Chapter 9: The Man Who Held the Missing Paperwork
I read Marcus's email three times.
Then I turned my phone toward my mother.
She read the message.
Her expression changed immediately.
“Why doesn't he want me to know?””
“I don't know.””
Patricia reached for the phone.
“Call him.””
I did.
It rang twice.
Marcus answered.
“Malik?””
“What's going on?””
“Are you alone?””
I looked around the kitchen.
“My mother, my aunt, and Calvin's daughter are here.””
There was a pause.
“Can you come to the office tomorrow morning?””
“Why?””
“Because I need to show you something.””
“Is it about the lease?””
“Yes.””
“Is it about Calvin?””
Another pause.
“Partly.””
I leaned against the counter.
“Marcus, somebody just told us you helped arrange a business registration using my apartment address.””
His voice became serious.
“I did not authorize any fraudulent activity.””
“That's not what I asked.””
“Malik, I can explain everything tomorrow. Please bring your mother if she is comfortable coming.””
I looked at Denise.
She nodded.
“Fine,” I said.
“We'll be there.””
When I ended the call, Patricia shook her head.
“I don't like this.””
Neither did I.
The next morning, my mother and I arrived at the property management office at 9:05.
Marcus was waiting in his office.
He closed the door behind us.
Then he placed a thick folder on the desk.
“Before we begin, I want you to understand something. Your apartment lease has not been transferred. Your name remains the only primary tenant name on the agreement.””
I nodded.
“Okay.””
Marcus opened the folder.
“However, there were several attempts to submit documents related to the property.””
He pulled out a printed email.
“This one came from Calvin.””
I recognized the address.
Marcus continued.
“He claimed he had your authorization to register a business at the property. He also requested a letter confirming that he was an approved resident.””
My mother looked at him.
“Did you give him one?””
“No.””
“Then why did he think he could use the address?””
Marcus sighed.
“Because he had previously asked for a general residency confirmation.””
I frowned.
“When?””
“Shortly after moving in.””
I stared at him.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“I didn't see a reason to. He asked for a document confirming that he received mail at the property. I explained that the lease did not list him as a tenant.””
Marcus opened another section of the folder.
“But then he submitted a different request.””
He slid a page toward me.
It was a business registration document.
My apartment address appeared beneath the company name.
I read the registered agent section.
Then I stopped.
“Marcus Bell.””
I looked up.
“Why is your name here?””
Marcus nodded.
“That's exactly what I wanted to discuss.””
My mother leaned forward.
“Are you involved with Calvin?””
“No, ma'am.””
“Then why is your name on this document?””
Marcus removed his glasses.
“Because someone used my professional details without permission.””
I stared at him.
“Someone used your name too?””
“Yes.””
He opened his computer.
A message appeared.
It was an email from a company registration service.
The sender had requested confirmation that Marcus would serve as the registered agent for Bellstone Property Solutions.
The request included a scanned authorization.
Marcus shook his head.
“I never agreed to this.””
My mother looked between us.
“So Calvin used Malik's signature and your information?””
“That's what the documents appear to show.””
I sat back.
For a moment, I felt almost relieved.
Marcus wasn't necessarily involved.
But then he opened another document.
It was an authorization form.
The signature at the bottom looked familiar.
Not mine.
Not Marcus's.
My mother's.
Denise stared at it.
“I didn't sign that.””
Marcus nodded.
“I suspected as much.””
I leaned forward.
“What's this document for?””
“Permission to receive business correspondence at the apartment.””
My mother looked horrified.
“Why would I authorize that?””
Marcus turned the paper around.
“Because the person who submitted it claimed you were helping Calvin establish a family business.””
Denise shook her head.
“I never signed anything like that.””
Marcus placed the document beside the others.
“I believe you.””
Then he pointed to the date.
It had been submitted two weeks before Calvin moved in.
I looked at my mother.
“Two weeks?””
She nodded slowly.
“I hadn't even agreed to let him move in then.””
Marcus folded his hands.
“Malik, I want to tell you something else.””
I waited.
“Calvin came here three weeks ago.””
“What?””
“He asked whether the apartment could be used as collateral for a business loan.””
My mother stood up.
“Collateral?””
Marcus nodded.
“I told him that he had no authority to make such a request.””
I looked at the folder.
“Did he mention my name?””
“Yes.””
“What did he say?””
Marcus hesitated.
“He said you were planning to leave and that your mother would take over the apartment.””
I felt anger rising again.
“Why didn't you call me?””
“I did.””
I frowned.
“When?””
Marcus opened his desk drawer and took out a small notepad.
“Three weeks ago. I called the number on your application. It went to voicemail.””
I looked at my phone.
I had missed several unknown calls around that time.
“Did you leave a message?””
“Yes. I said I needed to verify an occupancy request.””
I remembered nothing.
Marcus continued.
“When you didn't respond, I rejected the request.””
I nodded.
“Thank you.””
He looked at Denise.
“I'm sorry this happened.””
My mother sat down again.
Then she asked something that changed the direction of the conversation.
“Marcus, did Calvin ever tell you who was behind the business?””
Marcus looked at her.
“He mentioned a financial partner.””
“Who?””
He checked his records.
“Daniel Reeves.””
I looked at my mother.
“That's the man who called last night.””
Marcus nodded.
“But there's another name.””
He pulled out a separate sheet.
*Patricia's name appeared as a contact reference.*
I looked at my aunt's name.
“Why is Patricia listed?””
Marcus shook his head.
“I don't know. But she was named as someone who could confirm the family arrangement.””
My mother frowned.
“Patricia?””
I immediately called my aunt.
She answered.
“Malik?””
“I'm with Mom at Marcus's office. Your name appears on a business registration document connected to Calvin.””
Silence.
Then Patricia said:
“What?””
I explained.
She became angry immediately.
“I never agreed to anything!””
Marcus took the phone.
“Ms. Patricia, this is Marcus Bell. I'm looking at a document that lists you as a contact reference.””
“I don't know what you're talking about.””
“Did you ever receive a call from someone asking you to confirm Calvin's business plans?””
Patricia hesitated.
Then she answered.
“Yes.””
I looked at my mother.
Patricia continued.
“Someone called me about three weeks ago. He said he was verifying information for Calvin's company.””
“Who?”” I asked.
“I thought he was from the bank.””
“Did you confirm anything?””
“I told him Calvin was Denise's boyfriend and that they were planning to get married.””
My mother closed her eyes.
Marcus asked another question.
“Did he ask whether Malik intended to move out?””
Patricia went quiet.
Then she said:
“Yes.””
I stared at the phone.
“What did you tell him?””
“I said Malik was an independent young man and that he might eventually get his own place.””
My stomach tightened.
That innocent sentence might have been used as evidence that I intended to leave.
Patricia began crying.
“I didn't know. I swear I didn't know.””
My mother took the phone.
“Patricia, stop. We'll talk later.””
She ended the call.
For a moment, we sat in silence.
Then Marcus reached into the folder one last time.
“There is one more document I need you to see.””
He placed it on the desk.
It was a proposed business agreement.
The document listed Calvin as the managing partner.
Daniel Reeves was listed as the financial partner.
And beneath them was a third name.
*Denise Carter — Property Contributor.*
My mother stared at it.
“What does property contributor mean?””
Marcus pointed to a paragraph.
“It suggests that you were providing the residential address as part of the business arrangement.””
I read the next section.
It also stated that Denise would receive a share of future profits.
My mother shook her head.
“I never agreed to this.””
Marcus nodded.
“That's why I wanted you both here.””
I looked at the final page.
There was a date for the proposed activation of the business.
November 3.
Two days away.
I checked my phone.
November 1.
They had been planning to activate the arrangement before the weekend.
Before Calvin's deadline to leave.
Before we discovered the money.
I looked at Marcus.
“Can you stop this?””
“I can confirm that the property management company has not authorized the address. But you'll need to report the suspected misuse of your identity and the business documents to the relevant authorities.””
I nodded.
“We will.””
My mother was staring at her supposed signature.
Then she whispered:
“Malik, I remember something.””
I turned toward her.
“What?””
“Calvin once asked me to sign a document at dinner. He said it was a form for the wedding venue.””
I felt my chest tighten.
“Did you sign it?””
She nodded slowly.
“I thought I did.””
“What did it look like?””
“Several pages. He told me not to worry about the details.””
I stared at her.
“Mom, where is that document?””
She looked at me.
“I don't know.””
Then her phone rang.
An unknown number.
She answered cautiously.
“Hello?””
A woman's voice spoke.
“Is this Denise Carter?””
“Yes.””
“My name is Evelyn Brooks. I'm calling from the office handling the Bellstone business registration.””
My mother looked at me.
The woman continued.
“We've received a request to activate the business registration using your residential address. We need to verify one final authorization.””
I leaned closer to the phone.
“What authorization?””
The woman paused.
“Your consent to act as the property's contributing party.””
My mother looked horrified.
“I never agreed to that.””
The woman was silent for a moment.
Then she said:
“That's concerning, Ms. Carter. Because we already have a signed agreement bearing your signature.””
My mother gripped my hand.
“Send me a copy.””
“I can arrange that.””
The call ended.
I looked at the date on the proposed activation document.
November 3.
Two days away.
And then I noticed something else.
The signature on the business agreement was different from the one on the lease modification.
It was much closer to my mother's actual handwriting.
I turned toward her.
“Mom, did you sign something at that dinner?””
She began to cry.
“I think I did.””
May you like
And suddenly, I realized Calvin might not have needed to forge every document.
He might have tricked my mother into signing the most important one herself.
