authentic.””
Dad looked at her.
“He forged my wife's signature.””
He opened the attached document's details and examined the date.
The letter had supposedly been signed six months after my mother died.
I stared at the screen, unable to speak.
Dad's eyes filled with fury.
But before he could say anything, another email arrived.
This one contained a second attachment.
A photograph of an old document from my mother's estate.
And beneath it was a handwritten note from Richard.
*Ask Michael why he never told Emily what her mother really left her.*
Dad slowly lowered the phone.
For the first time that night, he looked frightened of something other than money.
He looked frightened of the past.
May you like
And when I asked him what Richard meant, Dad took my hand and said the words I had never expected to hear.
“Emily, there is something about your mother's estate that I should have explained to you years ago.””
