“So,” I said, sliding into the seat across from him. “What happened?”
He took a sip of his black coffee. “Well, first thing Saturday morning, I called the credit card company. I confirmed the charges and then I reported the card as stolen and used fraudulently.”
“I did,” he said calmly. “I provided them with the names of the people who used it: my brother, his wife, and their two children. I explained that they did not have my permission.”
He paused as the waitress set my coffee down.
“The fraud department doesn’t mess around, Sarah. They immediately opened a case. Then they contacted the dealerships. Because the contracts were signed using a fraudulent card, they were rendered null and void.”
“So, they have to give the cars back?” I asked.
He shook his head slowly. “It’s a little more complicated than that. You see, the dealerships also have to answer for not properly verifying the cardholder’s identity. But their main priority was asset recovery.”
He leaned forward slightly. “Around noon on Saturday, two tow trucks and two police cars pulled up to your parents’ house.”
I pictured the scene. My mother’s perfectly manicured lawn, the tranquil suburban street. And then the sudden, jarring intrusion of flashing lights and authority.
“Your father apparently came out shouting,” Robert continued. “Saying it was all a mistake. He tried to tell them the car and the bike belonged to his kids.”
He took another sip of coffee, his expression unreadable.
“Tracy, from what I was told, had a full-blown meltdown on the front lawn. Todd tried to argue, puffing his chest out. My brother… your dad… he apparently kept saying that his wealthy daughter had bought them the vehicles.”
“He told them it was me?” I whispered, my heart sinking.
“He did,” Robert confirmed. “But that’s where his story fell apart. The police had the name on the fraud report. Robert Miller. Not Sarah Miller.”
“They tried to call you, of course. A few dozen times. When you didn’t answer, they panicked. Your mother started crying, saying you set them up, that you did this to them out of spite.”
I just stared into my coffee cup, the dark liquid swirling. It was exactly what I expected, and yet it still hurt to hear.
“The police took their statements,” Robert said. “All four of them are now persons of interest in a grand larceny and felony fraud investigation.”
“Why, though?” I finally asked, looking up at him. “Why this card? I’ve never seen you with something like this. You asked me for a hundred dollars.”
A small, sad smile touched his lips. “When your grandmother died, she left me her portion of the family business. It wasn’t a farm, like your dad always claimed. It was an industrial supply company.”
“I never wanted to run it, but I was a silent partner. My partner, a good friend, ran the day-to-day. Over the last twenty years, it’s done… well. Very well.”
He gestured around the simple diner. “This is what I like, Sarah. I like my shop. I like fixing things with my hands. I like a quiet life. I never told your father because I knew what he would do. He wouldn’t see a brother; he’d see a walking wallet.”
“He did the same thing to you, didn’t he?” Robert added gently.
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