Chapter 7: The Name of a Dead Man
Daniel's phone kept ringing.
Through the restaurant window, I watched him glance at the screen, reject the call, and place his phone facedown on the table.
Then it rang again.
My mother noticed.
"Daniel, aren't you going to answer that?""
"It's nothing, Mom.""
Vanessa leaned toward him.
"Who is it?""
Daniel whispered something.
Her expression changed.
She looked toward the window.
Toward me.
Emily was standing beside me, holding my arm.
"Claire, tell me I'm reading this wrong," she said.
I looked down at the photograph on my phone.
The document listed my late father, Robert Whitmore, as the replacement financial guarantor for the birthday dinner.
My father had been dead for nine years.
He couldn't authorize anything.
He couldn't sign anything.
And he certainly couldn't pay for my mother's champagne.
"You're reading it correctly," I replied.
Emily shook her head.
"Why would Daniel do that?""
"I intend to find out.""
I turned toward the restaurant entrance.
Emily caught my wrist.
"Wait. Don't go in there angry. Get everything documented first.""
Her words made sense.
I returned to the reception desk.
Thomas was still there.
"Can I ask you something?""
"Of course, Ms. Whitmore.""
"Does that document contain my father's personal information?""
Thomas examined the page.
"It includes his full name and an old address.""
"Was it submitted electronically?""
"Yes. The request was uploaded through the event management portal.""
"Can you preserve the original submission?""
"Certainly. We can retain the document and the submission records according to our procedures.""
I nodded.
"Please do that.""
He lowered his voice.
"I should also explain that the request was not approved. We haven't transferred any responsibility.""
"Thank you.""
Emily looked at me.
"We should leave.""
I agreed.
But as we turned toward the door, Daniel appeared behind us.
"Claire.""
I stopped.
His voice was different now.
Not angry.
Careful.
"Can we talk?""
I turned around.
"About what?""
He glanced at Thomas.
"Privately.""
"No.""
His jaw tightened.
"Don't do this.""
"Do what?""
"Make a family matter into a public spectacle.""
I held up my phone.
"You submitted a document naming our dead father as a financial guarantor.""
Daniel's face went white.
Vanessa appeared behind him.
"Lower your voice!""
I looked at her.
"Why? Is the document embarrassing?""
She folded her arms.
"Daniel was trying to fix a situation you created.""
I stared at her.
"I created this situation?""
"You withdrew your payment authorization in the middle of Mom's birthday.""
"After your husband attempted to use my information without permission.""
Daniel stepped closer.
"Claire, I can explain.""
"Then explain.""
He looked at Thomas again.
"Can we go somewhere?""
I crossed my arms.
"Talk.""
Daniel exhaled.
"Mom wanted the evening to be special. We had additional expenses, and I thought we could arrange the balance another way.""
"Using Dad's name?""
"It was an old family account.""
I frowned.
"What old family account?""
He rubbed his forehead.
"An account Dad used years ago.""
"Which account?""
He didn't answer.
Vanessa interrupted.
"Claire, this is getting ridiculous. Your father had financial arrangements that you don't know about.""
I looked at her.
"My father left a will. I was involved in settling his estate. There was no active account for restaurant expenses.""
Daniel's face tightened.
"Not everything was in the will.""
That caught my attention.
"What does that mean?""
He looked uncomfortable.
Then he said, "Dad always wanted us to take care of Mom.""
I stared at him.
"That doesn't answer my question.""
He looked toward the private dining room.
"Can we please discuss this tomorrow?""
I shook my head.
"No.""
Vanessa stepped forward.
"You're unbelievable. You're willing to destroy your mother's birthday over paperwork?""
Emily finally spoke.
"Maybe the paperwork wouldn't be a problem if nobody had submitted false information.""
Vanessa turned sharply.
"Nobody asked you.""
Emily didn't move.
"Someone should have.""
Daniel's phone rang again.
This time, he answered.
"Hello?""
A man's voice came through loudly enough that I could hear it.
"Daniel, why is your mother's restaurant calling me about a payment guarantee?""
Daniel closed his eyes.
"Not now, Mark.""
"Not now? You listed my contact details on a document without asking me.""
Daniel turned away.
I looked at Emily.
Mark.
I recognized the name.
Mark Sullivan was my father's former business partner.
He had attended the funeral and remained in occasional contact with our family.
He was also the person Daniel had listed as the contact associated with the supposed guarantor arrangement.
The restaurant had apparently contacted him to verify the replacement payment request.
Daniel spoke quickly.
"I'll explain everything.""
Mark's voice became sharper.
"You'd better. Because I have no intention of paying for a dinner I never agreed to finance.""
The call ended.
Daniel lowered the phone.
I looked at him.
"Why did you put Mark's information on that document?""
He swallowed.
"I thought he might help.""
"Did you ask him?""
Silence.
Vanessa grabbed his arm.
"Daniel, let's go.""
He didn't move.
I stepped closer.
"You didn't just assume I would pay for everything. You assumed other people would pay when I stopped.""
Daniel looked down.
For once, he had nothing to say.
I turned toward the exit.
As I reached the door, I heard my mother calling from the dining room.
"Claire! Come back here!""
I didn't stop.
Outside, Emily took a deep breath.
"Are you okay?""
I looked at the restaurant's glowing windows.
"No.""
Then I opened my banking application and checked the payment notifications.
There was something I hadn't noticed earlier.
A pending transaction request had appeared before the restaurant dinner.
It was linked to an authorization I hadn't approved.
And the reference attached to it contained two words.
*Family account.*
I showed Emily.
She read it twice.
Then she looked at me.
"Claire, I think this is bigger than tonight.""
She was right.
Because when I searched the reference number in my old financial records, I found something that made my hands tremble.
It wasn't connected to my father's estate.
It was connected to an account I had opened for my mother three years earlier.
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An account I had been told was being used for her medical emergencies.
And Daniel had apparently been accessing it without my knowledge.
