Chapter 4 - The PhotographDaniel left work immediately.
Maya had already placed the photograph inside a plastic bag.
“Don't touch it,” she said.
Daniel looked at the image.
Maya was leaving school carrying her tote bag.
The photograph had clearly been taken from across the street.
“This wasn't Lorraine,” Maya said.
“How do you know?”
“She was with Nia yesterday.”
Daniel understood.
Someone else was involved.
They called Mark.
He came over carrying his phone.
“I kept the original recording,” he said.
“Don't delete anything,” Maya replied.
Mark nodded.
“I also saw a car.”
Daniel looked up.
“What car?”
“Black Mercedes. Parked down the street before your mother arrived.”
“Driver?”
“Couldn't see.”
Mark scrubbed backward through another short clip.
There it was.
A black sedan.
Daniel enlarged the frame.
The license plate was partially visible.
Maya whispered, “This was planned.”
Daniel didn't answer.
That evening, they contacted an attorney named Rachel Kim, who specialized in family law and estate disputes.
Rachel watched Mark’s recording once.
Then again.
“Keep copies in multiple places,” she said.
Daniel nodded.
“What happens to my mother?”
“That's going to depend on several things, including what you and Maya choose to report and what investigators establish. But right now my immediate concern is protecting Nia.”
Maya squeezed Daniel's hand.
Rachel continued.
“And if the financial documents are genuine, we need an estate-litigation attorney involved immediately.”
“I thought this was about my mother hating Maya.”
Rachel looked at him.
“It may be. But prejudice and money aren't mutually exclusive motives.”
That sentence stayed with Daniel.
The next morning, Rachel helped them secure the first emergency legal protections and referred Daniel to forensic accountant Samuel Price.
Samuel examined the asset-transfer agreement.
“This isn't amateur work,” he said.
“What does that mean?”
“Whoever created this had access to your real signature samples, corporate records and trust documents.”
“My mother had all three.”
Samuel pointed at a notary seal.
“Maybe. But this seal belongs to Gregory Vale.”
Daniel knew the name.
Lorraine’s attorney.
They visited Vale's office.
The receptionist said he was unavailable.
Daniel refused to leave.
Eventually Vale emerged.
He was pale.
“Daniel.”
“Did you notarize my forged signature?”
Vale stared at the document.
His face drained.
“Where did you get this?”
“Why does everyone keep asking me that?”
Vale lowered his voice.
“You need to stop digging.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“My daughter was tied to a tree yesterday.”
Vale's eyes widened.
“That wasn't supposed to happen.”
Silence.
Daniel stared at him.
“What wasn't supposed to happen?”
Vale realized his mistake.
He retreated toward his office.
Daniel followed.
Vale shut the door between them.
Through the frosted glass Daniel heard frantic movement.
Then a shredder.
Daniel pounded the door.
“Gregory!”
The shredding continued.
By the time building security arrived, Vale had stopped.
He opened the door calmly.
His waste bin was empty.
But Daniel noticed something beside the shredder.
A torn corner of paper.
May you like
Three words remained visible:
CROSS-MERCER MARITAL AGREEMENT.
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