Chapter 7 - Dean Finds His Own Signature
The bank investigation uncovered something worse than credit-card misuse.
North Star’s files contained an application for a $60,000 personal line of credit in Margaret’s name.
It had not been funded.
The lender flagged it for identity verification.
Attached was a copy of Margaret’s driver’s license.
Priscilla had photographed it while helping Margaret book a flight.
The application also included a document signed by Dean.
He stared at the signature.
“That’s mine.”
Margaret looked at him.
“You signed this?”
“No.”
The signature came from a PDF Dean had emailed Priscilla during a home refinancing.
Caroline had copied it.
The fraud had escalated from saved-card misuse to attempted identity theft.
Priscilla had not submitted the loan application.
Investigators found messages showing she was shocked when Caroline mentioned “the Margaret line.”
But Priscilla had supplied the raw materials.
Card.
License.
Family information.
Dean’s signature.
Trust had been converted into data.
Data had become access.
Margaret asked Dean the question he dreaded.
“When you knew your wife had used my card, why didn’t you cancel it?”
“I thought I could fix it without hurting you.”
May you like
Margaret shook her head.
“You protected me from the truth and left me exposed to the problem.”
