I stepped closer.
The house deed.
A second mortgage.
My signature.
Except I had never signed it.
My throat tightened.
“Daniel forged me.”
Marcus looked grim.
Then another file.
Private lenders.
Large cash advances.
One name appeared repeatedly.
Harbor Crest Investments.
Detective Brooks frowned.
“Ever heard of them?”
“No.”
Marcus did.
His face changed.
“What?”
He said.
“They were investigated for illegal lending years ago.”
My chest tightened.
“Loan sharks?”
“Essentially.”
Daniel had borrowed from them.
A lot.
More than four hundred thousand dollars.
Interest increased monthly.
Then we found photographs.
Our home.
The girls leaving school.
Sophie on her bicycle.
Me at the grocery store.
Taken from a distance.
I nearly collapsed.
Daniel had not exaggerated.
Someone had been watching us.
Then Sophie found a sealed envelope.
Her name.
SOPHIE.
Detective Brooks opened it carefully.
Inside was a photograph of twelve-year-old Sophie leaving school.
On the back.
Pretty girl.
Debts have consequences.
Sophie started shaking.
I hugged her.
For the first time, part of Daniel’s insanity made sense.
Not forgiveness.
Understanding.
Then we opened the duffel bag.
Cash.
Forty-two thousand dollars.
Four fake birth certificates.
Four passports.
Different names.
Photos of Daniel.
Caleb.
