Chapter 16 - THE WITNESS
The fraud case changed overnight.
Federal investigators joined the local detectives. Subpoenas hit banks, vendors, email providers, and Michael’s company.
Employees started talking.
The most important witness was Linda Perez, the office manager who had notarized the fake authorization.
At first, she denied everything.
Then prosecutors showed her the prison exposure.
She asked for a lawyer.
By Friday, she was cooperating.
Linda admitted Michael had directed her to create documents, but Patricia supplied the templates and old signatures.
“She kept files on everyone,” Linda said.
“What kind of files?”
“Passwords. account numbers. copies of IDs. Medical records if she could get them.”
I thought of the box Jenna stole from Patricia’s study.
Linda said Patricia called it “insurance.”
Then she told investigators something none of us expected.
Michael had tried to stop the scheme once.
A year earlier, after the first forged transfer from my inheritance, he told Patricia they had gone too far.
Patricia threatened to expose his gambling debts and theft from Bennett Development.
“He was trapped,” Linda said.
I stared at her through the conference-room glass.
Rachel noticed.
“Do not confuse explanation with excuse.”
“I’m not.”
But some part of me hated learning he had once known where the line was.
It meant he had seen it, considered it, and crossed it anyway.
Linda produced one final item: a voicemail Michael left her two days before dinner.
“Make sure the transfer hits Emma’s account before Sunday,” he said. “If this blows up, she goes down with us.”
There it was.
No Patricia forcing his hand.
No ambiguity.
His voice.
His choice.
Then Linda added, “There’s another copy of that voicemail.”
“Where?”
She looked toward the federal agent.
“Michael sent it to Patricia with a message.”
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The message read:
IF SHE WON’T SIGN, WE BURY HER.
