Chapter 7 - THE POLICY
The policy had been opened eight months earlier.
The insured person was me.
The coverage amount was one million dollars.
I already had life insurance through work.
Amy was the beneficiary.
This was different.
The applicant information contained my correct Social Security number.
My correct date of birth.
My correct employer.
My correct income.
My correct address.
The signature was forged.
And the beneficiary was Bradley Family Holdings LLC.
Rachel stared at the copy Detective Gaines had provided.
“This is extremely serious.”
I was beyond anger.
At some point, anger becomes too small for what you are feeling.
What remained was a cold kind of disbelief.
“What happens if I die?”
Rachel looked at me.
“Assuming the policy remained valid and the fraud was not discovered, the beneficiary would file a claim.”
Amy went white.
I reached for her hand.
“Hey.”
She looked at me.
“I’m fine.”
She was not.
Neither was I.
Detective Gaines sat across from us in the conference room.
“We have no evidence anyone intended physical harm.”
Amy exhaled slowly.
“But you’re investigating.”
“Yes.”
“Because of the policy?”
“Because of the totality of circumstances.”
I understood what she meant.
Hidden camera.
Forged power of attorney.
Stolen deed.
Identity documents.
Home equity application.
Life insurance.
My mother’s strange question about what happened to the house if something happened to me.
The pieces looked terrible together.
Gaines continued.
“We need to know whether your mother ever asked about your travel schedule.”
I almost laughed.
“She knew it.”
“How?”
“I tell her.”
“Did she know when you would be away from home?”
“Yes.”
“Did she know about job sites?”
“Yes.”
“Vehicles?”
“Yes.”
“Medical history?”
“Yes.”
Amy squeezed my hand.
The detective noticed.
“Again, I am not telling you we have evidence of a plan to hurt you.”
“I understand.”
“But until we know more, take reasonable precautions.”
I nodded.
Then Gaines opened another file.
“We recovered Mason’s phone.”
That got my attention.
“Screenshots?”
“Many.”
“Can I see them?”
“Some.”
She placed printed pages on the table.
The group chat was called FAMILY BUSINESS.
Teresa had created it.
Members included Teresa, Mason, Richard, and Betsy.
The earliest surviving screenshot was dated four months ago.
TERESA: Connor signs everything too fast.
RICHARD: I need samples.
TERESA: Working on it.
MASON: What exactly are we doing?
TERESA: Protecting assets before Amy gets ideas.
Another message appeared two weeks later.
MASON: Does Connor know?
TERESA: Connor knows I handle the family.
MASON: That’s not what I asked.
TERESA: Stop acting like a child.
I kept reading.
There were photographs of my signatures.
Checks.
Contracts.
A birthday card.
A permission form.
Anything Teresa could obtain.
Then one message made me sit back.
RICHARD: Signature is close enough for preliminary docs but not closing package.
TERESA: We’ll get a real one.
RICHARD: How?
TERESA: Amy.
Amy covered her mouth.
The next screenshot was from the previous Thursday.
TERESA: Party form ready.
BETSY: She won’t read it?
TERESA: I’ll keep her busy with Frederick.
BETSY: This feels weird.
TERESA: Then don’t take your 10k.
Betsy had replied with a thumbs-up.
Amy stared at that tiny symbol for a long time.
That single thumbs-up destroyed whatever remained of Betsy’s claim that she had been completely deceived.
“She knew.”
Gaines nodded.
“She knew enough to be concerned.”
“And still participated.”
“Yes.”
There were more.
MASON: What happens after transfer?
TERESA: We refinance.
MASON: Connor will see.
TERESA: Not immediately.
RICHARD: Funds need to move fast.
TERESA: They will.
Then the final screenshot.
Friday morning.
MASON: I’m not doing this anymore.
TERESA: Too late.
MASON: I never signed anything.
TERESA: You moved the documents.
MASON: Because you told me Connor wanted them.
TERESA: Then I guess that’s your story.
MASON: Are you threatening me?
TERESA: I’m reminding you to be loyal.
That was why Mason had saved screenshots.
He understood Teresa was preparing to make him responsible.
Detective Gaines collected the pages.
“Mason’s attorney says he wants to cooperate.”
“What does that mean?”
“He may provide testimony.”
“Against Teresa?”
“Yes.”
My first instinct was satisfaction.
Then I remembered Mason running with my deed.
“He still helped.”
“He may still face charges.”
“Good.”
Gaines studied me.
“You seem certain.”
“He was willing to help steal my house until he realized he might get blamed.”
“That appears consistent with the messages.”
Amy looked at the detective.
“What about Betsy?”
“We will be speaking with her again.”
“She came to us.”
“That may matter.”
“She also lied.”
“That matters too.”
I leaned back.
“Is anyone in my family actually telling the truth?”
No one answered.
My phone vibrated.
It was my company’s HR director.
I almost ignored it.
Then I remembered the forged insurance application.
I answered.
“Connor?”
“Yes.”
“This is Denise.”
“What happened?”
“There are two men in the lobby asking about you.”
My body tightened.
“Who?”
“They say they represent a private lending company.”
I looked at Gaines.
“What do they want?”
Denise hesitated.
“They have documents saying you personally guaranteed a business loan.”
I stopped breathing.
“What business?”
May you like
She read the name.
“Bradley Family Holdings.”
