Chương 9
"How much?"
"Forty thousand."
Another pause.
"For Jared?"
"Tax debt."
Rebecca made a small sound.
"Interesting."
"What?"
"I need to verify something before I answer that."
"You're doing the deposition thing again."
"I know."
I heard typing.
"Did they mention whether his business accounts are frozen?"
"Jared said they were."
More typing.
"Naomi, I want you to take photographs of every page in the folder Johnny left."
I looked at it beside me.
"Why?"
"Because you need a second copy somewhere your parents cannot access."
"They don't have keys."
"Are you sure?"
I looked toward the hook beside the kitchen where the spare key used to hang.
Johnny had moved it after my mother let herself into our house one Christmas morning because she thought we were sleeping too late.
I had laughed about it then.
I didn't laugh now.
"Good."
"And the original?"
"Keep it somewhere secure."
"Where?"
"A bank safe-deposit box, your attorney's office, somewhere controlled."
"My attorney isn't officially my attorney yet."
"Call him."
I looked at Johnny's letter.
Rebecca lowered her voice.
"One more thing."
My stomach tightened.
"There always is."
"I'm sorry."
"No, just say it."
"Johnny asked us to preserve copies outside our normal client system."
"Why?"
"He said he was worried records might disappear."
"From my parents?"
"He didn't say."
That was worse.
"When did he say that?"
"About three weeks before the accident."
The room went very still.
I stared at the front window.
A delivery van passed slowly.
Nothing stopped.
Nothing announced itself.
"Rebecca."
"Yes?"
"Do you think the accident wasn't an accident?"
Her answer came fast.
"I have no evidence of that."
I breathed out.
"Okay."
"Naomi."
"Yes."
"Don't let timing become proof just because you're hurting."
I closed my eyes.
"Johnny would have liked you."
"He didn't always."
That surprised me.
"What?"
"He thought I was too cautious."
For the first time that morning, something almost warm moved through me.
"That sounds like him."
"He was impatient."
"Also sounds like him."
Rebecca let the silence sit.
Then she said, "I'll send you a secure message with the records I can release today."
"Thank you."
"And Naomi?"
"Yes."
"Don't give anyone forty thousand dollars."
I laughed.
A real laugh this time.
Small and ugly and gone quickly.
"That part I can handle."
After we hung up, I stayed on the floor.
My legs had gone numb.
I should have called the attorney.
I should have photographed the folder.
I should have done ten sensible things.
Instead, I opened Gemma's backpack.
I took out the crushed granola bar and threw it away.
Then I immediately dug it out of the trash.
I stood there holding it, furious at myself.
It was garbage.
She had probably forgotten it existed.
I put it back in the backpack anyway.
At eleven thirty, Claire called.
"You alive?"
"Technically."
"That is not a reassuring answer."
"It's the one I've got."
She was quiet.
Then she said, "I drove past your parents."
My chest tightened.
"Where?"
"At the coffee place on Henderson."
"All three?"
"No."
"Who?"
"Your mom and dad."
"What were they doing?"
"Having what looked like the world's worst marriage."
Despite everything, I pictured it.
Mom speaking with both hands.
Dad staring into coffee.
"Did they see you?"
"I don't think so."
"Where's Jared?"
"No idea."
My phone buzzed while she spoke.
A text.
From Jared.
Can I come back alone?
I stared at it.
Claire said, "Naomi?"
"Jared just texted."
"What does he want?"
"To come back."
"No."
I smiled faintly.
"You didn't even think."
"I thought extremely fast."
"He says alone."
"Still no."
I looked at the folder.
Rebecca had told me not to confront him.
That wasn't the same as refusing to see him.
Probably.
"Claire."
"No."
"You don't know what I'm going to say."
"Yes, I do."
"What?"
"You're going to make a bad grief decision and pretend it's a brave decision."
I leaned against the counter.
"That's rude."
"It's also why Johnny liked me."
That hurt in exactly the place she intended.
Not cruelly.
Accurately.
"I need to hear him."
"Then I'm coming over."
"He asked to come alone."
"That's his problem."
I hesitated.
"Fine."
She hung up before I could change my mind.
I texted Jared.
Come in thirty minutes.
His response appeared almost immediately.
Thank you.
No emoji.
No excuse.
No request for money.
Twenty-two minutes later, Claire arrived carrying two coffees and a bag containing something that smelled like cinnamon.
"You look worse than you did yesterday."
"My mother said the same thing."
Claire stopped removing her coat.
"Please never make me resemble that woman again."
"Sorry."
"Accepted."
She handed me coffee.
"What happened?"
I told her enough.
Not everything.
The trusts.
The forged signatures.
Johnny's investigation.
The eight hundred twenty thousand.
Claire sat at the kitchen table without touching her drink.
When I finished, she said, "I need a new swear word."
"Take your time."
"The existing ones feel insufficient."
A knock sounded at the door.
Claire looked at me.
"Last chance to pretend we're not home."
"Your car is outside."
"Could be anyone's."
"It has a bumper sticker with Owen's school on it."
"Fine."
I opened the door.
Jared stood alone.
He had changed clothes.
Jeans.
A gray sweatshirt.
No expensive watch.
His cheek still held a faint red patch where Mom had slapped him.
He looked at Claire.
"I said alone."
Claire sipped her coffee.
"And yet here we all are."
He looked at me.
I stepped aside.
"Come in."
He entered slowly.
Claire stayed at the kitchen table.
Jared noticed Gemma's backpack on the counter and looked away almost immediately.
"I didn't know she liked dolphins."
I glanced at the keychain hanging from the zipper.
"She liked everything for three weeks at a time."
He nodded.
"That's kids."
"You don't have kids."
"No."
"I know."
"Okay."
The conversation died.
Claire watched him with open hostility.
Jared shoved his hands into his sweatshirt pockets.
"I didn't come for money."
"Good."
May you like
"I mean it."
"I heard you."
