“No,” I said.

“That account requires both our signatures.”

Cynthia folded her hands.

“The authorization form contains both.”

“Mine is false.”

“We’ve frozen what remains, but most of the money moved last night.”

“How much is left?”

“Six hundred and twelve dollars.”

I gripped the edge of her desk.

“There was nearly thirty thousand in that fund.”

Elaine’s hand settled on my shoulder.

Cynthia printed the transaction history.

“The money went to K&R Ventures in three transfers.”

Matt pointed to the dates.

“The first one was six months ago.”

“He’s been doing this for six months?” I asked.

A voice came from the office doorway.

“Longer.”

A tall man in a work jacket stood beside the receptionist.

Kevin had introduced him once as Darren, the partner who was going to make him rich.

Matt rose.

“What are you doing here?”

Darren held up a phone and a thick folder.

“Trying to fix the part I helped create.”

I stood slowly.

“You knew about the money?”

“I knew Kevin was moving money into the business.

He told me you agreed.”

“I agreed to nothing.”

Darren looked down.

“I believe you.”

Cynthia closed the office door.

“Why are you here, Mr.

Cole?”

“Kevin called me at midnight.

He told me to transfer everything to another account before the bank opened.”

“Did you?”

“No.”

“Why not?” Matt asked.

Darren placed the folder in front of me.

“Because there is no restaurant.”

Kevin had promised investors a sports bar, but Darren had discovered that the lease document was fake.

The photographs of the supposed renovation came from another business two towns away.

I opened the folder.

“Then where did the money go?”

“Some paid Kevin’s personal debts.

Some went into an online betting account.

The rest is still in the company account because I blocked him from moving it.”

“How much?”

“Forty-three thousand dollars.”

Elaine exhaled sharply.

“You can return it?”

“If the bank and a court direct me to, yes.”

My phone rang.

Kevin’s name appeared on the screen.

“Answer it,” Cynthia said.

“Put it on speaker.”

I pressed the button.

“Where are you?” Kevin demanded.

“At the bank.”

“You took Matt and my mother?”

“They brought me.”

“Listen to me.

Darren is going to tell you lies because he wants the company.”

Darren leaned toward the phone.

“There is no company left to want.”

Kevin went silent.

Then his voice hardened.

“You stole my records.”

“You asked me to hide money,” Darren replied.

“I saved the message.”

“You’ll regret choosing her side.”

“Is that a threat?” Matt asked.

“It’s a promise that all of you will look foolish when my attorney finishes with this.”

I picked up the loan application.

“Did you sign my name?”

“I’m not discussing finances on speaker.”

“Then answer one question.

Did you take Lucy and Ben’s college money?”

“I borrowed family money for a family investment.”

“Our children didn’t lend it to you.”

“You’re turning them against me.”

“You did that when you emptied their account.”

Kevin’s breath crackled through the speaker.

“If you challenge the loan, the bank may take the house.

Is that what you want?

Our children homeless because their mother panicked?”

Cynthia shook her head and wrote on a notepad: NOT TRUE.

“You lied again,” I said.

“I’m trying to protect you.”

“No.

You’re trying to frighten me.”

Kevin’s voice softened suddenly.

“Come home alone.

We can fix this.

I’ll put five thousand back today, and you tell the bank it was a misunderstanding.”

Darren stared at the phone.

“That sounds like a bribe,” he said.

Kevin cursed under his breath and ended the call.

Cynthia saved the recording from the office system.

“This will go to our fraud department.”

A knock sounded at the door.

The branch manager entered with a sealed notice.

“Mrs.

Reeves, your husband has filed an online statement claiming you authorized the loan and are now denying it as part of a divorce dispute.”

“I haven’t filed for divorce.”

“He attached an email supposedly sent from your address.”

Cynthia placed the printed email in front of me.

It read: Go ahead with everything.

Sign wherever you need to.

“That isn’t mine.”

Darren examined the address.

“There’s an extra letter in the domain.”

Matt leaned closer.

Kevin had created a fake email account in my name.

My phone chimed again, this time with a security notification from our home camera.

The image showed Kevin carrying boxes out of his office.

Then he reached up, looked directly into the camera, and pulled it from the wall.