PART 14 – A Letter from the Investigator and the Business Deal That Fell Apart

Two months after our planned anniversary trip, an investigator contacted me about the identity-misuse report.

She asked for the original photographs and the lender's determination letter.

I provided copies through the requested channel and retained my originals.

She also asked about statements Dereck and Adam had made directly to me.

I distinguished what I heard from what other people had reported.

I did not know what the investigation would conclude.

The investigator did not predict it either.

Later, Lena told me that any criminal review was separate from our negotiations about reimbursement and marriage.

I understood.

The police were responsible for investigating possible offenses.

They were not a service I could hire to settle my feelings.

Meanwhile, Adam's proposed property purchase did not proceed.

That news came through Claire, who had spoken with a relative involved in the plan.

I could not verify the full reason.

I knew only that the investment was no longer moving forward as Adam had described it.

Dereck stopped taking his calls.

When I asked why, he said he had finally examined the project documents more carefully.

The projected rental income had been based on units that still required permitting and substantial repairs.

Costs had been treated as rough estimates.

Several investors had expected terms that were not consistent with one another.

"Did you check any of that before you gave him my information?" I asked.

"Not enough."

He gave me a copy of the revised calculations.

I did not need them to make my own decision.

Still, I read them.

I wanted to know whether Dereck could recognize a bad financial plan without needing me to rescue him.

He had hired an accountant to review his finances.

He was creating a budget and reducing debt.

Those changes were useful regardless of whether we stayed married.

That evening, I drove past the airport on my way to a friend's birthday dinner.

An airplane crossed the sky above the highway.

For a moment, my chest tightened.

Then the traffic light changed.

I kept driving.

I arrived at dinner on time.

I enjoyed my meal.

Not every ordinary evening needed to be interrupted by the story of what had happened.

Click here to continue reading: PART 15: The House Appraisal and the Quiet Work of Agreeing on an Ending