Chương 6
The sentence landed harder than she seemed to intend.
Daniel looked at her.
Evelyn watched his expression change.
“Our home?”
Tara glanced at him.
“You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Yes, you do.”
His voice took on a different edge.
“No, actually, I don’t think I do.”
For the first time that afternoon, Evelyn saw irritation move from Daniel toward his wife instead of around her.
Tara noticed too.
She softened her voice.
“We live here.”
“That’s not what you said.”
“Oh, for God’s sake.”
“You said they think this is our home.”
“It is our home in the practical sense.”
Evelyn almost laughed.
Practical sense sounded like something Tara had picked up from a real-estate podcast.
Daniel stared at her.
“Have you been telling people this house belongs to us?”
Tara’s mouth tightened.
“No.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“I have never told anyone we own it.”
“Have you let them think we do?”
“That’s ridiculous.”
Evelyn said nothing.
Daniel stepped closer to Tara.
“What have you told people?”
“I said we live here.”
“Tara.”
“I said we’re settled.”
“Tara.”
Her face flushed.
“This is not the time.”
“That’s exactly what Mom says I do.”
He looked at Evelyn without fully turning.
“Change the subject.”
Tara’s eyes narrowed.
“Excuse me?”
Daniel shook his head.
“Nothing.”
“No, say it.”
“I said nothing.”
“You never say nothing.”
Evelyn nearly corrected her but decided against it.
Daniel said nothing quite often.
Tara walked to the window.
For several seconds she looked outside at the damp street and the neighbor stacking yard tools against his garage.
When she turned back, some of the anger had gone out of her.
What remained looked more dangerous because it was controlled.
“We cannot move right now.”
Evelyn waited.
Tara looked directly at her.
“We’re not in a position to do that.”
“Then you’ll need to get into one.”
Daniel shifted.
“Mom.”
Evelyn ignored him.
Tara’s eyes flicked toward the envelope.
“What kind of notice are we talking about?”
“Formal.”
“How long?”
“I’m not discussing legal details from memory.”
“You know the details.”
“I know what I signed.”
“Then tell me.”
“No.”
Tara gave a disbelieving laugh.
“Why not?”
“Because you’ll receive them in writing.”
“From your lawyer.”
“Yes.”
The room went quiet again.
Downstairs, someone turned the television louder.
A commercial jingle floated faintly through the floor.
Tara began pacing.
Three steps toward the dresser.
Three back.
Her fingers worried at the bracelet on her wrist.
Evelyn had never seen her do that before.
“We have money tied up,” Tara said.
Daniel looked at her.
“What money?”
She stopped.
Evelyn felt the air change.
Tara’s hand fell away from the bracelet.
“Nothing.”
Daniel’s face tightened.
“What money?”
“I mean generally.”
“What does that mean?”
“Daniel, can we please not do this in front of your mother?”
Evelyn looked toward the door.
“I can leave.”
“No.”
Daniel’s answer came too quickly.
Tara stared at him.
“No?”
He took a breath.
“I want to know what you mean.”
She crossed her arms.
“We have investments.”
Daniel frowned.
“What investments?”
“See, this is why I didn’t want to talk about this right now.”
“What investments?”
Tara looked at Evelyn.
Evelyn turned her eyes toward the window, giving them the privacy of not being watched while remaining fully present.
It was an old maternal trick.
She had used it when Daniel was sixteen and lied badly about denting the Buick.
Tara exhaled.
“I moved some money.”
Daniel did not speak.
The silence lengthened.
Then he said, “From where?”
“Our account.”
“What account?”
“The savings.”
Evelyn heard Daniel’s shoe scrape against the carpet.
“How much?”
Tara shook her head.
“Not here.”
“How much?”
“Daniel.”
“How much?”
Her voice lowered.
“Thirty-eight.”
He stared at her.
“Thirty-eight what?”
Tara’s face tightened.
“Thousand.”
Daniel sat down hard in the chair.
Evelyn looked at him despite herself.
His skin had gone pale.
“You moved thirty-eight thousand dollars?”
“I invested it.”
“When?”
“Over the summer.”
“What did you invest in?”
Tara did not answer.
“Tara.”
“A private project.”
Daniel gave a short, confused laugh.
“What private project?”
She looked at the floor.
“It’s complicated.”
“No, it’s not.”
His voice sharpened.
“You took thirty-eight thousand dollars from the house fund.”
“Our money.”
“The house fund.”
“Our money, Daniel.”
“Where is it?”
Tara did not answer.
Evelyn’s stomach tightened.
Daniel stood.
“Where is it?”
“I said it’s invested.”
“In what?”
Tara rubbed her forehead.
“A development group.”
He stared at her.
“What development group?”
“It’s small.”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s private.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.”
“It’s not publicly traded.”
Daniel laughed again, but there was no humor in it.
“You know I know that, right?”
Tara’s jaw clenched.
“Don’t talk to me like I’m stupid.”
“Then stop talking like you’re hiding something.”
She flinched.
The movement was quick, almost invisible.
Evelyn saw it.
So did Daniel.
He stepped closer.
“Who is the money with?”
Tara’s voice dropped.
“My cousin.”
“Which cousin?”
“Mark.”
Daniel stared.
“Mark Levin?”
“Yes.”
“The one who got sued over that restaurant?”
“That had nothing to do with him.”
“He was a partner.”
“He was a minority investor.”
“He lost money.”
“He recovered.”
Daniel put both hands on his hips.
“What exactly did you give him thirty-eight thousand dollars for?”
Tara looked toward Evelyn again.
“This has nothing to do with her.”
Daniel followed her gaze.
For once he did not seem worried about embarrassing Tara in front of his mother.
“I don’t care.”
Tara’s eyes flashed.
“You will when you calm down.”
“Where is the money?”
“I told you.”
“No, you gave me a phrase.”
Daniel’s voice rose.
“Development group.”
He shook his head.
“What development?”
Tara hesitated too long.
Evelyn felt something cold move through her.
“Real estate,” Tara said.
Daniel stopped.
“What kind of real estate?”
She swallowed.
“A property.”
“What property?”
Tara’s eyes moved toward the envelope on the dresser.
Evelyn saw the answer before it came.
Daniel did not.
Not yet.
May you like
Tara folded her arms tighter.
“It was supposed to be an opportunity.”
