Chapter 4: The Account I Never Opened
I pushed the phone toward Nathan.
“What account is this?”
“I’ve never seen those last four digits.”
“It says Natalie Cole.”
“I know what it says.”
I called the bank and put the phone on speaker.
After three security questions, the representative’s voice became careful.
“Mrs.
Cole, the account was opened jointly with Nathan Cole eleven days ago.”
“I did not open it.”
Nathan leaned toward the phone.
“Neither did I.”
“The application was completed electronically using verified identification.”
“What identification?” I asked.
“I can’t disclose the full record by phone.
I can freeze the account while our review team investigates.”
“Do it.”
A chair scraped behind me.
Nathan sat down and covered his mouth.
The representative continued.
“There was an attempted transfer tonight.
It did not complete.”
“To whom?”
“A business named Parker Relocation Services.”
Nathan looked up.
“Parker?”
Susan Parker.
The next morning, Mr.
Bennett arrived with Grace Miller, the company’s compliance director.
Susan came five minutes later and placed her folder on our table as though she owned it.
Mr.
Bennett remained standing.
“Susan, you told me Natalie approved the shared housing.”
“She did.”
“I’m sitting right here,” I said.
“Don’t speak for me.”
Susan slid the consent form toward Grace.
“Her verified signature is on the document.”
“That is not my signature.”
“Nathan gave me the form.”
Nathan struck the table with his palm.
“Blank.
I gave it to you blank.”
Susan turned to Mr.
Bennett.
“Now he’s changing his story because his wife is angry.”
Grace raised one hand.
“Who owns Parker Relocation Services?”
Susan didn’t blink.
“A local housing coordinator.”
“Then you won’t mind giving us the owner’s name.”
“I don’t manage vendors.”
I placed the banking alert beside the consent form.
“The transfer was going to that business last night.”
Mr.
Bennett read it twice.
“Susan?”
“It must be the landlord’s payment processor.”
Grace opened her laptop.
“The company’s approved housing provider is Westlake Corporate Suites.
We have never used Parker Relocation Services.”
Susan’s fingers tightened around her pen.
Nathan looked at Mr.
Bennett.
“You said the company changed the housing budget.”
“No,” Mr.
Bennett replied.
“I said you each had a separate housing allowance.”
The room went still.
I faced Nathan.
“Separate apartments?”
“That was the original offer,” he said.
“Original?”
Susan cut in.
“Nathan suggested combining the allowances.”
“I asked whether it was permitted.
You said it was.”
“And you were happy to keep the difference.”
Nathan’s mouth opened, but no answer came.
Mr.
Bennett removed his glasses.
“Nathan, did you agree to share an apartment with Susan?”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell your wife?”
“No.”
“Did you authorize anyone to sign Natalie’s name?”
“Absolutely not.”
Susan pushed back her chair.
“I’m finished being blamed for a marital argument.”
Grace turned the laptop toward her.
“Sit down.”
On the screen was the electronic application for the joint bank account.
A copy of my driver’s license had been uploaded with it.
I leaned closer.
“That photograph came from our mortgage file.”
Nathan’s head snapped toward me.
“The folder in my study?”
“I haven’t opened it in two years.”
Susan stood.
“This has nothing to do with me.”
“Then why,” Grace asked, “was the application submitted from the company network?”
Susan’s face lost its color for half a second.
Mr.
Bennett saw it too.
Grace tapped the screen.
“The login belongs to Nathan.”
Susan exhaled through her nose.
“There.
You have your answer.”
Nathan stared at the record.
“I wasn’t in the office that day.”
“You were logged in,” Grace said.
“I worked from home.
Susan knew that.”
I looked from Nathan to Susan.
“Who had access to his password?”
Nathan didn’t answer.
Susan picked up her folder.
“Ask him.”
“Nathan?” I said.
His chair creaked as he leaned back.
“Three months ago,” he said, “I gave Susan my password.”
Susan smiled.
And I understood that whatever she had done, my husband had handed her the key.
