"I won't."
"Don't speculate about Jason."
"I won't."
The interview lasted 52 minutes. Roger confirmed his identity. He confirmed his travel dates.
He described his understanding of the HELOC. He explained how he obtained Jason's number originally. He identified which signatures he remembered making and which documents he did not remember seeing.
At one point, the interviewer asked, "Did you authorize Jason Whitmore to act as an alternate contact regarding advances on this account?"
Roger answered, "No."
"Did you authorize your wife to identify him as such?"
"No."
"Did you appear before the notary identified on these documents on the dates listed?"
"Not to my knowledge. On one date, I was in Chicago. On another, I was traveling for work."
"Can you support that?"
"Yes."
Roger had already provided the records. The interview ended without drama.
No accusation. No revelation.
"Thank you, Mr. Barry. We may contact you again."
Roger closed the laptop. Amanda sat across the table.
"How do you feel?"
"Tired."
"That's reasonable."
Roger packed his documents. "Is that it?"
"For today."
The words mattered. For today. Everything now came in pieces.
A week later, Roger was inspecting a six-story office renovation when Amanda called. He stepped outside.
Her tone was different.
"The lender issued an interim notice."
Roger moved away from the construction entrance. "What does it say?"
"They've identified sufficient irregularities to continue formal internal review and to treat portions of the disputed activity separately while they investigate."
Roger exhaled slowly. "Does that remove the debt from me?"
"Not yet."
"So nothing's decided."
"Correct."
Roger looked toward downtown Columbus. "Then why do you sound like something changed?"
"Because they're no longer treating your complaint as a simple marital disagreement."
Roger said nothing.
Amanda continued. "And there's more."
"What?"
"They found an inconsistency in the contact verification associated with one of the advances."
"Jason?"
"I don't have permission to characterize the full record yet."
Roger waited. Amanda knew he would.
Finally, she said, "The phone number is only part of it."
Roger's attention sharpened. "What else?"
"A verification entry appears to have used information that should have been known only to someone with access to your personal financial records."
Roger looked down at the concrete sidewalk. For 11 years, those records had been kept in one place.
His house.
The same house where Jason had walked down the stairs.
Amanda spoke carefully. "Do not jump ahead."
Roger's answer was quiet. "I won't."
"Good, because the lender is still reviewing."
"When will we know?"