Chapter 4: What Lauren Did Not Know I Remembered
Three days passed.
I answered Jared's calls.
I spoke slowly.
I repeated myself once or twice on purpose.
I mentioned Diane's name in the wrong context again.
Lauren had built a portrait of a confused old man, and for now, I needed that portrait to hold.
On the third morning, Jared called earlier than usual.
"Dad, Lauren and I are coming over Saturday.
She wants to sit down with you and go through some paperwork.
Just routine stuff, she says.
To make sure you're taken care of."
"Of course," I said.
"I'll put the kettle on."
"You don't have to do that."
"I want to," I said.
"It'll be nice to have company."
I hung up and called Raymond.
He picked up immediately.
"The account," he said, before I could speak.
"It belongs to a man named Curtis Vane.
He's a licensed notary in Cook County.
He's also Lauren's former brother-in-law from her first marriage."
I was quiet for a moment.
"She was married before Jared."
"Briefly.
Two years.
The divorce was finalized four years ago, about eight months before she met your son." Raymond's voice was careful.
"Curtis Vane notarized the authorization form that put Lauren's name on your trust account.
He also notarized the paperwork for the senior residence that doesn't exist."
"He fabricated both documents."
"And charged the trust account for his notary fees.
Eleven separate transactions.
Small amounts.
The kind that don't draw attention." A pause.
"Oscar, this was not impulsive.
This was constructed.
She identified your son, married him, waited, and then activated a plan that was already in place."
I looked at the wall above my kitchen table.
There was a photograph of Jared at his college graduation.
He was twenty-two years old in that picture.
He was grinning so wide his eyes had nearly closed.
"When are they coming?" Raymond asked.
"Saturday."
"That's four days.
I've already been in contact with a colleague at the financial crimes unit.
They want to move carefully — they need the guardianship filing to be submitted before they can add that charge to the case.
If Lauren files the paperwork Saturday, that becomes evidence of intent."
"You want me to let her file it."
"I want you to let her try," Raymond said.
"There will be someone present on Saturday who she won't be expecting."
"Who?"
"A colleague of mine.
She'll come as a social worker doing a routine wellness check on a senior resident.
Completely standard.
Lauren won't have any reason to object." He paused.
"Her name is Agent Diane Marsh."
I almost smiled at the name.
"All right," I said.
"Oscar.
One more thing." His voice dropped slightly.
"The destination account — the one in Curtis Vane's name — has been receiving transfers not just from your trust.
We found two other accounts.
Two other elderly individuals.
Different families.
Different cities."
The kitchen was very quiet.
"She's done this before," I said.
"At least twice that we can confirm so far."
I closed the notebook on the table in front of me.
Two other families.
Two other old people sitting in cold apartments, eating whatever they could find, while someone they had never met collected their money every month.
"Saturday," I said.
"Saturday," Raymond confirmed.
"Act confused.
Let her talk.
May you like
Let her file.
And whatever you do — don't let her see you clearly until the moment we want her to."
