Chương 14
He typed the name into his laptop.
Rachel wrote it down.
“Are the statements addressed to me?”
“Yes.”
“At my apartment?”
“No.”
Mom’s voice dropped.
“They’re addressed here.”
My parents’ house.
I stared at the conference room wall.
“Open one.”
Rachel shook her head violently.
Then stopped.
Mom said, “Already did.”
Rachel mouthed, fine.
“What does it say?”
“There’s an account in your name.”
“How much?”
“I don’t know what I’m looking at.”
“Read the current balance.”
Paper rustled.
“Twenty-three thousand six hundred and eighty-four dollars.”
Daniel stopped typing.
“Checking or savings?” I asked.
“Checking.”
“Any transactions?”
“Yes.”
“What kind?”
“Transfers.”
“From where?”
Mom read a company name.
I knew it immediately.
One of Dad’s older corporate clients.
A medical supply distributor.
My firm had never done business with them.
Rachel’s face changed.
“Mom, don’t touch anything else.”
“I already touched it.”
“I mean leave the papers where they are.”
“Claire.”
“Yes?”
“Your father is upstairs.”
My heart kicked harder.
“Can he hear you?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Get out of the office.”
“I am in the kitchen.”
“Good.”
Rachel slid her legal pad toward me.
CALL POLICE IF UNSAFE.
I said, “If Dad gets angry, leave.”
“I know.”
“Take your purse and keys.”
“I know.”
“Mom.”
“I said I know.”
Her voice cracked on the last word.
I closed my eyes.
“Okay.”
There were footsteps on her end.
Mom went silent.
Then Dad’s voice came through, distant but clear.
“Who are you talking to?”
Mom said, “Claire.”
The footsteps stopped.
“Give me the phone.”
“No.”
Every muscle in my body tightened.
Dad said, “Elaine.”
“I said no.”
Rachel was already typing something into her phone.
Dad’s voice came closer.
“What did she tell you?”
“Nothing.”
“That’s a lie.”
“Richard, back up.”
I stood.
Rachel put a hand on my forearm.
Stay.
Dad said, “What were you doing in my office?”
Mom did not answer.
“Elaine.”
“I needed the insurance folder.”
“You had no business going through my things.”
“Why is Claire getting mail here?”
Silence.
Rachel whispered, “Do not speak.”
I pressed my lips together.
Dad said, “Hang up.”
“No.”
His voice sharpened.
“Hang up the damn phone.”
Mom said, “Don’t touch me.”
Rachel was dialing now.
My chest went cold.
“Mom?”
“Claire, stay there.”
Then the line went dead.
I grabbed my phone.
Rachel blocked me with her chair.
“No.”
“I’m going there.”
“No.”
“That’s my mother.”
“I know.”
“She told him not to touch her.”
“And if you drive over there angry, you make this worse.”
I stared at her.
“What am I supposed to do?”
“Police are already being dispatched.”
“You called?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“When his voice changed.”
I hated that she was right.
I hated sitting there even more.
Daniel quietly closed my laptop and disconnected the forensic device.
“Image is done.”
I looked at him.
He nodded toward my phone.
“If there is another account in your name, we need to verify whether it exists before anyone contacts that bank.”
Rachel said, “Later.”
“No.”
I turned toward Daniel.
“Do it now.”
Rachel looked at me.
“Claire.”
“If Dad is leaving, I need to know what else exists.”
Daniel held my gaze.
“I can search public-facing banking and credit indicators with your consent, but some information will require formal requests.”
“Do whatever you legally can.”
Rachel leaned back.
“Fine.”
She looked irritated.
Then she looked scared.
That scared me more.
Daniel asked for my Social Security number and other identification details.
I gave them quietly.
He worked without commentary.
Rachel’s phone rang.
She answered.
“Yes.”
A pause.
“Is she safe?”
Another pause.
“Thank you.”
She looked at me.
“Police are at the house.”
I exhaled so hard it hurt my ribs.
“And?”
“Your mother is outside.”
“Dad?”
“Inside.”
“Did he hurt her?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Call her.”
“She’ll call us.”
“That’s not good enough.”
Rachel’s patience broke.
“Claire, I am trying to keep you from making six decisions at once.”
I stared at her.
She softened immediately.
“You cannot solve all of this in the same minute.”
The words landed badly because they were true.
I sat down.
Daniel kept working.
Two minutes later, Mom called.
I answered before the first ring finished.
“I’m okay.”
Her voice shook.
“Did he touch you?”
“He grabbed my arm.”
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Where are you?”
“In my car.”
“Police there?”
“Yes.”
“What is Dad doing?”
“They’re talking to him.”
I pressed my fingers to my mouth.
Mom said, “Claire.”
“Yes?”
“The box is in my trunk.”
Rachel looked at me.
I stared at the phone.
“You took it?”
“Yes.”
“Mom.”
“What?”
“Why?”
“Because I didn’t want him to make it disappear.”
For the first time in twenty-four hours, I felt something like admiration cut through the fear.
Rachel asked loudly enough for Mom to hear, “Elaine, did you tell the officers you removed documents from the house?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
“Was I not supposed to?”
Rachel paused.
“It may be relevant evidence, so transparency matters.”
Mom sighed.
“I am getting very tired of evidence.”
“So am I,” I said.
Daniel spoke from across the table.
“Claire.”
Something in his tone made all three of us go quiet.
I looked at him.
He had turned one of the laptops toward me.
“I found a credit report indicator.”
Rachel stood.
“What kind?”
Daniel pointed to the screen.
“There are two revolving accounts and one business credit card reporting under Claire’s identity that she has not listed among her known accounts.”
My skin prickled.
“How much?”
“One revolving balance is about nine thousand.”
He clicked.
“The other is roughly thirty-one thousand.”
“And the card?”
“Current reported balance is fourteen.”
“Fourteen hundred?”
Daniel looked at me.
“Fourteen thousand.”
Mom whispered my name through the phone.
I barely heard her.
Rachel pulled the laptop closer.
“When were they opened?”
Daniel read the dates.
The oldest was twenty-two months ago.
The newest was six months ago.
May you like
Six months.
The same month Dad asked me to guarantee the company’s bridge loan.
