Chapter 6: The Voice He Couldn’t Silence
The security guard looked at Mom instead of Richard.
“Ma’am, do you want to leave voluntarily?”
Harriet touched Mom’s arm.
“For now.
We’ll return with better evidence.”
Richard held the door open.
“Take your box of memories.”
Mom lifted her chin.
“They’re ownership records.”
“Not until a judge says so.”
Outside, Daniel kicked the tire of his car.
“I helped him,” he said.
“I gave him Reid’s number and signed that bank page.”
Mom faced him.
“Then help me stop him.”
“After what I said to you?”
“You hurt me.
You don’t get to repair that by feeling sorry for yourself.”
Daniel’s eyes filled.
“What do I do?”
“Tell the truth where everyone can hear it.”
Chloe called as Harriet spread the warehouse papers across the hood of her car.
“I found something,” she said through the speaker.
“Richard used my laptop during our trip on March 14.”
“Can you prove the date?” Harriet asked.
“The hotel security manager emailed me a copy of the lobby footage.
Richard is visible beside me at the exact time Leonard Price claimed he watched Patricia sign.”
Richard’s voice suddenly came from behind us.
“Hang up.”
He had followed us into the parking lot.
Harriet held the phone closer.
“Keep talking, Chloe.”
“I also found an audio message from Leonard,” Chloe said.
“He asked Richard whether Patricia had noticed ‘the practice signatures.’”
Richard lunged for the phone.
Daniel stepped between him and Harriet.
“Enough, Dad.”
Richard pointed at his son.
“Reid can end your career with one call.”
“Then call him.”
“I paid your tuition.
I found your first job.
You owe me.”
Daniel took out his company identification card and pressed it into Richard’s palm.
“Not my conscience.”
Richard let the card fall.
Mom looked at him.
“Where is the savings money?”
“Sign away your shares and I’ll return half.”
“You took all of it.”
“And you’ll get half back.
That’s more than most women receive after ruining a marriage.”
“The marriage was ruined when you decided everyone in it existed for your convenience.”
He lowered his voice.
“Give me control of the company, and I won’t tell the bank Daniel knowingly lied.”
Daniel flinched.
“You would sacrifice your own son?” Mom asked.
“I’m offering you a way to protect him.”
Harriet shook her head.
“Daniel has already agreed to provide a statement.”
Richard stared at him.
“You would testify against me?”
“I’ll testify about what I did.
That’s what you never taught me.”
Sandra called from inside the warehouse.
Harriet answered and put her on speaker.
“He’s remotely deleting files,” Sandra said.
“Folders are disappearing from the accounting server.”
Richard turned toward his car.
“Don’t bother,” Sandra continued.
“Our backup service keeps every version.
I’ve locked his account and copied the access logs.”
Harriet’s expression sharpened.
“Send them to me and the bank’s investigator.”
“You have no authority!” Richard shouted toward the building.
Mom held up the fifty-one-percent agreement.
“She has mine.”
Reid came out with his two representatives.
“The sale is canceled.”
“You’ll lose your deposit,” Richard warned.
“I haven’t sent it.”
“You signed a contract.”
“Based on representations that now appear false.”
Richard’s shoulders sank for one second.
Then he looked at Mom and smiled again.
“You think keeping the warehouse saves you?”
“What did you do?” I asked.
He walked to his car and opened the door.
Mom caught the edge before he could close it.
“Answer her.”
“The house was transferred six weeks ago.”
Mom’s hand fell away.
“Transferred to whom?”
“A private holding company.”
Harriet stepped forward.
“A jointly owned home cannot be transferred without Patricia’s valid signature.”
Richard settled behind the wheel.
“You keep saying that word—valid—as if saying it makes it true.”
He started the engine.
“Enjoy the house tonight,” he said through the open window.
“By Tuesday, it belongs to someone else.”
