Chapter 8: The Signature That Wasn't His
David found the transfer authorization at 6:40 the next morning.
He had barely slept. After Jasmine went to bed, he had remained in the office reviewing the documents, comparing transaction dates, and writing down questions for the attorney.
He had expected the night to reveal more about Jessica's financial decisions.
He hadn't expected to find his own name attached to another eighteen-thousand-dollar transfer.
He stared at the authorization.
The account number was unfamiliar, but the name above it was unmistakable.
*David Carter.*
Beneath the name was a signature that looked almost like his.
Almost.
David pulled open the desk drawer and retrieved an old bank form he had signed years earlier. He placed the two documents side by side.
The signatures were similar enough to fool someone who glanced quickly.
But David could see the differences.
The curve of the D was wrong. The final stroke of his surname stopped too early. Even the pressure of the pen was different.
He picked up his phone and called the attorney whose number the bank had provided.
By eight o'clock, he and Jasmine were sitting in a small conference room at a law office across town.
The attorney, Ms. Reynolds, reviewed the documents carefully. She was a middle-aged Black woman with silver-framed glasses and a calm, deliberate manner. She didn't interrupt when David explained the missing money, the accounts, or Jessica's admission about the supposed investment.
When he showed her the eighteen-thousand-dollar authorization, she leaned forward.
“Did you sign this?””
“No.””
“Did you authorize anyone to sign on your behalf?””
“No.””
“Did you ever open this account?””
“Not to my knowledge.””
Ms. Reynolds made a note.
“Then we need to distinguish what we know from what we suspect. The records establish that funds moved through these accounts. Your statements establish that you did not knowingly authorize this particular transfer. Whether a crime occurred, and who may be responsible, requires further investigation.””
Jasmine nodded.
For the first time, someone was discussing the situation without trying to minimize it or turn it into a family argument.
“What about the money?”” she asked.
“Can we get it back?””
“Possibly some of it, but I cannot promise that. We need to identify the recipient accounts, determine whether the funds remain accessible, and establish who controlled each account.””
David slid another document across the table.
“This account was opened under my name. The signature isn't mine.””
Ms. Reynolds examined it.
“Did Jessica have access to your personal information?””
“Yes. We shared household paperwork, and she helped organize our financial records.””
“Did you give her permission to transfer money from the insurance account?””
“No.””
“Did you give her permission to open this account?””
David hesitated.
“I don't remember authorizing a separate account. I certainly didn't authorize eighteen thousand dollars to be transferred into it.””
The attorney nodded.
“Then we should request the original account-opening documents and transaction records. Don't confront anyone else or attempt to access accounts that aren't yours. Preserve all communications, and don't alter these papers.””
Jasmine looked at the authorization again.
“Could Jessica have copied Dad's signature?””
Ms. Reynolds folded her hands.
“That is one possibility. We should not treat it as established until the relevant records have been reviewed.””
David rubbed his forehead.
“There's another person involved. Jessica's brother says she gave him eleven thousand dollars. She also told us about a man named Raymond Cole who supposedly received thirty-five thousand.””
“Do you have contact information for either person?””
David handed over the note Jessica had provided.
Ms. Reynolds read it, then placed it in a clear document sleeve.
“We'll preserve this. I'll advise you on the appropriate reporting channels and the requests that should be made. If the investment was fraudulent, there may be separate issues involving the recipient and the representations made to Jessica.””
Jasmine sat back.
The word fraudulent made the entire situation feel more real.
“What happens now?”” she asked.
“We document everything. We notify the relevant financial institutions. We determine which transactions were authorized and which were not. And we make sure no additional funds can be moved without your father's knowledge.””
David nodded.
“I also want Jasmine's remaining money protected.””
“That's a priority. We'll review what accounts remain and how they should be secured.””
For the next hour, they worked through the documents.
Ms. Reynolds separated the records into categories: confirmed transfers, questionable withdrawals, debts Jessica had acknowledged, and transactions that still required explanation.
The figures were disturbing.
At least fifty-seven thousand dollars had moved through the accounts under review. That did not mean all fifty-seven thousand had been stolen or lost. Some payments might have been legitimate expenses, and several transfers appeared to overlap.
But even after accounting for the uncertainty, the potential damage was substantial.
Jasmine stared at the summary sheet.
“Mom saved all that money for me.””
David took her hand.
“I know.””
“I thought I was being responsible by not asking you for anything.””
His expression crumpled.
“You never needed to prove that you deserved help.””
She swallowed.
“I know that now.””
When they left the office, David's phone showed three missed calls from Jessica.
A text followed.
Please come home. We need to talk before you do something we can't undo.
David read it twice.
Then he showed Jasmine.
“Do you want to go home?”” he asked.
Jasmine thought about the house, her mother's photograph, and the bedroom where she had grown up. She thought about Jessica's threats and the way Tyler had looked at her when the money came up.
“Yes,” she said.
“But I'm not going to pretend nothing happened.””
“Neither am I.””
They drove home in silence.
When they arrived, Jessica was waiting at the kitchen table. Tyler sat beside her, his arms folded across his chest. A plate of untouched toast rested in front of him.
Jessica stood as soon as they entered.
“David, please. I need to explain something.””
He set his briefcase on the counter.
“We've spoken with an attorney.””
Jessica's face went pale.
“You actually did it.””
“Yes.””
“You couldn't wait one day?””
“I waited years.””
She looked at Jasmine.
“And you're happy about this?””
Jasmine shook her head.
“No.””
Jessica's eyes narrowed.
“Then why are you doing it?””
“Because I want the truth.””
Tyler pushed his chair back.
“This is getting out of hand.””
David turned toward him.
“You need to understand that money was taken from an account intended for Jasmine's future. Some of it may have been transferred without authorization. This isn't something we can ignore.””
Tyler shook his head.
“Mom said she'd fix it.””
“Your mother has said that repeatedly. We need to know what actually happened.””
Jessica stepped between them.
“David, there is something I haven't told you.””
He closed his eyes briefly.
“Then tell me.””
She looked at Tyler.
“Not in front of him.””
Tyler stood.
“I'm not a little kid. Just say it.””
Jessica's mouth trembled.
“The eighteen thousand dollars wasn't supposed to go to Raymond.””
David went completely still.
“Then where was it supposed to go?””
Jessica looked at the table.
“Into a separate account I opened using your information.””
Jasmine felt her heart pound.
David's voice dropped.
“You used my information to open an account?””
“I intended to move the money back after Raymond returned the investment.””
“Did you forge my signature?””
Jessica began to cry.
“I thought I could put everything right before anybody noticed.””
David stared at her.
“That's not an answer.””
She covered her face.
“Yes.””
Tyler stood motionless beside his chair.
Jasmine felt the room close in around her.
The missing money was no longer simply a matter of Jessica taking funds and promising to repay them. If she had used David's identity to open an account, then she had crossed another line entirely.
David stepped away from the table.
“Did you tell Raymond that the money belonged to Jasmine?””
“No.””
“Did you tell him the account was opened without my authorization?””
“No.””
“Then how can you expect us to believe anything else you say?””
Jessica lowered her hands.
“Because I have proof that Raymond lied to me.””
She reached into a drawer and pulled out a thick stack of printed emails.
“He told me the money was safe. He promised a return within ninety days. When I asked for it back, he kept giving me excuses.””
David took the papers.
The first email promised that the investment would produce a substantial return. Another described a supposed property development. A third instructed Jessica to move the money through a different account to avoid delays.
Jasmine read the dates.
The first message had arrived shortly before the initial thirty-five-thousand-dollar transfer.
The last one was dated six months earlier.
“Did you ever see the property?”” David asked.
“No.””
“Did you receive a formal investment statement?””
“No.””
“Did you verify the company?””
Jessica shook her head.
David looked at the attorney's business card on the counter.
“We'll provide these to Ms. Reynolds.””
Jessica grabbed his wrist.
“Please. You have to understand that I was deceived, too.””
David gently pulled away.
“You may have been deceived by Raymond. But you also deceived me. And you took money that wasn't yours.””
Her face crumpled.
“I know.””
“No, Jessica. You know now that we have the records.””
He placed the emails on the counter.
“From this moment forward, there will be no more private explanations, no more secret accounts, and no more demands for money from Jasmine. Everything will be documented.””
Jessica nodded through her tears.
For a moment, Jasmine thought the conversation was finally over.
Then Tyler reached into his hoodie pocket and pulled out his phone.
“There's something else,” he said.
Jessica spun toward him.
“Tyler, don't.””
He looked at her, his eyes filled with anger and fear.
“You told me the account was legitimate. You told me the money was ours to use.””
“Please.””
Tyler turned toward David.
“I still have the messages she sent me about the money.””
Jasmine's breath caught.
“What messages?””
Tyler unlocked his phone.
He scrolled through a conversation, then held out the screen.
At the top was a message from Jessica, dated nearly a year earlier.
Don't tell David about the account. Once the investment pays out, I'll replace everything, and nobody will ever know.
Beneath it was another message.
If Jasmine starts asking questions, make sure she understands that she's costing this family too much already.
Jasmine stared at the words.
Her hands began to shake.
Tyler looked down.
“I'm sorry,” he whispered.
“I knew something was wrong, but I didn't want to lose the money.””
Jasmine couldn't speak.
The messages proved that Jessica hadn't merely concealed the transactions. She had anticipated that Jasmine might ask questions and had tried to make her feel guilty enough to stop.
David took a photograph of the screen.
Then he looked at his wife.
“You used our daughter's pain to protect yourself.””
Jessica began sobbing.
But this time, nobody moved to comfort her.
And as David collected the messages, another notification appeared on Tyler's phone.
It was from Raymond Cole.
Your mother has until Friday to send the remaining balance. If she doesn't, the entire arrangement changes.
Tyler read the message aloud.
May you like
David looked at the date.
It was Thursday.
