Part 10
The silence that followed the police cars leaving was deafening.
The caterers had packed up their unused food and equipment in a hurry, terrified of being connected to a criminal investigation.
The white roses still sat on the tables, smelling sweet and funeral-like.
Derek sat on the bottom step of the staircase.
His hands were clasped between his knees.
He looked entirely broken.
I walked into the kitchen, poured two glasses of water, and came back to sit next to him.
I handed him a glass.
He took it but didn't drink.
"I was so blind, Mom," he whispered.
His voice sounded hollow.
"Everyone saw it but me."
"Even the real estate agent knew something was wrong."
"I felt so special because a woman like her wanted to be with me."
"I thought I was finally succeeding."
"Instead, I almost destroyed you."
I placed my hand over his trembling ones.
"Felicia is a professional, Derek."
"She didn't choose you because you were weak."
"She chose you because you were good."
"She saw a man who loved his mother, who worked hard, and who trusted people."
"She exploited your best qualities, not your worst."
He turned his head to look at me, his eyes full of tears.
"But the money... sixty thousand dollars."
"My entire life savings."
"It's gone, isn't it?"
"We don't know that yet," I said calmly.
"The detective said the financial crimes unit is tracing the accounts."
"But even if it is gone... you are alive."
"Your name is clear."
"And we still have this house."
He looked around the foyer, at the elegant crown molding, the grandfather clock ticking steadily in the corner.
"She almost took this too," he said, a shudder passing through him.
"She was going to forge your name."
"Yes," I said. "But she failed."
We sat together for a long time, just listening to the clock tick.
The storm outside was getting worse, the wind howling against the glass.
Suddenly, my phone rang.
The sound made both of us jump.
I looked at the screen. It was an unknown number.
I hesitated, then answered.
"Eleanor Parker."
"Mrs. Parker, this is Detective Harris from the Financial Crimes Unit."
His voice was tense.
"Yes, Detective? Did something happen with Felicia?"
"We have them in custody, but we ran into a major complication during the processing."
My stomach dropped.
"What kind of complication?"
"We searched Cassandra's vehicle before it was towed."
"Inside the glove compartment, we found a secondary set of identity documents."
"They weren't for Felicia or Cassandra."
"They were for Derek."
"A real passport, a real social security card, and a plane ticket to Zurich."
"The ticket is dated for tomorrow morning at 6:00 AM."
I frowned, looking at Derek, who was listening intently.
"I don't understand, Detective."
"Mrs. Parker... the passport has Derek's name and information."
"But the photo on it isn't your son."
"It's someone else."
"And that's not all."
"The offshore account where Derek's sixty thousand dollars was sent?"
"It was opened under that fraudulent passport."
"Someone is currently trying to log into that account from an IP address in Europe."
"The money is moving right now."
"Felicia and Cassandra aren't working alone."
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"There is a third person."
"And whoever it is, they have your son's identity, his money, and they are about to disappear."
