Chapter 6 - The Web of Betrayal
I stood outside a modest brick office building in downtown Fort Myers, staring at the brass plaque on the door: Jenkins Financial & Legal Support Services.
Clara walked beside me, carrying a subpoena we had managed to expedite through an emergency court hearing.
“Let me do the talking,” Clara warned softly. “If she realizes we have federal investigators interested in the insurance fraud aspect, she might panic and destroy records.”
We walked into the air-conditioned lobby. Sarah Jenkins was sitting behind a glass desk, typing furiously on her computer. When the door chimed and she looked up, her smile instantly froze. The color drained from her cheeks.
“Elena…?” Sarah stammered, standing up so quickly her chair rolled back into the wall. “I… I heard on the news… I didn't know you were back.”
“I know what you did, Sarah,” I said, stepping up to the desk.
“I don't know what you’re talking about,” Sarah bluffed, her voice squeaking. “I haven't seen Mark in months!”
Clara placed the court subpoena directly on top of Sarah’s keyboard. “Ms. Jenkins, this is a formal court order demanding all notary logbooks, correspondence, and financial records related to Mark Vance, Brenda Vance, and Elena Morales for the past thirty-six months.”
Sarah looked at the document, her hands shaking violently. “I was just doing Mark a favor! He said Elena approved it! He said she was stuck in Qatar and couldn't get to an embassy!”
“Falsifying a notarized signature on a power of attorney is a felony, Sarah,” Clara stated calmly. “Falsifying it to facilitate elder abuse and life insurance fraud carries a sentence of up to fifteen years in federal prison. The State Attorney’s office is preparing indictments as we speak.”
Sarah collapsed back into her chair, bursting into tears. “They threatened me! Mark said if I didn't sign the documents, he would tell my husband about the money I took from our joint firm! I didn't know they were hurting your mother, Elena! I swear I didn't know!”
“Where is the insurance policy from?” I demanded, leaning over the desk. “Who approved a $1.5 million policy on my life without my knowledge?”
Sarah wiped her eyes with a tissue, breathing heavily. “It wasn't an online policy. Mark worked with an underwriter at a private firm in Miami. They faked your medical clearance using your old medical files from your hip surgery years ago. But Elena… you don't understand.”
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“Understand what?”
“The policy… it wasn't just for money,” Sarah whispered, looking around nervously. “Mark owes over $300,000 to private lenders in Tampa. He used your mother’s care money to pay off the interest, but they were threatening him. He needed you dead before the end of the month.”
