Chapter 11 - DANIEL ORTIZ
Ana’s legal colleague Daniel Ortiz handled the criminal referral.
He was a former prosecutor, now white-collar defense attorney, and the only person Ana trusted to tell her when rage was damaging strategy.
He read the forged protector letter.
Then the loan file.
Then the transfer trail.
“This may support forgery, fraud, identity misuse, maybe more.”
Ana asked:
“When do police arrest him?”
Daniel shook his head.
“Slow down.”
“I hate that phrase.”
“I know.”
He continued.
“Civil proof and criminal proof are different.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
Ana glared.
He smiled slightly.
Then:
“We build it.”
They referred the forged signature to investigators.
The notary on Isabel’s deed was interviewed.
She claimed Isabel signed willingly.
True perhaps.
But she admitted Luis paid her an “expedited mobile fee” of two thousand dollars.
Absurdly high.
Then investigators found she had notarized four other documents for Luis.
Two later challenged.
Pattern.
Not enough alone.
But useful.
The criminal case began to breathe.
Luis, meanwhile, violated the temporary no-contact arrangement by sending Isabel flowers.
The card:
We can still fix this before Ana destroys us.
Isabel stared.
Then photographed it.
No reply.
Ana felt proud.
May you like
Not because Isabel resisted one bouquet.
Because she no longer interpreted contact as obligation.
