Chapter 10 - An Unfamiliar Hand
The following Monday, Harold invited Melissa, Noah, Emma, and me to accompany him to First National Bank to finalize the paperwork. For the first time in my life, my father wasn't wearing his stiff, armored scowl. He had on a clean pressed shirt and offered to buy Emma and Noah ice cream cones from the parlor next to the branch.
The branch manager, Mr. Henderson—an elderly gentleman with white hair who had known Harold since high school—welcomed us into his wood-paneled office.
"Good morning, Harold, girls," Henderson smiled, adjusting a thick folder on his blotter. "I have the trust deeds drawn up just as you instructed on Friday. We just need your final signatures to move the balance from the old escrow certificate into the two custodial educational accounts."
Harold took the heavy fountain pen from Henderson’s desk. "Let’s get it done, Arthur."
Henderson opened the folder, scanned the first page, and suddenly his cheerful expression faded. His eyebrows drew together, and he tapped his keyboard with an anxious rhythm.
"Harold... did you authorize a transfer earlier this morning?" Henderson asked, his tone suddenly cautious.
Harold froze, the pen poised inches above the signature line. "What transfer? I haven't been in here since Friday afternoon."
Henderson turned his monitor slightly, his face pale. "At eight-fifteen this morning, an electronic draft request was executed against the escrow account. Someone holding secondary power of attorney initiated a wire transfer for forty-five thousand dollars to an international routing hub in Nassau."
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Melissa grabbed the edge of the desk. "Secondary power of attorney? Who has power of attorney over Dad's account?"
Henderson swallowed hard, looking between Harold and the glowing computer screen. "The secondary signatory registered on this account when it was established in 1994... Thomas Miller."
