The customer accepted it and paid the deposit.
Daniel studied the image when Priya showed it to him.
He recognized the source immediately.
Years earlier, he had signed a construction estimate for a repair company that advertised completed projects online.
A scanned image of his signature appeared near the bottom of the public estimate.
Daniel and Priya located the archived page.
The signature on Brenda’s confirmation matched the old image in several distinctive imperfections.
The evidence suggested the image had been copied rather than signed anew.
Priya arranged for a qualified examiner to assess the documents rather than relying only on their comparison.
Daniel was furious that a publicly available signature might have been used to impersonate him.
He also felt foolish for never considering that risk.
Priya reminded him that publication of an ordinary work document did not authorize someone to use his name on unrelated contracts.
The evidence became another piece of the case.
It was not the final answer to every question, but it helped explain how the forged authorization had appeared so convincing.
Chapter 67: The Day Brenda Stayed Home
For several days after the signature comparison, Brenda did not leave her house except to collect mail.
Daniel saw her car in the driveway but made no effort to approach her.
June noticed the closed curtains and worried that Brenda might be unwell.
Daniel told June that concern for someone’s health was separate from the dispute.
June decided to ask Cole Bennett to check on his sister.
Cole visited and later confirmed that Brenda was physically safe.
He did not share private details about her condition.
Daniel appreciated the boundary.
He had never wanted Brenda harmed or isolated.
He wanted her to stop using his property and account for the damage she had caused.
That distinction remained important even when anger tempted him to imagine her humiliation.
Chapter 68: The Community Board
The neighborhood association held a workshop about home rentals and property security after several residents expressed concern.
Daniel agreed to speak briefly about the importance of verifying ownership and preserving evidence.
He did not name Brenda during the presentation.
Instead, he described general lessons from his experience.
He recommended keeping clear records of property maintenance and reporting unauthorized access promptly.
He also urged neighbors not to assume every visitor belonged to a business arrangement.
June spoke about her habit of recording unusual parking patterns without confronting strangers.
A local attorney explained how civil disputes and criminal investigations followed different procedures.
