But the online inquiry was logged.
From Daniel’s home IP address.
At 11:48 p.m.
Using a scanned copy of my driver’s license.
A copy that had been stored inside my locked desk.
By then, I knew this was bigger than impatient heirs.
It was financial exploitation.
Maybe fraud.
Maybe identity theft.
So I contacted someone I had trained years ago.
Maya Ortiz.
A forensic investigator specializing in elder abuse.
For three weeks, Maya followed the paper trail.
She found the fake power of attorney.
The broker contact.
The banking inquiry.
The altered medical notes Daniel had attached to the guardianship petition.
That part made Judge Mercer stop me.
“Altered?”
I handed him two records.
“One is the physician visit summary submitted by Daniel.”
The submitted version included a sentence:
Patient has demonstrated increasing confusion and inability to recall recent injuries.
“The second,” I said, “is the certified copy directly from my doctor’s office.”
That sentence did not exist.
Curtis stood so quickly his chair scraped.
“Your Honor, I need to be absolutely clear that my office received the medical record from Mr. Vance already assembled as an exhibit.”
Judge Mercer looked at Daniel.
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
Vanessa stared back.
“No,” she whispered.
Daniel said, “You made the packet.”
