“Is Liz there?”
She’d stayed off to the side, out of reach of the computer camera, but at the mention of her name she walked into view. “I’m here.”
Josh squinted. “Let me guess. I interrupted your swim, too.”
“Swim?” Liz replied. “No, I wasn’t swimming, I was in the sho—”
Mitch nudged her side then glanced in her direction, making sure she’d thrown something back on. The last thing he needed was a naked Liz broadcasting live.
She shot him a questioning glance and turned back to the computer screen. “Yes. I was swimming.”
“And we know how much you like to swim.” Reese all-out laughed before he waved his hand in front of his face in a passing gesture. “Sorry. Sorry. Like I said before—I don’t see anything.”
“Get on with why you guys called,” Mitch grumbled.
Typing something into the computer, Josh shook his head. A copy of a Power of Attorney Finance paper popped onto the screen. “Did you give this to your bank, Liz?”
Squinting, she scanned the paper, her eyes widening more and more with each passing second. “No. Where did you get that?”
“Through your bank. Don’t ask how.”
Mitch had read right along with her. The paper had said she’d turned over Power of Attorney for Finance to her dad if she wasn’t available. “Is that your signature?”
She nodded.
“Anyone else on your bank account?”
“I put my dad on my account after I took the position with my last publishing company.”
“Having someone on your account is a lot different than a POAF.”
“I know.” She grimaced as if insulted. “My publisher insisted their journalists have some kind of fail-safe for personal finances. It was to insure they could take care of their own personal business while on assignment. First, the publisher wanted a POAF put in place. I told them I’d add my dad to my account. Nothing else.”
The whole financial fail-safe sounded fishy to Mitch. He’d let Josh build his case, but already, he knew the final word would not be good.
Josh keyed in more info and a woman’s photo flashed onto the screen. “Do you know this lady?”
“Sure. She’s my publisher’s assistant. Although she’s done something different with her hair. Why’s she important?” Liz asked.
“Because the day before you got fired, she and a man, who looks an awful lot like your dad, walked into your bank to drop off the POAF. She claimed to be you. They both signed the change form with your bank.” Josh clicked up another form.
Mitch watched Liz’s expression slowly change. “Is that your dad?”
“Maybe…but, why’s he all dressed up in that flashy suit and tie? And he’s grown a mustache. Dyed his hair.” Liz stared off into space as if trying to piece everything together.
There’d been plenty of times CT had changed a victim’s appearance to throw OPAQUE off track, so that part didn’t surprise Mitch. However, timelines were beginning to blur on days and times and contacts.
“Anything else, Josh?” he asked.
“Later that day, they proceeded to empty her accounts, except for a minimal amount left in the checking.”
Mitch blew out a breath in anger. “Let me guess. Barely enough to get her to Ft. Myers?”
“Yep.”
“What about her credit cards?” Reese asked. “Liz told us they were all messed up, too.”
Josh nodded. “Same happenings.”
