Chapter 6: The Debt That Explained Everything
Dawn covered her face with both hands.
Wade stood behind her, breathing heavily.
Frank looked between them.
"Who was the money for?""
Nobody answered.
Erin pulled out the chair beside Dawn.
"Sit down.""
Dawn shook her head.
"I can't.""
"Please.""
After a moment, Dawn lowered herself into the chair.
Wade remained standing.
Frank waited.
Finally, Dawn whispered, "It started with the business.""
Wade immediately interrupted.
"Don't.""
Frank looked at him.
"Let her speak.""
Dawn took a shaky breath.
"Two years ago, Wade invested in a small delivery company with a friend. They bought two vans and rented a warehouse. It was supposed to make money quickly.""
Erin frowned.
"What happened?""
"The friend left. The business couldn't cover the payments. Wade tried to keep it running.""
Wade crossed his arms.
"It wasn't that simple.""
Dawn nodded.
"No. It wasn't.""
She looked at Frank.
"Then he started using credit cards. One card became three. He borrowed from a private lender. He told me he could fix everything if he had a little more time.""
Frank's expression remained still.
"How much did you know?""
"At first, about twenty thousand. Then thirty. I didn't know it had reached sixty-two thousand until last month.""
Erin looked at Wade.
"And you decided to use Dad's house?""
"I was trying to save my family.""
"By putting his home at risk?""
Wade's voice rose.
"I wasn't going to let anything happen to him!""
Frank leaned forward.
"How does borrowing against my house protect me?""
Wade looked at his father.
"If I paid off the debts, everything would be fine.""
"And when you couldn't make the new payments?""
"I would have.""
Frank shook his head.
"You already couldn't make the old ones.""
Wade had no answer.
Erin looked down at the loan letter.
The numbers were beginning to connect.
The monthly transfers.
The sudden requests for extra money.
The insistence that their father needed more help.
The car repair invoice.
Wade hadn't simply been taking advantage of her generosity.
He had been trying to keep a financial disaster from reaching his front door.
And he had used their father's relationship with his daughter as a shield.
"How much of my money went toward your debts?"" Erin asked.
Wade stared at her.
"I don't know.""
"Guess.""
"I didn't track every dollar.""
"You tracked enough to tell me Dad needed medication.""
Wade's face hardened.
"Some of it went to the household.""
"How much?""
He looked at the floor.
Dawn answered.
"At least four thousand.""
Erin felt her chest tighten.
"Four thousand dollars?""
Dawn nodded.
"I saw the transfers.""
Frank slowly placed both hands on the table.
"Then where did the rest go?""
Dawn looked toward Wade.
"His credit cards. Loan payments. And the business.""
Erin leaned back.
She felt strangely calm now.
The anger had become something colder.
"Did you ever intend to tell me?""
Wade looked at her.
"Yes.""
"When?""
"When I had things under control.""
"You've had months.""
"I was trying!""
"You told Dad I stopped visiting him.""
Wade rubbed his face.
"I didn't want him asking questions.""
"You told me Dad didn't want to see me.""
"I needed you to stop coming around when I was dealing with everything.""
Erin stared at him.
"So you deliberately kept us apart.""
Wade didn't answer.
"Every Sunday, I came here. Every Sunday, you told me Dad was sleeping, sick, or didn't want visitors.""
"I was under pressure.""
"And Dad sat here thinking his daughter had abandoned him.""
Wade's voice became defensive.
"I never told him you hated him.""
"You didn't have to. You told him I didn't care enough to come.""
Frank closed his eyes.
For several seconds, he remained silent.
Then he looked at his son.
"Do you know what I did on those Sundays?""
Wade said nothing.
"I sat in that living room waiting.""
Frank pointed toward the sofa.
"I kept the television low because I thought you might tell me Erin was coming. Sometimes I asked you to check the driveway.""
His voice trembled.
"You told me she was busy.""
Wade swallowed.
Frank continued.
"I stopped calling her because I didn't want to bother her. I thought she had enough responsibilities.""
Erin reached for her father's hand.
"Dad...""
Frank squeezed it.
"I thought I was becoming a burden.""
Erin's eyes filled again.
"You could never be a burden to me.""
Wade looked away.
Frank slowly stood.
"I want you to leave the house for tonight.""
Wade stared.
"What?""
"I need space.""
"This is my home too.""
"No. This is my home.""
"I live here!""
"Because I allowed you to.""
Wade's face turned red.
"So that's it? You're throwing me out?""
Frank looked at him sadly.
"I'm asking you to leave while I figure out what you've done.""
Dawn stood.
"I'll come with you.""
Wade turned sharply.
"What?""
"I can't stay here tonight.""
"You can't be serious.""
Dawn picked up her handbag.
"I signed nothing, Wade. But I knew you were hiding money. I kept hoping you'd stop.""
Wade laughed bitterly.
"Now you're taking her side?""
Dawn looked at Erin.
"No. I'm finally admitting what I should have admitted months ago.""
Wade grabbed his jacket.
"Fine. You can all sit here and pretend I'm the worst person in the world.""
He walked toward the hallway.
Then stopped.
He turned back toward Frank.
"After everything I've done for you, you're choosing her?""
Frank looked at him.
"I'm choosing the truth.""
Wade opened the front door.
Cold air swept into the house.
Before leaving, he pointed at the papers on the table.
"You're making a mistake. You don't understand the situation. If those debts come due, they'll come after everything.""
Frank didn't flinch.
"Then we'll deal with the truth.""
Wade walked out.
Dawn followed him.
The door closed.
For several minutes, Erin and Frank sat without speaking.
Then Frank looked at the grocery bags.
"Did you bring my soup?""
Erin gave a tearful laugh.
"Yes, Dad.""
"Good. I was hoping you would.""
She stood and began putting the soup into the refrigerator.
Frank watched her.
Then he spoke quietly.
"I want you to stop sending money.""
Erin turned.
"Dad, I don't mind helping.""
"I know. That's why I'm asking.""
He reached for her hand.
"Don't pay another dollar until we know exactly what happened.""
Erin nodded.
"Okay.""
That evening, they called an independent attorney recommended by one of Frank's old friends.
The attorney arranged to meet them the following morning.
He also advised Frank to contact his bank directly, review his account access, and avoid signing any property or financial documents until everything had been independently verified.
For the first time in months, Erin slept without wondering whether her father was angry with her.
But at 9:17 the following morning, her phone rang.
It was an unknown number.
She answered.
"Hello?""
A man introduced himself as Daniel Mercer, the attorney whose name appeared on the power of attorney paperwork.
"Ms. Erin?"" he asked.
"I'm calling because your father requested that we review a document bearing his signature.""
"Yes. We're coming in today.""
There was a pause.
Then Daniel said something that made her sit upright.
"There's one problem. The document was already submitted to the bank.""
Erin looked toward Frank.
"What do you mean?""
"The bank received it three weeks ago.""
Her stomach dropped.
"Submitted for what?""
Daniel lowered his voice.
"Your brother requested access to your father's accounts under that authorization.""
Frank took the phone from her.
"Did you approve it?""
"No, Mr. Frank. I did not. In fact, our office never issued the final document.""
Frank went completely still.
"Then who submitted it?""
Daniel hesitated.
"Someone appears to have used a preliminary draft with your personal information and a signature that was never witnessed by our office.""
Erin covered her mouth.
Frank looked at her.
Then the attorney added one more thing.
"There's another matter. The bank has flagged a recent withdrawal request connected to your property.""
Frank's face went pale.
"What withdrawal?""
"A request to transfer funds from an account we understand is yours.""
Frank gripped the phone.
"I didn't request any transfer.""
"I understand, sir. That's why I'm calling.""
Erin felt the room tilt.
Her father had never mentioned another account.
She looked at him.
"Dad, what account is he talking about?""
Frank didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he walked to the old wooden cabinet beside the fireplace.
He opened the bottom drawer and removed a small leather folder.
Inside were several bank documents.
He placed them on the table.
Then he looked at Erin.
"There's something I never told Wade.""
He opened the folder to the last page.
And Erin saw the balance.
$214,600.
Her father had been quietly saving for years.
But the name listed beside the account wasn't Frank's alone.
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It was a joint account.
And the second name was Wade's.
