Chapter 5

Though Jeremy kept his tone respectful, his firm reply told her he meant business. “Perhaps you’d like to contact your bank and verify?”

“Of course.” Hands shaking, she fumbled with her phone, looking up the bank’s number and calling it. Once she had an account representative on the line, she identified herself.

“Mrs. Spencer, we’re so sorry for your loss,” the woman exclaimed. “What can I do to assist you?”

After taking a deep breath, she asked to check the balance in the checking account, since she was also listed as an account holder in addition to Christopher for that account.

“Certainly. Just one moment.”

Vanessa gripped the phone, listening while the bank representative typed in the information. “Let me see here,” the woman said. “I show a balance of one thousand, six hundred and forty-seven dollars and seventy-eight cents.”

“What?” Vanessa swallowed, again trying to comprehend. “The checkbook ledger shows seventy-two thousand dollars and c