Chapter 5: Notarized

Marlow Falls Savings opened at nine, and I was standing at the glass doors when the manager turned the lock.

Lark stood a step behind me in jeans and a leather jacket, with her badge left at home.

"I'm not here as a cop," she told me in the parking lot. "I'm here as the woman whose couch you slept on. Keep your hands where people can see them."

I had charged my phone on her kitchen counter.

I had forty-one cents and two forms of ID.

The manager led us into a glass office and shut the door.

"Mr. Ellingwood," he said, and I saw him decide to be careful. "Your sister called us yesterday and warned us you might come in."

"Of course she did."

"She said you were not well."

"Then show me what she showed you."

He hesitated.

"It's my account," I said. "It has my name on it. You can show me my own account."

He turned his monitor toward me.

The account history ran down the screen, one bad line after another.

October 14th. Withdrawal, $38,200. Joint holder: Monique Marlow.

October 9th. A new document attached to the file. Power of Attorney, signed in my name, in favor of Natasha Ellingwood.

"I never signed that," I said.

"It's notarized."

He clicked it open.

My signature ran across the line. It was close to mine, but not right.

The H was closed at the top. I never close my H.

At the bottom was a round blue stamp: JOAN M. ELLINGWOOD, NOTARY PUBLIC, STATE OF OHIO. The date beside it was October 9th.

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