login credentials.”
“I don’t use online banking,” Mom said.
“I know.”
I stared at him.
“So someone logged in as her.”
“Yes.”
My phone buzzed again.
Thirty-five.
Thirty-six.
Thirty-seven.
Thirty-eight.
Harold slid another document toward me.
“There’s more.”
Before I could read it, my phone rang again.
Thirty-nine.
This time Harold nodded.
“You should answer.”
I picked up.
“Hello?”
Vanessa was crying.
Not delicate tears.
Panicked crying.
“David, what did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“My business account is frozen!”
Mom looked at me.
Harold remained completely still.
Vanessa breathed rapidly through the phone.
“They froze everything! Payroll, vendor payments, all of it!”
I asked the obvious question.
“Why would your account be frozen?”
Silence.
Then she said, “You know why.”
The whole room changed.
I gripped the phone.
“No, Vanessa. I want you to tell me.”
“You don’t understand.”
“Then explain.”
“I was going to put it back.”
