Chapter 5: The Man Who Had Been Watching Us
I stared at Claire.
"What do you mean he's been inside this house?""
She looked toward Maya.
Maya immediately shook her head.
"Mom, don't.""
Claire's face crumpled.
"Marcus, I didn't know what to do.""
I stepped closer.
"Start at the beginning.""
Claire took a trembling breath.
"His name is Ethan Cole. Maya met him at a party last summer.""
"How old is he?""
"Twenty-four.""
Malik let out a sharp laugh.
"She's eighteen. Why is a twenty-four-year-old man borrowing money from her?""
Maya snapped.
"He's not borrowing money from me!""
"Then why do you owe him forty-three thousand?""
"Shut up, Malik!""
I raised my voice.
"Enough.""
Maya looked down.
I turned to Claire.
"When was he here?""
"Several times.""
"How many?""
"I don't know. Maybe four or five.""
I felt anger rising in my chest.
"You brought a stranger into my home without telling me?""
"He was Maya's friend.""
"A twenty-four-year-old man who was involved in forty-three thousand dollars of debt?""
"I didn't know about the debt at first.""
"At first?""
Claire looked away.
That was answer enough.
I sat down.
"Tell me everything.""
Claire pulled out a chair.
She looked as if her legs could no longer support her.
"At the beginning, Ethan seemed charming. He brought Maya flowers. He helped her with her driving lessons. He said he worked in online marketing.""
"Did you meet him?""
"Yes.""
"When?""
"At a restaurant. Then he came here once when you were traveling.""
I frowned.
"Which trip?""
"The conference in Chicago.""
I remembered it.
I had been away for four days.
"You told me Maya was staying with a friend.""
Claire lowered her eyes.
"She was.""
"Then who was here?""
Claire started crying.
"Ethan.""
I felt my hands curl into fists.
"Did he stay overnight?""
"No!""
She answered too quickly.
I stared at her.
"Claire.""
"He only came to talk.""
"About what?""
"Business.""
I almost laughed.
"Business?""
Claire nodded.
"He told Maya he could help her earn money through online investments.""
Nia shook her head.
"That sounds like a scam.""
"It was," Claire whispered.
Maya suddenly stood.
"Stop talking about him like that!""
I looked at her.
"He's taken forty-three thousand dollars from you.""
"He was going to give it back!""
"With what money?""
"He said the investment was going to pay off!""
Malik shook his head.
"You're defending someone who used you.""
Maya's eyes flashed.
"You don't know anything about him!""
I leaned forward.
"Then tell me how he got Malik's personal information.""
She went quiet.
"Did you take documents from my office?""
No answer.
"Maya?""
She stared at her hands.
"Yes.""
"What did you take?""
"Copies of some papers.""
"Which papers?""
"Tax forms. Bank statements. Identification documents.""
My chest tightened.
"How many?""
"I don't know.""
"Did you give them to Ethan?""
She nodded.
I closed my eyes.
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
This wasn't a simple family disagreement anymore.
It was identity theft.
Financial fraud.
And an accusation that could have destroyed my son.
I looked at Claire.
"Did you know she took those documents?""
Claire shook her head.
"No.""
"Did you know she was using Malik's information?""
"I knew about the credit application.""
"That's not what I asked.""
Claire began crying harder.
"I didn't know how far it had gone.""
Malik stood.
"Why did you let me get blamed?""
Claire looked at him.
"I was trying to stop everything from becoming worse.""
"By telling everyone I assaulted her?""
"I never wanted that to happen.""
"But you believed her!""
"I was scared!""
Malik shook his head.
"You were scared of losing Maya. You didn't care if you lost me.""
Claire looked devastated.
I wanted to comfort everyone.
But I couldn't.
Not while my son stood there looking as though his entire world had collapsed.
I put my hand on his shoulder.
"Go upstairs for a minute.""
He looked at me.
"Dad, I want to hear this.""
"I know. But I need you to breathe.""
He hesitated.
Then he left.
Nia followed him.
I turned back to Claire.
"We're contacting the bank and the credit bureaus. We're also getting legal advice.""
She nodded weakly.
"And Maya will need to explain exactly what happened.""
Maya looked terrified.
"Are you going to send me to jail?""
I looked at her.
"I don't know what the legal consequences will be. But I'm not going to hide what happened.""
She began crying again.
Then her phone vibrated.
She looked at the screen.
Her entire expression changed.
I noticed.
"Who is it?""
"Nobody.""
"Show me.""
"No.""
The phone vibrated again.
Then again.
I held out my hand.
"Maya.""
She clutched it against her chest.
"Please don't.""
I didn't grab it.
Instead, I said quietly:
"Is that Ethan?""
Her eyes filled.
She nodded.
"What's he saying?""
She swallowed.
"He's asking where I am.""
I felt a cold knot form in my stomach.
"Tell him you're home.""
Maya stared at me.
"Why?""
"Because I want to know whether he thinks you still have access to the money.""
She looked at her mother.
Claire nodded.
Maya typed a message.
I'm home. My mom knows.
The reply arrived almost instantly.
She read it.
Then her face went white.
"What?"" I asked.
She shook her head.
"Nothing.""
I held out my hand.
"Let me see.""
This time, she handed me the phone.
The message was short.
You need to get the rest of the documents before Marcus checks everything.
Another message appeared.
And make sure Malik doesn't talk.
I stared at the screen.
My fingers went cold.
Then a third message arrived.
If your stepfather finds out who really signed the first withdrawal, we're all finished.
I slowly looked at Claire.
"What does this mean?""
She began shaking her head.
"Marcus...""
I held up the phone.
"Who signed the first withdrawal?""
Claire started crying.
Maya backed away.
Then my stepdaughter whispered:
"Mom signed it.""
I turned toward my wife.
"Is that true?""
Claire covered her face.
But before she could answer, Maya spoke again.
"There's something else. Ethan told me he had proof that Mom and I could use to make you leave the house.""
I stared at her.
"What proof?""
Maya looked directly at me.
"He said the house isn't really yours anymore.""
For a moment, I couldn't hear anything.
The house.
The home I had worked twenty-five years to buy.
The home where Denise and I had raised our children.
The home where I had promised Claire and Maya they would always belong.
I turned toward Claire.
"Explain.""
She slowly lowered her hands.
Her eyes were red.
Her voice was barely audible.
"Marcus, I need you to understand something.""
I waited.
She looked at the staircase, then back at me.
"Six months ago, when you were in Chicago, I signed something.""
"What did you sign?""
She began sobbing.
"Something that Ethan told me would protect Maya.""
I stepped closer.
"What did you sign, Claire?""
She opened her mouth.
Then the doorbell rang.
Once.
Twice.
Maya screamed.
"Don't open it!""
I turned toward the front door.
Through the narrow glass panel, I could see a man standing on the porch.
He was holding a brown envelope.
He looked directly at the living room camera.
Then he smiled.
My phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
I opened the message.
Mr. Bennett, before you accuse your wife of anything else, you should read what's inside the envelope.
I looked through the glass again.
The man lifted the envelope.
May you like
And on its front, written in thick black marker, were four words:
*THE HOUSE IS ALREADY MINE.*
