“No reason.”
Adrian stared.
“Try again.”
Simone began crying.
“We were trying to see whether the application could be prepared before I talked to you.”
He went completely still.
“Prepared.”
“Yes.”
“With my signature.”
“No.”
She shook her head quickly.
“No. I never said that.”
“Then why have the sample?”
“Malik’s loan broker asked for examples.”
Adrian’s chest tightened.
“What broker?”
“His cousin knows somebody.”
That sentence was somehow worse than everything else.
“Name.”
“I don’t know.”
“You gave my driver’s license, tax return, deed, and signature sample to someone whose name you don’t know?”
“No.”
She corrected herself.
“Malik has them.”
Adrian stared.
“Malik has copies of my documents?”
Silence.
“Does he?”
“Yes.”
Adrian pulled out his phone.
Simone stood.
“What are you doing?”
“Calling my attorney.”
Her face changed.
“No.”
Adrian looked at her.
“No?”
“Please.”
“You moved sixty-two thousand dollars.”
“Joint money.”
“Yes.”
“You planned to move another sixty-three.”
“I could have.”
“Legally maybe.”
“I don’t know.”
He nodded.
“That’s why I’m calling someone who does.”
Simone grabbed the edge of the island.
“Do not make me a criminal because I wanted my own business.”
Adrian stared.
“I didn’t.”
“You are.”
“No.”
He held up the folder.
“This is.”
She cried harder.
“You don’t understand.”
“You’re right.”
His voice became quiet.
“I don’t.”
Then he called.
His attorney, Dana Brooks, answered from court and told him exactly two things.
Do not sign anything.
Do not destroy or alter anything.
She would call back within thirty minutes.
Adrian photographed every page.
Simone watched.
“You’re documenting me.”
“Yes.”
“Like an employee.”
“No.”
He looked at her.
“Like somebody whose identity documents are in a financing packet he did not authorize.”
That ended the argument.
Malik returned to the door twenty minutes later.
Adrian saw him through the camera.
Simone stood.
“I told him to come back.”
Adrian looked at her.
“When?”
“Before.”
“What does that mean?”
“When he left.”
“You texted him during this conversation?”
“I told him we needed his copies.”
Good.
Adrian wanted that too.
He opened the door.
Malik stood on the porch holding a black laptop bag.
No lawn mower now.
Work shirt still damp with sweat.
He looked directly at Adrian.
“I brought everything.”
Adrian stepped aside.
Malik entered.
Simone looked toward him.
Neither touched.
Adrian pointed toward the dining table.
“Sit.”
Malik raised an eyebrow.
Adrian immediately corrected himself.
“Please.”
The three sat.
The strangest business meeting of Adrian’s life.
Malik placed the laptop bag on the table.
He removed printed forms.
A flash drive.
A manila folder.
Adrian’s scanned documents were inside.
Adrian looked at him.
“Did you plan to sign my name?”
Malik’s face changed.
“No.”
“Did Simone?”