Chapter 8 - THE SIGNATURE
Ethan took the tablet.
“That’s not my signature.”
“I know,” Martin said.
George spoke quickly.
“Electronic signatures vary.”
Ethan looked at him.
“I know what I signed.”
George’s mouth tightened.
Vanessa moved closer to her father.
I watched her face.
She was no longer worried about the garden hose.
She was worried about the tablet.
“How much?” I asked.
Martin answered.
“Eight hundred seventy-five thousand dollars.”
The lawn went silent.
Patricia grabbed George’s arm.
“What transfer?”
He shook her off.
“Business.”
Ethan’s voice turned hard.
“What business requires my forged authorization?”
“It isn’t forged.”
“Then show me when I signed it.”
George said nothing.
Martin zoomed in on the file metadata.
“The authorization was generated yesterday at 11:42 p.m.”
Ethan laughed once without humor.
“I was at dinner with Vanessa at 11:42.”
Vanessa’s eyes widened.
Ethan turned toward her.
“You had my laptop.”
She immediately shook her head.
“I used it to order something.”
“What?”
“Shoes.”
“At midnight?”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
Martin spoke calmly.
“The login came from Mr. Carter’s device.”
Vanessa looked furious.
“You illegally accessed private data?”
“No.”
Martin held up his tablet.
“The bank contacted Carter Meridian’s compliance office because the transfer referenced a corporate guarantee.”
George stepped toward him.
“You have no right to discuss confidential financial information in front of guests.”
“That is the first sensible thing you’ve said today.”
I turned toward everyone.
“The party is over.”
Nobody argued.
Servers began quietly gathering trays.
Guests collected bags and jackets.
Some avoided my eyes.
Others apologized.
I accepted none of the apologies immediately.
Not because I wanted them to suffer.
Because embarrassment is not the same as remorse.
Rachel Beaumont stopped beside me.
“I should have intervened sooner.”
I looked at her.
“Yes.”
She nodded.
No excuses.
I respected that.
Daniel, the server, approached with a dry towel.
“Mrs. Carter?”
I took it.
“Thank you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologize for.”
His eyes moved toward Vanessa.
“I should have ignored her.”
“You were afraid of losing your job.”
He looked ashamed.
I shook my head.
“And you still tried to help.”
I reached into my tote.
He immediately raised his hands.
“I don’t want money.”
That made me smile.
“I wasn’t offering money.”
I handed him a business card.
“My company has a hospitality management training program.”
His eyes widened.
“If you ever want to apply, call the number on the back.”
He stared at the card.
“Thank you.”
Vanessa saw everything.
Her expression twisted.
“You’re rewarding him because he took your side.”
I looked at her.
May you like
“No.”
“I’m remembering the only person here who saw a soaked old woman and thought she deserved help.”
