Chapter 7 - SABRINA'S BOX
Rebecca insisted they meet Sabrina at her office, with Chen present. Sabrina arrived carrying a shoebox secured by a rubber band. She was in her forties, dressed for a day of work, and she kept checking the street through the blinds.
“My ex-husband was a contractor,” she said. “Cody handled his books. Amanda called herself a consultant. They convinced us to consolidate our debt.”
Then the loan statements stopped making sense. Sabrina's husband lost his business. By the time she found forged paperwork, Cody had disappeared and Amanda had a new last name.
Sabrina spread out photographs and bank statements. In one picture Amanda and Cody stood together at a beach wedding. Amanda wore a white sundress. Cody held her around the waist.
“That's not a cousin,” Daniel said.
“No,” Sabrina answered. “They were married.”
Rebecca looked up sharply. “Married when?”
“In 2011. Whether they divorced later, I don't know.”
Daniel had met Amanda in 2014. She'd said she'd never been married before.
Sabrina slid over a yellowed envelope. “Cody kept every contract. He made people sign blank pages, then filled them later. My mother took one when he came to our house. I didn't know what it was until last week.”
Inside was a carbon copy bearing Amanda's handwriting: FIND SINGLE OWNER. CHILDREN INCREASE LEVERAGE. USE HOUSEHOLD ACCESS.
Nobody spoke for a long moment.
Chen photographed the envelope, explained chain of custody, and asked Sabrina to tell her story from the beginning. Daniel watched the box become evidence instead of an awful memory.
Before Sabrina left, she turned to him. “There's one more thing. Cody had a partner who could make signatures look official.”
“Who?” Rebecca asked.
Sabrina pointed at the name beneath the fake notary seal.
May you like
“That's the name of the firm that ruined my family.”
