Chapter 9 - THE NAME ON THE PAGEJames stared at the officer.

"You believe I killed her?"

"I believe the evidence needs to be explained."

Davis reached for the ledger.

James pulled it away.

"Don't."

"Mr. Mercer."

"My name was forged."

Davis said nothing.

James flipped through the pages.

"There."

He pointed at the $250,000 payment.

"Look at the account number."

Davis leaned closer.

James recognized the final digits.

"That's not my account."

Davis looked again.

"But the transfer references your company."

"My company has hundreds of accounts."

"And you're listed."

"So is my dead father."

Davis hesitated.

That was enough.

James handed him the page.

"Check the transaction timestamp."

Davis called it in.

A minute later, his expression changed.

"This payment was authorized remotely."

"From where?"

Davis looked at James.

"Your home."

James's stomach dropped.

"But I wasn't home that day."

"Who was?"

James thought.

Charles.

Charles had stopped by that week.

His old accountant had visited.

And Richard's legal representative had come over.

James's phone vibrated.

A message.

A photo.

The Mercer family living room.

A man stood in front of the fireplace.

James zoomed in.

It was his father.

No.

Not his father.

A younger James.

Same face.

Same height.

Same haircut.

Same scar above the eyebrow.

James stared.

The photograph was from three years ago.

Before Connor ever entered his life.

Someone had been impersonating him for years.

Davis looked over his shoulder.

"What is that?"

James whispered:

"Someone wearing my identity."

Connor stepped forward.

"My mom said your face wasn't yours."

Everyone looked at him.

"What?"

Connor pointed at the picture.

"She said there were two of you."

James felt sick.

Then Tommy spoke.

"Now I understand."

"Understand what?"

"Why they needed Connor."

James looked at him.

Tommy said:

"Your family isn't just connected to Northstar."

"It's connected to identity theft at a scale nobody has seen."

Maria opened the ledger to its final pages.

There was a list of names.

Children.

Adults.

Dead people.

Missing people.

Under every name was a replacement identity.

And beside several names:

MERCER FACE.

James stared.

"This is impossible."

Maria shook her head.

"They were creating replacements."

"For what?"

"So the real people could disappear."

James looked at Connor.

"And my face?"

"Was valuable."

A noise echoed from below.

Footsteps.

Davis raised his weapon.

"Nobody move."

The tower door opened.

A man stepped in.

Dark coat.

Silver hair.

Calm expression.

James recognized him immediately.

Victor Hale.

Hale smiled.

"Detective, you have the wrong man."

He pointed at James.

"He's the one you're looking for."

Then Hale looked at Connor.

"And the boy is the witness."

Connor grabbed Elliot's hand.

Hale smiled again.

"But there is one problem."

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He looked toward James.

"You still don't know which Mercer you're talking to."