Chapter 5 - The Hidden AccountEric's message sat on my screen like a threat.
You have no idea what you've just started.
I showed Daniel.
He photographed the screen.
"Do not respond."
"Why?"
"Because from this point on, every message may become evidence."
Evidence.
The word made everything feel more real.
This wasn't a family argument anymore.
It was a criminal investigation.
That evening, I returned to my apartment.
Before entering, I noticed an unfamiliar sedan parked across the street.
Dark windows.
Engine running.
I watched it for several seconds.
Then it drove away.
I locked my door behind me.
My apartment had always felt safe.
That night, it felt temporary.
I opened my laptop and began going through every financial record I had.
Mortgage payment.
Insurance.
Utilities.
Then I saw something I had never noticed.
The mortgage account linked to my parents' house had a second authorized user.
Eric.
That wasn't surprising.
What shocked me was the access date.
The account had been accessed from a device in Indianapolis.
Eric lived in Columbus.
I checked the bank's login history.
There were dozens of suspicious logins.
Some from Ohio.
Some from Kentucky.
One from Florida.
Then I found the strangest entry.
A login from an office building in downtown Columbus.
The same building where Dad's old company had once maintained its headquarters.
I called Daniel.
He answered immediately.
"I found something."
"Tell me."
I gave him the address.
There was a long pause.
"We've had that location flagged."
"Why?"
"Multiple shell companies are registered there."
My skin prickled.
"What kind?"
"Construction, real estate, consulting."
"Owned by whom?"
"We're still tracing them."
I looked at the documents from the sheriff's office.
"There's something else."
"What?"
"Whitman Development Group."
Daniel's voice became serious.
"Don't access any corporate accounts."
"I wasn't going to."
"Good."
He paused.
Then said, "Actually, Rachel, there's one thing you should do."
"What?"
"Check your bank account tonight."
I frowned.
"Why?"
"Because if someone has been using your identity, they may also have access to your personal accounts."
I logged in.
Everything looked normal.
Checking.
Savings.
Brokerage.
Then I opened my savings account.
Balance:
$43,812.
That was right.
I opened transaction history.
Nothing unusual.
I relaxed.
Then I checked a dormant account I had forgotten existed.
A small investment account from years ago.
The balance was $4,812.
Normal.
But there was a recent withdrawal.
$4,000.
I had not made it.
I immediately called the bank.
The representative reviewed the transaction.
"Ms. Whitman, the withdrawal was initiated through an authorized third-party transfer."
"Who authorized it?"
"I can't provide that over the phone."
I felt cold.
"Then freeze the account."
"We can do that."
"Now."
The account was frozen.
Then the representative said something that made my blood run cold.
"There is also a linked account you may want to review."
"What linked account?"
"A business account."
"I don't own a business account."
She hesitated.
"According to our records, you do."
She gave me the last four digits.
They looked familiar.
I pulled up an old tax return.
The same digits were listed on a form I had never recognized.
I searched the company name.
Whitman Development Group.
My breathing became shallow.
"How much money is in it?"
The representative paused.
"Currently?"
"Yes."
"Approximately $486,000."
I stared at the wall.
Half a million dollars.
In an account I had never opened.
Then another transaction appeared on the screen.
A wire transfer scheduled for the next morning.
Amount:
$250,000.
Recipient:
Eric Whitman.
I called Daniel.
"He's moving the money."
Daniel's voice sharpened.
"How much?"
"Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars."
"Can the bank stop it?"
"They said it was authorized."
Daniel swore quietly.
"Rachel, listen to me."
"I'm listening."
"You need to understand something."
"What?"
"The person who created that account didn't just steal your identity."
May you like
He paused.
"They've been preparing for the moment you discovered everything."
