Chapter 4 - The Money Nobody Wanted Me to SeeHoward arrived the following morning with three folders.
He placed them on the kitchen table.
"I wish this were simpler."
I looked at the folders.
"What did you find?"
"The house is secure."
"Good."
"The company is another matter."
I opened the first folder.
Inside were transaction records.
Ethan's development company had moved money through several accounts.
Some transfers were legitimate.
Others weren't.
"Who authorized these?"
"Several signatures."
I studied them.
"That's Ethan's signature."
"On some."
I looked at another document.
"What's this?"
Howard hesitated.
"A loan."
"From whom?"
"Your father-in-law."
I looked up.
"My father-in-law was supposedly refusing to help Ethan."
"That's what everyone told you."
I felt a coldness spread through me.
"How much?"
Howard named the amount.
It was substantial.
I leaned back.
"So Ethan's father did help him."
"Indirectly."
"Why hide it?"
"I don't know."
Howard opened another folder.
"There's more."
I felt my stomach tighten.
A series of payments had been made to a consulting company.
The company had one major client.
Ethan's development firm.
"Who owns it?"
Howard slid another document across the table.
"Margaret."
I stared at the name.
My mother-in-law.
"She owns the consulting company?"
"Yes."
"So Ethan's company has been paying Margaret?"
"Apparently."
I looked at the dates.
The payments started shortly after I saved the company.
My jaw tightened.
"How much?"
Howard gave me the total.
Millions.
I stared at him.
"She told me I was the one embarrassing the family."
Howard sighed.
"People often accuse others of the things they're afraid will be discovered about themselves."
I looked at the papers again.
"Does Ethan know?"
"I can't tell you that."
"Why?"
"Because I haven't interviewed him."
I closed the folder.
"Don't."
Howard looked surprised.
"Claire?"
"I want to talk to him first."
That evening, I found Ethan in the garage.
He was staring at his old golf clubs.
"Ethan."
He turned.
"Hey."
"Can we talk?"
He nodded.
We sat on two folding chairs.
I placed the documents between us.
He looked at them.
His face changed.
"Where did you get these?"
"Howard."
He went silent.
"You knew?"
"Some of it."
"Some?"
"I knew Mom had consulting arrangements with the company."
"How much did she receive?"
He didn't answer.
"Ethan."
He rubbed his face.
"I don't know."
"That's not true."
He looked at me.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because I deserve the truth."
He stared at the floor.
"My mother said the payments were legitimate."
"Are they?"
"I don't know."
"Did she ever ask you to hide them?"
He hesitated.
"Yes."
My heart sank.
"Why?"
"She said it would create unnecessary questions."
"And you agreed."
"I was trying to protect the company."
"You were trying to protect your mother."
He didn't deny it.
I stood.
"Did you know about the house?"
"What?"
"Did you know I controlled it?"
"No."
"Did your mother?"
He looked shocked.
"No."
I believed him.
That was almost worse.
Because it meant he had trusted the people who had been manipulating him more than he trusted me.
I walked toward the door.
"Claire."
I stopped.
"I'm sorry."
I didn't turn around.
"I know."
"Do you still love me?"
I closed my eyes.
"Love isn't the problem."
"Then what is?"
"Trust."
He said nothing.
That night, Margaret called me.
"I heard you were digging through Ethan's finances."
I looked at the phone.
"You have excellent information."
"You're destroying this family."
"No."
I sat on the edge of my bed.
"Your choices are doing that."
"You have no right."
"I have every right."
"You think because you have money—"
"This isn't about money."
"Then what?"
"The truth."
She became quiet.
Then she said something that chilled me.
"You should be careful, Claire."
"Is that a threat?"
"No."
Her voice softened.
"It's advice."
She hung up.
I stared at the phone.
The next morning, I found a strange envelope beneath the windshield of my SUV.
No return address.
Inside was a single photograph.
It showed Ethan meeting someone outside a hotel.
On the back was written:
ASK HIM WHAT HAPPENED SIX MONTHS AGO.
I stared at the photograph.
Six months ago.
I remembered.
Ethan had claimed he was traveling for work.
He had been gone three days.
He came home distant.
When I asked what happened, he said nothing.
I had believed him.
Now I wasn't sure.
I called Howard.
"Don't open any more financial records yet."
"Why?"
"Someone is watching me."
There was a pause.
"Claire..."
"I know."
"Do you want protection?"
I looked through the window.
Ethan was outside with Noah.
He was helping our son ride a bicycle.
For a moment, they looked like an ordinary father and son.
I wanted my family back.
But I was beginning to understand something.
May you like
Sometimes you don't save a family by protecting its secrets.
Sometimes you save it by exposing them.
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