Chương 9
“He knew.”
Claire’s voice barely carried.
Mara placed the phone on the desk.
“He anticipated a dispute.”
“He brought her into the house because he needed her there Monday.”
“That is one possible interpretation.”
“Why else bring her tonight?”
“Personal cruelty, arrogance, panic, bad judgment.”
Mara counted them without drama.
“People sometimes do several terrible things for different reasons at once.”
Claire looked toward the uneaten half of her sandwich.
“That is annoyingly reasonable.”
“I’ve been accused of worse.”
Claire almost smiled.
Then her phone buzzed again.
Vanessa wrote, I feel sick.
Claire’s first impulse was not sympathy.
It was anger.
Good, she thought.
You should.
The thought embarrassed her less than she expected.
She typed, Are you physically okay?
Vanessa replied, Yes.
Just realizing how stupid I’ve been.
Claire considered several answers.
None felt kind.
She chose the most accurate.
I don’t know what to say to that.
Vanessa answered, You don’t have to say anything.
Mara retrieved the trust statement from her briefcase and placed it on the desk.
“You said you didn’t want to see this tonight.”
“I changed my mind.”
“That’s allowed.”
Claire gave her a tired look.
“Do you always talk like a legal pamphlet?”
“Only when awake.”
Claire opened the folder.
The first page showed balances across several accounts and entities.
She had to read the largest number three times.
“Eight million?”
“Approximately eight point four in liquid and near-liquid assets controlled by the trust.”
Claire looked up.
“That’s current?”
“As of Friday.”
She lowered her eyes to the page again.
For years, she had asked Ethan before buying furniture.
She had postponed replacing the cracked crown on a back tooth because he said their insurance deductible was already high.
She had worn the same winter coat for nine years because it was still good enough.
Eight point four million dollars sat on the paper with bureaucratic indifference.
“This makes no sense.”
“It makes financial sense.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yes.”
Claire turned the page.
Several properties were listed beneath entity names she did not recognize.
“How much are these worth?”
“Valuation is more complicated.”
“Roughly.”
Mara hesitated.
“Potentially several times the cash value.”
Claire stopped turning pages.
“How many times?”
“Depending on encumbrances, development rights, and current appraisals, perhaps thirty to forty million gross.”
Claire laughed.
Not because anything was funny.
The sound came out sharp enough that Mara looked up.
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
“I asked Ethan last year if I could replace the downstairs windows.”
Mara said nothing.
“He told me we needed to be disciplined.”
Claire pressed her fingertips against her forehead.
“I spent three weeks comparing contractors because I was trying to save twelve hundred dollars.”
Mara leaned back in the chair.
“Money inside a trust is not always freely spendable.”
“I know.”
“I’m not defending him.”
“I know.”
Claire looked at the numbers again.
“He made me feel irresponsible for wanting new windows.”
There were larger betrayals on the table.
Forged signatures.
Misused property.
Possible fraud.
Yet the windows made her furious.
Mara seemed to understand.
“Sometimes the small humiliations are the ones that survive.”
Claire closed the folder.
“I want to see everything tomorrow.”
“You can.”
“Not just what matters legally.”
“All of it?”
“All of it.”
Mara nodded.
“That will take time.”
“I have time.”
Claire heard the old fear in herself as soon as she said it.
Did she?
What did her time belong to now?
Ethan had structured her days so completely that even freedom felt unscheduled.
“I also want my mail.”
“We can address that.”
“And my old phone number records if they exist.”
“We can request them.”
“My email.”
“Yes.”
“My tax returns.”
“Yes.”
“My father’s estate files.”
“Yes.”
“And anything with my signature on it.”
Mara looked at her for a long moment.
“That may be a considerable volume.”
“Good.”
Claire’s voice steadied.
“I want to know how many times I disappeared on paper while still living in my own house.”
Mara did not answer immediately.
Then she said, “Tomorrow we build a list.”
Claire nodded.
Her phone vibrated.
Ethan.
She let it ring.
Then again.
Then a message appeared.
Please come home before this gets out of control.
Claire read it once and locked the screen.
Mara stood.
“You should sleep.”
“I’m not going to.”
“Probably not.”
“I hate when people tell me to sleep like it’s a decision.”
“Then don’t sleep.”
Claire looked at her.
Mara lifted one shoulder.
“You can watch terrible hotel television until sunrise if you want.”
“That sounds unhealthy.”
“So is being awake all night while pretending to rest.”
Claire gave a small laugh.
Mara returned to the adjoining room.
At the connecting door, she paused.
“Lock the exterior door.”
“Do you think Ethan will come here?”
“I think people behave unpredictably when they believe control is slipping.”
Claire looked toward the deadbolt.
“Does he know which hotel?”
“No.”
“Dominic?”
“Yes.”
The name irritated her suddenly.
“Why does Dominic know?”
“Because he arranged security.”
Claire stiffened.
“I didn’t ask for security.”
“No.”
“Then why is there security?”
“Because Ethan knows you contacted Dominic.”
“That doesn’t mean Ethan is dangerous.”
“I didn’t say he was.”
Claire stood.
“This is exactly what I don’t want.”
Mara waited.
“People making decisions because they think I’m too fragile to make them.”
“That is fair.”
The immediate agreement disarmed her.
Mara continued.
“I can ask them to leave.”
Claire looked at the window.
“Who is them?”
“Two people downstairs.”
“Armed?”
Mara paused.
“Licensed.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
“Yes.”
Claire rubbed both hands over her face.
“I don’t want armed men following me.”
“They aren’t following you.”
“That distinction does not help.”
“All right.”
Mara took out her phone.
“I’ll tell Dominic the security is unwanted.”
Claire almost said thank you.
She stopped herself.
“Will he argue?”
“Almost certainly.”
“Good.”
Mara raised an eyebrow.
“Good?”
“I want someone to be angry and still listen.”
Something softened briefly in Mara’s expression.
She made the call from the doorway.
May you like
“Dominic.”
Claire could hear only Mara’s side.
