Identity Theft Part 6 (Patreon)

“I didn't steal Virginia's identity,” Jerry said to himself. “She made me! How could I get in trouble for that? But what about when I went on the original job interview? No, that wasn't illegal, I don't think it was. If it was, then this is a thousand times worse.” Jerry thought for a moment, “Wait, if I'm Virginia Carpio, then who is Jerry Powell? Does Jerome Allen Powell still exist? Yes, he does. I don't care what the document says, I'm Jerry Powell. I'm just as much a man as I ever was!”

RaeLynn stopped at a strip mall.”

“What are we doing here?”

“I'm going to get a manicure and you are too. You shouldn't be wearing press-on nails. Let's get your fingers done properly.”

“But I...”

“It's my treat and I won't take no for an answer. Come on.”

Jerry was trapped again, he had to go along. Besides, as compared with the other more legally dubious goings-on, getting his nails done seemed tame to him.

“What type of nails do you want?” the stylist asked.

“I don't know...surprise me,” Jerry said at last.

That was the right thing to say. It would have been foolish to try and sound like he knew what he was talking about. The stylist consulted with RaeLynn and gave Jerry a style that was pretty, but easy to maintain. She knew that Jerry was a housekeeper whose hands were used hard.

When Jerry went to bed that night, he couldn't believe it. In some ways, legally he was Virginia Carpio. If he wanted to and had the time, he could get on a plane and fly internationally as Virginia. He wouldn't have any problem with customs as long as they didn't strip search him.

After a bit of training/practice, Jerry discovered he was actually a very good housekeeper. It was a talent he had never developed or even thought of. He didn't enjoy doing the work. When he thought about it, he didn't enjoy being a truck driver either. As for both professions, it was something that he just did.

What he did like was being around RaeLynn. He wasn't as much of a fan now that he knew her well. He still enjoyed the music, but because he was around her so much, the mystique was gone. What he enjoyed the most was being around the other famous people that RaeLynn knew. He also liked the behind-the-scenes part of show-business that he saw. He  got to take pictures of himself with various celebrities. Jerry had asked RaeLynn about taking pictures of RaeLynn and the people he met, she didn't mind. As long as it was at the appropriate time.

Since Jerry in effect lived at RaeLynn's, he didn't need his own apartment. Even on his days off, the drive back and forth wasn't worth his time.

Jerry phoned Virginia. “Hey, it's me,” he said.

“Yeah, how's it going?”

“Not too bad.”

RaeLynn is going on tour, and she is going to take Jerry with her. Jerry was eager to go.

“Great.”

“I want you to do me a favor?”

“You want me to let you quit your job and go back to normal?”

“No, not that,” Jerry told Virginia to her amazement. “I'm going on tour with RaeLynn. I want you to get everything out of my apartment and put it in storage. Why should I pay for an apartment I'm not using?”

“You're going on tour?”

“I am. It's going to be so much fun. It's going to be not only a singing tour but a publicity tour too. She is going to be on TV, and I can come and watch. Not only that, but they are shooting another video and I can also be in that one.”

“You were in a video?”

“Yeah, I was in the background, it was so much fun.”

“You didn't sing or anything?”

“No, of course not. But that doesn't matter.”

“You don't think anyone would recognize you?”

“Naa, who would. Not unless they were looking for me.”

“You are really liking this?”

“I guess I am.”

“Whatever.”

“Can you get my stuff, and put it in storage?”

“I guess so.”

“Great.”

When Virginia hung up the phone, she was dazed. She never thought it would turn out this way. She was going to let Jerry return to normal and then give him back all his money. Something had changed. Virginia didn't know about the driver's license and fingerprinting.

Virginia called Jerry back a short while later.

“You know Jerry I was really mad at what you did. But I was going to let you stop. I'm going to give you your money back too. It was more of a practical joke than anything else. You don't have to do it anymore.”

“You are just jealous because I am going on this great trip with RaeLynn. I'm not going to stop, not until the tour over.”

“OK, I'll clean out your apartment and put it into storage. I'll give your landlord your key. I guess I'll see you when you get back. When will that be?”

“Five months.”

“Five months? Oh my god.”

Virginia wasn't mad at Jerry anymore. She found it odd that he wanted to pretend to be her for another five months. But if that's what he wanted to do, it was fine with her. She hired a moving service and packed up all of his stuff. Then she had it all put into storage. She prepaid the starage for six months. Finally, Virginia closed him out by handing Jerry's keys back to the landlord.

Jerry looked forward to his United States tour with RaeLynn. RaeLynn was going to play in Birmingham, Tampa, Savanna, New Hampshire, and a casino in Connecticut. These first few dates were with Kane Brown and Walker Hayes. Jerry wanted to meet both these artists. RaeLynn was his favorite though. There would also be an appearance on The Late Show with Steven Colbert and several other events, including several days in Nashville to create a music video for a new song she was going to release during the tour. Jerry was around RaeLynn while she was composing the song and even 'helped' a little. Other events were being arranged to make this tour last the full five months, although all the details hadn't been set before they began the tour.

Jerry's job during the tour was mostly to look after Daisy Rae. He would also check RaeLynn into and out of her hotel rooms and make sure everything was taken care of on that end. RaeLynn didn't like strangers to touch her stuff, so making the beds and vacuuming the hotel rooms was part of Jerry's job. Chambermaids weren't allowed in RaeLynn's room once she checked in. No one knew it, but Jerry would hang a huge poster of a unicorn in RaeLynn's room. She loved them so much, she liked to see one when she woke up in the morning. It was a copy of a poster that RaeLynn had in her own bedroom.

The tour was a good time for Jerry. He still had to wake up before anyone else and get dressed, but he had grown used to that. His workload had lessened though. RaeLynn's breakfast would be brought to his room, not hers and he would make sure that RaeLynn had it when she wanted it. There was only some light vacuuming and straightening up of the room when RaeLynn was out. Jerry put RaeLynn's clothes away and he did all the little things that RaeLynn expected from him. It was certainly easier than taking care of her large house.

Jerry met many celebrities and made sure to get pictures of himself with each of them. It didn't matter if he 'liked' the celebrity he got a picture anyway. Even though Jerry was still being paid a salary, on this trip he didn't have to pay for anything. Not even the souvenirs he purchased from the gift shops. Jerry was having a great time.

Virginia had lost contact with Jerry. She was doing her own thing. She hadn't found a new job yet and wasn't looking very hard. She intended to give Jerry back the money she had taken, but there wasn't a hurry to do so. She was living off the sixty percent of his salary. She justified it to herself that he was using her name, she should get something out of it.

Virginia was sleeping in her bed when she heard an insistent knock at the door. “OPEN UP, POLICE!” someone shouted.

“I'm coming, I'm coming.”

“Open up!”

“I'm coming.”

She opened up the door. “What is it?”

“What's your name?”

“I'm Virginia Carpio.”

“Is that your real name?”

“Yes?”

“Come with us.”

“Hey, wait, what is this all about?”

“You are being put under arrest.”

“ARREST? For what?”

“Identity Theft.”

“What?”

“You are not Virginia Carpio. You are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent, if you give up that right, anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law.”

Virginia couldn't believe what was happening. "But,” she said.

“Let me finish and then you can speak. You have the right to an attorney and have that attorney with you during questioning. If you want an attorney and cannot afford to have one, the court will supply you with one free of charge. Do you understand your rights?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want to speak with us?”

“I am Virginia Carpio.”

“That might be your name, but you are using someone else's identity.”

“I'm not.”

“Virginia Carpio is in Gilford, New Hampshire right now. We know you have been removing money from her bank account and saying you are her. You have to come with us.”

“This is a mistake. I'm the real Virginia Carpio. She, I mean he is the fake.”

“Do you have proof of who you are?”

“Yeah, let me get my purse.”

“OK.”

They got Virginia's purse and she gave it to the officer. He looked through it. He found a driver's license with her picture, but it was invalid. Jerry had the new valid one. There were also credit cards, bank cards, and shopping cards that had Virginia's name. The police would use those as evidence against her. Especially the bank card to the account that Jerry's paycheck was being deposited, but Virginia was taking money out of.

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