Chapter 5: His Mother Opens the Box
Jeremy grabbed for the box, but Elaine turned away.
“Don’t touch me.”
“Mom, you’re confused.”
“I was confused when I believed your first story.
Then your second.
Not anymore.”
Florence swayed, and Elaine placed the box on a chair.
She took the veil gently from Florence’s hair before the pins could pull.
“You don’t have to stand here dressed for a marriage that was built on lies.”
Florence covered her mouth.
“Why didn’t you warn me?”
“Jeremy told me Lydia had signed the divorce papers,” Elaine said.
“He said Ray was keeping Sophie from him.”
Ray looked at her.
“You never called us.”
“I should have.”
Jeremy stepped between them.
“My mother has memory problems.
Nothing in that box can be trusted.”
Elaine’s chin lifted.
“Ask him which doctor diagnosed me.”
Jeremy said nothing.
“Go on,” she continued.
“Give them a name.”
“You stopped taking your medication.”
“My blood pressure tablets?” Elaine opened her handbag and placed the bottle on the chair.
“Those?”
A few guests murmured.
Jeremy turned toward Florence.
“She’s doing this because I refused to pay her mortgage.”
Elaine opened the metal box.
“I paid off my mortgage twelve years ago.”
Inside were bank statements, envelopes, and an old phone.
Elaine handed the phone to Florence.
“He left this charging in my garage last month.”
Jeremy lunged, but my husband blocked him.
“Stay where you are.”
Elaine entered a passcode.
“He uses Sophie’s birthday because he thinks nobody remembers it.”
Lydia began crying softly through the speaker.
“I remember.”
The phone opened to a message thread between Jeremy and someone saved as C.M.
Florence read aloud.
“Bride signs Friday.
Trust clears after ceremony.
Move everything before family notices.”
Jeremy pointed at Elaine.
“She typed that herself.”
Elaine pulled out a notebook.
“Then perhaps I also invented the dates, account numbers, and every cash payment you asked me to deposit.”
“You said those were consulting fees,” she added.
“I wanted to believe you had finally built something honest.”
Jeremy lowered his voice.
“You deposited the money, Mom.
If I fall, you fall with me.”
Elaine’s fingers shook, but she pushed the notebook toward Florence.
“Then I will answer for what I did.”
Florence caught her hand.
“You’re helping me even if it costs you?”
“I should have helped Lydia when it first cost me nothing.”
The pink-bag phone rang again.
This time my own phone rang with it.
I answered.
“This is Karen Wells from North County Trust,” a woman said.
“We received your urgent message.”
“I didn’t send one.”
There was a pause.
“Mrs.
Carter, a transfer for $240,000 was approved using your security answers and Florence’s electronic signature.”
“Stop it.”
“We are trying, but the funds have already left the trust account.”
Florence gripped the back of the chair.
“Where did they go?”
“I cannot disclose that until we verify your identity.”
Jeremy’s mouth curved into a small smile.
“Looks like you should have read the paperwork.”
Florence stepped toward him.
“If you return every dollar, I won’t stand in your way when you leave.”
“Marry me, and there is nothing to return.
It becomes our money.”
“You are already married.”
“Then give me an hour to settle things with Lydia.”
Ray let out a bitter laugh.
“Three years reduced to an hour.”
Jeremy lowered his voice.
“Florence, choose carefully.
Fight me, and your cottage goes with the money.”
My phone crackled.
“Mrs.
Carter,” Karen said, “we traced the transfer.”
I put her on speaker.
“The receiving account belongs to a woman standing at that wedding.”
Every face turned toward Lydia’s phone, then toward Elaine.
Karen spoke one name.
“Elaine Hale.”
