“Diane Mercer.”
She said nothing.
He opened his folder.
“My name is Thomas Vale. I’m an investigator with the bank’s financial-crimes division.”
My mother appeared to stop breathing.
Grant turned to me.
“Natalie, I need you to listen to me.”
“What is happening?”
He looked devastated.
“I didn’t go home for the hospital bag.”
My stomach dropped.
“What?”
“I got a fraud alert this morning.”
The room became quiet except for Clara’s small cries.
Grant continued.
“Someone tried to authorize a twenty-seven-thousand-dollar transfer from our business reserve account.”
I looked at Brielle.
She stared at the floor.
My mouth went dry.
“But she needed my card.”
“No,” Thomas Vale said gently. “She needed your verification.”
I stared at him.
“What verification?”
“Your bank uses a secondary identity check for unusually large transfers. They had most of the information already. Account numbers. Your Social Security number. Your mother’s maiden name.”
