Chapter 17 - The Woman at the Gate
The passport in Samantha's photograph bore my name and a number I'd never seen. It looked enough like mine to fool someone glancing quickly. Adrienne sent it directly to the investigators.
"They could be planning another impersonation," she warned. "Don't contact Samantha yourself."
By noon, Carlos and Marta were at Manila's international airport. We knew because Santos told us their travel documents had been flagged for review. I was in a private lounge in Singapore, sitting before a cup of coffee I'd forgotten to drink. Nina stood near the window with her arms folded.
A television above the bar showed crowds at departure gates. I wasn't expecting to see my family on it.
Then a breaking-news banner appeared. Marta was at a security counter, shouting that she'd done nothing wrong. Carlos stood beside her, pale and furious, while officers led them away for questioning. The reporter said authorities were investigating an alleged scheme involving a forged company document, a suspicious substance, and an attempt to frame a business executive.
I didn't cheer. I felt a strange emptiness, the way you do when an alarm has rung for hours and suddenly stops.
"They're being questioned," Nina reminded me. "The investigation isn't over."
She was right. No television camera could tell us what charges would stick. No headline could give back the years I'd trusted those people.
Santos called. "We have corroborating payment records and testimony from the person hired to report your luggage. The substance recovered from the house is being tested. We've also recovered travel documents and a second false identity file."
"Did Marta say anything?"
"She said Carlos told her you were stealing from him."
The familiar excuse made me sick. I'd built the company before Carlos ever received his first paycheck there.
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A new message appeared from June.
SAMANTHA JUST TRIED TO MOVE THE FOURTEEN MILLION AGAIN. THIS TIME SHE USED YOUR MOTHER'S NAME.
