“He told me everything was temporary,” she said. “He said his business was about to receive a major contract.”
“And did it?”
She shook her head.
“No.”
I looked at her.
“So the Mercedes?”
She nodded.
“He couldn’t afford the repairs.”
“That doesn’t explain the insurance claim.”
“I know.”
She looked directly at me.
“That’s what scares me.”
The following week, Daniel contacted me again.
This time, he wasn’t alone.
He brought another investigator.
They showed me evidence that Brent had submitted a claim based on a completely different version of events.
The supposed accident location had no matching damage.
There was no police report supporting his description.
There were no independent witnesses.
And the vehicle’s electronic records raised questions about where it had actually been that night.
My repair photographs became even more important.
They showed the condition of the vehicle before any work was performed.
They showed exactly which components had been damaged.
And they showed that the repairs had been completed properly.
Then came the part I never expected.
Daniel told me the insurance company had found evidence that the Mercedes had been used in connection with one of Brent’s business dealings shortly before the damage occurred.
