Chapter 16 - Marcus’s Forged Name
Marcus paced.
Tasha sat.
Their positions had reversed.
“I have never seen that paper.”
“I believe you.”
He stopped.
“You do?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because your signature looks worse than mine.”
Despite everything, he laughed.
Once.
Then he sat down.
“How would she have my signature?”
Tasha looked at him.
“Child-support forms. School forms. Birthday cards. The purchase agreement.”
“The loan was five years ago.”
“Then not the purchase agreement.”
Marcus searched his memory.
“Jayden’s school registration.”
“What?”
“I signed emergency-contact forms.”
“Did Lorraine have them?”
“She used to pick him up.”
Tasha’s face tightened.
Marcus looked at the forged tenant acknowledgment again.
“What did this document accomplish?”
Alicia explained by phone.
“It strengthened the lender’s belief that Lorraine had possession and control of the property.”
“But if she was already record owner, why need it?”
“Underwriting requirements differ. They may have wanted clarity about Tasha’s occupancy.”
Marcus leaned forward.
“And someone created a document saying we both recognized Lorraine’s ownership.”
“Yes.”
“Convenient.”
“Very.”
Tasha asked, “Could that help prove she knew ownership was questionable?”
“Potentially. Or she may claim the broker prepared it.”
“Who was the broker?”
Alicia paused.
“Samuel Keene.”
Tasha frowned.
“I know that name.”
Marcus looked at her.
“From where?”
“Church.”
Tasha stood.
“Samuel used to attend my mother’s church.”
Alicia said, “Do not contact him.”
Tasha almost laughed.
“You really do know me now.”
“Enough.”
“Can you contact him?”
“I can send a preservation notice and, if needed, subpoena records.”
Marcus rubbed his face.
“Did he sign anything?”
“Yes.”
“As broker?”
“Yes.”
Marcus looked at Tasha.
“Your mother had a friend make my purchase agreement. She had a church acquaintance broker this loan.”
Tasha’s anger sharpened.
“Everybody around her becomes a tool.”
Then she realized how familiar that sounded.
Her mother would have said everyone became part of a family system.
Tasha now saw the difference.
A family system had mutuality.
Lorraine’s system had direction.
Always toward Lorraine.
Jayden appeared in the doorway.
“You guys arguing?”
“No,” Tasha said.
Marcus added, “Investigating.”
Jayden considered that worse.
“Can I get juice?”
“Of course.”
He went to the refrigerator.
Then he saw the document.
“Why is Dad’s name on there?”
Marcus hesitated.
“Someone may have copied my signature.”
Jayden stared.
“Grandma?”
“We don’t know.”
“You think she did.”
Tasha sighed.
“Jayden.”
“I’m not little.”
“No, but this is not something you need every detail of.”
He poured juice.
“You tell me not to keep secrets.”
Tasha closed her eyes.
“That is unfairly smart.”
Marcus almost smiled.
Tasha looked at Jayden.
“We believe someone created a document years ago that falsely says your dad and I agreed Grandma owned the house.”
Jayden went quiet.
“Why?”
“To help get a loan.”
“How much?”
“Ninety-two thousand.”
His eyes widened.
“Dollars?”
Marcus looked at him.
“No, Skittles.”
Jayden stared.
Then laughed despite himself.
The tension eased.
He took his juice upstairs.
Marcus watched him go.
“We’re making him older.”
“He was already watching.”
“I know.”
Alicia called again that evening.
She had located Samuel Keene.
Not directly.
His current attorney.
“Why does he have an attorney?” Tasha asked.
“Unrelated real-estate disciplinary matters.”
Marcus shook his head.
“Perfect.”
“He no longer holds an active broker license.”
“Can he still be questioned?”
“Yes.”
“Will he talk?”
“I don’t know.”
The next morning, a response arrived from his attorney.
Samuel would cooperate voluntarily through counsel.
Tasha was surprised.
“So he isn’t protecting Lorraine?”
“Apparently not.”
Alicia interviewed him by video while Tasha and Marcus watched from her office.
Samuel Keene was sixty-four, grayer than Tasha remembered.
He looked exhausted.
Alicia asked about the loan.
Samuel sighed.
“Lorraine said her mother had transferred the property.”
“Did you verify?”
“I relied on title.”
“Did you create the tenant acknowledgment?”
“No.”
Alicia slid the document across the screen.
Samuel stared.
“That’s not my form.”
“Your signature appears on the broker line.”
He leaned closer.
His face changed.
“I didn’t sign that.”
Tasha looked at Marcus.
Alicia asked, “Who handled document collection?”
Samuel hesitated.
“My assistant.”
“Name?”
“Denise Carter.”
Tasha frowned.
“Do you know Lorraine personally?”
Samuel looked embarrassed.
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Church.”
“Were you romantically involved?”
The room went still.
Samuel looked down.
“For a period.”
Tasha’s stomach turned.
Marcus glanced at her.
Alicia remained expressionless.
“During the loan application?”
“Yes.”
“Did Lorraine ever express concern that her daughter might challenge ownership?”
Samuel closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
Tasha’s hands clenched.
“What did she say?” Alicia asked.
Samuel answered quietly.
“She said Tasha’s grandmother had filled her head with promises and that one day somebody might convince her the house was hers.”
Marcus slowly turned toward Tasha.
Alicia continued.
“What did you say?”
“I told Lorraine that if title showed her as owner, it was her property.”
“And?”
Samuel swallowed.
“She asked whether there was anything else she could keep on file to prove Tasha accepted that arrangement.”
The forged acknowledgment.
Tasha felt nauseated.
Alicia asked one last question.
“Did Lorraine ever tell you how she obtained the deed?”
Samuel’s eyes lifted.
“Yes.”
Silence filled the office.
“How?”
Samuel looked toward his lawyer.
The lawyer nodded.
Samuel spoke.
“She said her mother signed it.”
Alicia waited.
Samuel continued.
“But once, after drinking, she told me something different.”
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Tasha stopped breathing.
“She said Lillian never signed anything.”
