Chapter 4: The Woman at the Hotel Door
David called the lender while I moved Leo’s blocks away from the door.
A woman answered from the bank’s fraud department.
“This is David Mercer,” he said.
“No funds may be released against the Westchester property.”
“I need authorization from the owner,” she replied.
I took the phone.
“My company owns it, and my signature was copied.”
The woman’s keyboard clicked.
“Ms.
Bennett, the application says you signed in front of a notary.”
“I have never met that notary.”
“Then please send identification and the original lease immediately.”
Someone knocked before David finished scanning the pages.
I looked through the peephole and saw a silver-haired woman holding a suitcase.
“Who is it?”
“Eleanor Shaw.
Terrence’s mother.”
David moved beside me.
“Let me open it.”
Eleanor entered but remained near the door.
“I’m not here to defend my son,” she said.
“I’m here because he lied to all of us.”
“What did he tell you?”
“That his apartment was being renovated.” Eleanor opened her suitcase and removed a thick envelope.
“It wasn’t.
He and Natalie were ordered to leave after six months of unpaid payments.”
David accepted the papers.
“Why bring these to Nicole?”
“Because Terrence asked me for fifty thousand dollars yesterday.
He said Richard would repay me once a loan cleared.”
I looked at her.
“Did you give it to him?”
“No.” Eleanor’s mouth tightened.
“My husband spent forty years earning what we have.
Terrence called me selfish when I refused.”
Leo walked toward her holding a plastic chair.
“This goes in the house,” he said.
Eleanor crouched and took it carefully.
“Then we should put it somewhere safe.”
She helped him attach it to the little structure, then placed a hotel key card beside me.
“I own a small guest cottage twenty minutes away.
You and Leo can stay there until this ends.”
“You don’t owe us that.”
“No,” she said.
“My son owes you much more.”
My phone rang.
This time it was Patricia.
“Nicole, your father is furious.”
“He should be frightened.”
“He says you’re misunderstanding the loan.”
“Then explain it.”
Patricia went quiet.
“Did you know about my signature?” I asked.
“I knew Richard was helping Terrence with paperwork.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
“I don’t remember.”
Eleanor straightened beside Leo.
“That means yes.”
Patricia heard her voice.
“Who is that?”
“Terrence’s mother.”
“Oh.” Patricia’s breath caught.
“Nicole, don’t trust her.
She never approved of Natalie.”
Eleanor took the phone from my hand.
“I didn’t approve of your daughter hiding six months of unpaid bills,” she said.
“And I won’t approve of my son forging another woman’s name.”
“You don’t know that he did.”
“Then tell us who did.”
Patricia ended the call.
David’s laptop sounded an alert.
He read the message and nodded.
“The bank has frozen the application.”
I released a breath.
Then my phone rang from an unknown local number.
“Ms.
Bennett?” a man asked.
“My name is Aaron Blake.
I’m with Westchester Child and Family Services.”
My fingers went cold.
“We received a report that your son has no stable residence,” he continued.
“The caller also alleged that you are using him in a financial dispute.”
David held out his hand for the phone.
“Who made the report?” I asked.
“I can’t disclose that before our meeting.”
Eleanor moved closer to Leo.
May you like
Aaron’s next words came slowly.
“We need to see you and your son today.”
