PART7
“Someone may have been using your identity for months.”
Robert’s words stayed in my head long after the call ended.
I sat at my desk, staring at the three financial inquiries on my computer.
Three applications.
Three attempts to borrow money using my personal information.
And one familiar phone number attached to all of them.
Jessica’s.
For years, I had believed my sister was simply terrible with money. I thought she spent too much, borrowed too often, and relied on me because she had never learned how to manage her finances.
I was wrong.
This wasn’t just irresponsibility anymore.
Someone had deliberately used my information.
And I was going to find out exactly how far it went.
“Robert,” I said when I called him back, “I want everything investigated. Every application, every account, every document. I don’t care how long it takes.”
“Understood. But I need you to do something first. Contact your bank, secure your accounts, change your passwords, and report the suspected identity misuse. Don’t confront your family until we’ve preserved the evidence.”
“I’ll do that.”
“And Matthew?”
“Yes?”
“Prepare yourself. This could become a criminal matter.”
I looked down at the photograph of my family.
“I think it already is.”
The next morning, I woke up to twenty-three missed calls.
Eleven from Jessica.
Six from my mother.
Four from David.
And two from Carter.
There were also several messages.
The first was from my mother.
Matthew, please call me. Your sister is having a terrible night. We need to solve this as a family.
The second was from Jessica.
You have gone too far. David could lose everything because of you.
The third was from Carter.
Uncle Matt, give me my car back. This is getting ridiculous.
I read them all.
Then I put my phone down.
I had spent years responding to every emergency immediately.
This time, I had other priorities.
At 9:30 a.m., I met Robert at his office.
He had already organized the documents into separate folders.
The first contained the Porsche purchase agreement.
The second contained the disputed loan application.
The third contained the three financial inquiries.
And the fourth contained something I hadn’t expected.
A copy of an application for a $32,000 personal loan.
The applicant’s name was Matthew Davis.
My name.
My date of birth.
My address.
My employment information.
Everything was correct.
Except I had never applied for that loan.
“Did anyone receive the money?” I asked.
Robert nodded.
“That’s what we’re investigating. The lender’s initial records indicate that the application was withdrawn before final approval. But we need the complete file.”
“Who submitted it?”
“The contact information points toward your sister. However, we need to establish who actually completed the application.”
I leaned forward.
“What about the other application?”
“The same issue. Your information appears to have been used without your authorization.”
I rubbed my forehead.
Then Robert opened another folder.
“This is where things become more interesting.”
He placed a printed bank statement in front of me.
It showed a series of transactions from an account connected to Jessica and David.
I scanned the page.
Several payments were labeled as vehicle expenses.
Others were labeled as household assistance.
Then I noticed something.
A transfer of $18,500.
The recipient was a company called JD Lifestyle Ventures.
The same company listed in David’s loan application.
“What’s this?”
Robert pointed to the date.
“Three months ago. We don’t yet know where the money originated, but the account activity suggests they were moving funds between several sources.”
I stared at the page.
“Could they have used my card?”
“That’s one possibility we’re checking.”
I felt my jaw tighten.
The emergency card had been connected to my reserve account.
Jessica had access to it.
And if she had used that account to move money around, this was no longer simply about unauthorized purchases.
It could involve much more.
Robert closed the folder.
“We need to get the complete transaction history and let the relevant investigators determine what happened. Don’t make assumptions yet.”
I nodded.
For the first time, I was grateful to have someone in my corner who understood that emotions were not evidence.
At 12:45 p.m., Jessica appeared at my office.
My assistant called first.
“Mr. Davis, your sister is here. She says it’s urgent.”
I looked at my calendar.
“I don’t have an appointment with her.”
“She says she won’t leave until she speaks with you.”
I sighed.
“Send her in.”
A moment later, Jessica entered.
Her makeup was smudged.
Her hair was tied back carelessly.
She looked nothing like the woman who had walked into my birthday dinner wearing a designer dress and bragging about her recent vacation.
She looked exhausted.
“Matthew.”
“Jessica.”
She closed the door.
Then she immediately began crying.
“Please, you have to stop this.”
I remained seated.
“Stop what?”
“This investigation. The calls from the bank. Robert contacting us. David is terrified. Mom hasn’t slept.”
I looked at her.
“Are you worried about what happened, or are you worried about getting caught?”
Her face changed.
“How can you say that to me?”
“Because I didn’t apply for those loans.”
She sat down.
“David made a mistake.”
“Several mistakes.”
“He was trying to keep the family together.”
“By using my identity?”
“He was desperate!”
I opened a drawer and took out a copy of the disputed application.
“Did you sign this?”
She stared at it.
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Matthew, please.”
“Did you sign it?”
She looked down.
“Yes.”
The answer was so quiet I almost didn’t hear it.
I felt something heavy settle in my chest.
“Why?”
She wiped her cheeks.
“David told me it was temporary. He said he could use the Porsche as collateral, borrow the money, pay off the business debts, and return everything before you ever needed to know.”
“Did you tell him he could use my name?”
She didn’t answer.
“Jessica.”
“Yes.”
I slowly leaned back.
She continued.
“I thought it was just paperwork. I thought the bank wouldn’t approve anything without you signing in person.”
“But you signed a document saying I had authorized it.”
“I know.”
“And you knew I hadn’t.”
She covered her face.
“I know!”
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then I asked something that had been bothering me since the previous night.
“What did you use the emergency card for?”
She looked up.
“What?”
“The fifteen thousand dollars. Where did it go?”
She began crying again.
“Some of it was for the house.”
“And the rest?”
“Things we needed.”
“First-class flights?”
She looked away.
“David had a business meeting.”
“Designer handbags?”
“I was going through a difficult time.”
“Concert tickets?”
She said nothing.
I pushed the transaction statement toward her.
“Jessica, I gave you that card because you told me you couldn’t afford groceries. I trusted you.”
She looked at me.
“Don’t you understand? We were trying to maintain our lifestyle.”
I almost laughed.
“Your lifestyle?”
She nodded.
“Everyone thought we were doing well. Carter’s friends have wealthy parents. We couldn’t let him feel embarrassed. David’s business partners expected us to attend certain events. We had to look successful.”
I stared at her.
“So you used my money to convince other people you were successful?”
She started sobbing.
I didn’t say anything.
