His tone was grave, and he did not smile.

“What did you find?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

“The signature on the loan is indeed a forgery,” he said.

“A highly skilled one, likely traced or copied using a digital overlay.”

He slid a magnified image across the desk toward me.

It showed my genuine signature on top of the loan signature, illuminated by a blue grid.

“The stroke pressure is completely uniform,” he explained.

“When people write naturally, the pressure of the pen varies on the loops and turns.”

“This was drawn slowly, mimicking your hand with a steady, artificial pressure.”

I felt a cold sweat break out on the back of my neck.

“And the money?” I asked.

“Where did the two hundred thousand dollars go?”

Mr. Vance opened another folder, revealing a spreadsheet of transactions.

“The loan was approved four months ago,” he said.

“The funds were deposited into a newly opened account under your husband’s name alone.”

“Within three days, those funds were transferred out.”

He handed me a sheet listing several wire transfers.

“To where?” I asked.