CHAPTER 4 — They Came Begging... Until the Police Walked In
CHAPTER 4 — They Came Begging... Until the Police Walked In
Garrett stormed into the conference room before the receptionist could stop him.
"Mom!"
His voice echoed through the office.
Not worried.
Angry.
As if I had inconvenienced him.
Celeste followed behind wearing oversized sunglasses despite the cloudy morning.
She looked exhausted.
Mascara smudged beneath both eyes.
Neither of them apologized.
Neither asked if I was alright.
Garrett pointed straight at me.
"You disappeared!"
"I left."
"You embarrassed us!"
I blinked slowly.
"I embarrassed you?"
"The neighbors saw you hauling luggage out on Christmas!"
I couldn't help it.
A small laugh escaped.
Not because anything was funny.
Because the absurdity finally outweighed the pain.
"You threw your mother out on Christmas Day."
"And you're worried about the neighbors."
Celeste stepped forward.
"Rhonda, let's not exaggerate."
"I simply suggested contributing."
"Twelve hundred dollars."
"That's reasonable."
"On a fourteen-hundred-dollar income?"
"You could have figured something out."
"I did."
She frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"It means I figured something out."
Garrett slammed both hands onto the conference table.
"Enough games."
"We've been calling all night."
"My phone was on."
"You ignored us."
"Yes."
His face reddened.
"You owe us a conversation."
"No."
"I don't?"
"You used to."
Marvin quietly remained seated, watching everything unfold.
Then Garrett noticed the folders.
His eyes narrowed.
"What's all this?"
Marvin answered calmly.
"Financial records."
Garrett's shoulders stiffened.
"What financial records?"
"The ones involving forged signatures."
Silence exploded across the room.
Celeste looked toward Garrett.
"What is he talking about?"
Garrett laughed nervously.
"This is ridiculous."
Marvin slid one page across the table.
"Is it?"
Garrett looked down.
His face drained completely.
It was the business loan application.
Bearing my forged signature.
His hands shook.
"I..."
"...can explain."
"I'd love to hear it," Marvin replied.
Celeste grabbed the paper.
"What is this?"
Garrett reached for it.
"Give me that."
She pulled away.
"No!"
Her eyes scanned the document.
Then another.
And another.
Every page carried my name.
Every page promised my assets.
Every page bore the same fake signature.
She looked at her husband in horror.
"You told me..."
"...you said your mother agreed."
Garrett couldn't meet her eyes.
"I was going to tell her."
"When?"
"When the business recovered."
"When was that supposed to happen?"
"I don't know!"
The room fell silent.
Then Marvin calmly pressed a button beneath his desk.
A moment later...
The office door opened.
Two people entered.
One was a sharply dressed attorney carrying another thick file.
The other wore a navy-blue suit with a polished badge clipped to his belt.
"Mrs. Collins," the attorney said gently.
"I'm Richard Lawson."
The man beside him nodded.
"Detective Michael Harris."
Garrett's knees nearly buckled.
"What..."
"...what's going on?"
Detective Harris opened a folder.
"Mr. Garrett Collins..."
"We've received evidence regarding multiple counts of suspected financial fraud, forgery, and identity theft."
Celeste stepped backward.
"No..."
Garrett stared at me.
Pure panic replaced every trace of arrogance.
"Mom..."
His voice cracked.
"You wouldn't..."
For the first time in years...
He called me Mom with genuine fear.
I looked directly into his eyes.
The same eyes that had looked at me across the Christmas table less than twenty-four hours earlier.
The same eyes that had smiled while saying...
"Let's see how you survive now."
I folded my hands quietly.
"I survived."
Then I looked at the detective.
"I'm ready to cooperate fully."
May you like
The detective nodded once.
"Then let's begin."
