The words remained in my head long after Officer Vega ended the call.<\/p>\n
He kept Robert there too.<\/p>\n
Grady heard them.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not good enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI agree.\u201d<\/p>\n
We were told again to stay where we were.<\/p>\n
This time Grady did not argue immediately. He stood in the middle of his living room staring at the blank television screen as though it might produce instructions.<\/p>\n
I called St. Matthew.<\/p>\n
Nathan was awake.<\/p>\n
Melissa transferred me after I explained the urgency.<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s voice sounded rough.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRandall took Kelsey.\u201d<\/p>\n
He inhaled sharply.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPolice think a lake house near Mercer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRandall invited me after the first equipment sale.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said you didn\u2019t know about Randall at first.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t. Kelsey introduced him later.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much later?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the second transaction.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another discrepancy.<\/p>\n
Small enough to explain.<\/p>\n
Large enough to record.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened at the lake house?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe showed me old Midwest records.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRobert\u2019s records?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSome.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you see a recording?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you see anything belonging to Robert?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA metal file case.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGray. Combination lock.\u201d<\/p>\n
I remembered one.<\/p>\n
Robert kept it in our basement for years.<\/p>\n
Then, after his death, I could not find it.<\/p>\n
I assumed he had discarded it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was inside?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRandall never opened it in front of me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy show it to you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo convince me he had documentation proving the money was his.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you believe him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt first.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI started checking.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat changed your mind?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cInvoice numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n
I almost smiled despite the circumstances.<\/p>\n
Robert and his numbers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about them?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ledger Randall showed me listed diverted payments as losses caused by Robert.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSome invoices were dated after Robert left Midwest.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo Robert couldn\u2019t have caused those losses.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you confront Randall?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKelsey?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat she already knew.\u201d<\/p>\n
That stopped me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout a year ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kelsey had told us she learned after the first equipment transactions.<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s timeline placed her knowledge later.<\/p>\n
Someone was still bending chronology.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she show you the drive?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she mention Robert\u2019s ledger?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFour or five months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Around the time Nathan hid documents in my SUV.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she want?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOut.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOut of what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was new.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe asked me to help unwind the transactions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI tried.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI started reconstructing where the money went.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Randall found out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that why you hid copies?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t Kelsey go to police?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause she had forged enough paperwork to believe she\u2019d go to prison.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe might.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Randall threaten her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExposing everything. Hurting Grady. Hurting Marlene.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at my son.<\/p>\n
He was watching me.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he threaten me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cKelsey said he did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat if you started digging, he would make sure Grady blamed you for losing everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
I thought about the call asking me to stay away.<\/p>\n
Not violence.<\/p>\n
Isolation.<\/p>\n
Randall understood family leverage.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything else about the lake house?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a boathouse downhill from the main building.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOther access?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPrivate road and water.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSecurity?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCameras.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlarm?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably.\u201d<\/p>\n
I relayed the information to Officer Vega by text.<\/p>\n
Then I asked Nathan the question that had begun bothering me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy did you tell the hospital I was the person most likely to believe you?\u201d<\/p>\n
He was quiet.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Robert wrote about you.\u201d<\/p>\n
My skin prickled.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou saw his letters?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSome.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat you noticed details.\u201d<\/p>\n
I sat down.<\/p>\n
Nathan continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wrote that Randall underestimated you because you weren\u2019t involved in the business.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robert had said something similar once after a county dispute.<\/p>\n
People confuse not being loud with not paying attention.<\/p>\n
I had forgotten that too.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat if something happened to him, he hoped you would leave it alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
That sounded equally like Robert.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why drag me into it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause leaving it alone stopped being possible when Kelsey reopened the account.\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cRest.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKaren.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRandall lies best when he uses something true.\u201d<\/p>\n
I waited.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019ll tell you Robert mishandled money.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRobert apparently did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019ll tell you Kelsey stole.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019ll tell you I profited.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
I appreciated the answer more than he probably understood.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout nine thousand in legitimate commissions. Another four I shouldn\u2019t have accepted.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause by then I suspected the source of the funds.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWill you tell police?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
I ended the call.<\/p>\n
Grady sat opposite me.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs everyone corrupt?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFeels like it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople can make serious mistakes without becoming nothing but the mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked toward the stairs.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that what you think about Kelsey?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know what I think about Kelsey.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou hate her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
He seemed almost offended.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow can you not?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause hate would make the facts simpler than they are.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe stole from me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe forged my signature.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe manipulated me against you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe put Nathan in danger.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPossibly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe knew Randall was dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you don\u2019t hate her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am angry enough that hate would probably feel restful.\u201d<\/p>\n
That silenced him.<\/p>\n
My phone rang.<\/p>\n
Officer Vega.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re moving on the lake property.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs Kelsey there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe so.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRandall?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHis vehicle was spotted nearby.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCan we come?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grady swore.<\/p>\n
Vega continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, we need you at the station.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMarlene is giving a statement, and she says she has something that belongs to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe won\u2019t give it to anyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n
We drove to the station under instructions not to deviate from the route.<\/p>\n
Marlene sat in an interview room with a blanket around her shoulders.<\/p>\n
She looked twenty years older than she had at Christmas.<\/p>\n
When she saw Grady, she began crying.<\/p>\n
He stopped inside the doorway.<\/p>\n
She tried to stand.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grady did not move toward her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marlene sank back into the chair.<\/p>\n
\u201cI helped Kelsey.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the signature?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told me the money belonged to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean she could take it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked away.<\/p>\n
Marlene turned toward me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI should have called you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was ashamed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI kept thinking we could put the money back before anyone knew.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was one of the oldest sentences in financial wrongdoing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you have for me?\u201d<\/p>\n
She reached beneath the blanket and removed a small envelope.<\/p>\n
Officer Vega had already inspected it.<\/p>\n
Inside was a brass key.<\/p>\n
I recognized the label attached by faded tape.<\/p>\n
R.M.W. FILE.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did you get this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRandall.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cToday.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy did he have it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe took it from Robert years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the gray file case?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think so.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did you get it from Randall?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marlene swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen he picked me up, he wanted me to convince Kelsey to bring the flash drive.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou got into his car voluntarily.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought I could calm him down.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you know he had Nathan attacked?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot until today.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe drove me to the warehouse. We argued. He said if Kelsey wouldn\u2019t cooperate, he would make sure she took responsibility for all of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the key?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe had a ring of keys on the desk. I saw Robert\u2019s initials.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou stole it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marlene blinked.<\/p>\n
It was the first thing she had done that day I approved of.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is the file case?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLake house.\u201d<\/p>\n
Officer Vega entered.<\/p>\n
He looked tired.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have an update.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grady stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cKelsey?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s alive.\u201d<\/p>\n
His knees almost buckled.<\/p>\n
I caught his arm.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you have her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur team has visual confirmation inside the property.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Randall?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlso inside.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy haven\u2019t you gone in?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re handling it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The phrase was deliberately vague.<\/p>\n
I did not push.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you find the gray file case?\u201d<\/p>\n
Vega looked at Marlene.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe found a locked case in a detached structure.\u201d<\/p>\n
I held up the key.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen you may need this.\u201d<\/p>\n
He took it.<\/p>\n
Forty minutes later, while we waited, an evidence technician returned with photographs.<\/p>\n
They had opened the case.<\/p>\n
Inside were Robert\u2019s original ledger, correspondence, old corporate records, photographs, and several cassette tapes.<\/p>\n
Cassette tapes.<\/p>\n
Grady stared at the image.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad recorded things?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cApparently.\u201d<\/p>\n
One tape bore a date.<\/p>\n
The day before Robert died.<\/p>\n
My throat tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that the recording Randall mentioned?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPossibly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCan we hear it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
I hated that answer.<\/p>\n
I accepted it.<\/p>\n
Vega pointed to another item in the photograph.<\/p>\n
A sealed envelope.<\/p>\n
KAREN.<\/p>\n
Robert\u2019s handwriting.<\/p>\n
This time there was no doubt.<\/p>\n
My hand went to my mouth.<\/p>\n
Grady looked away.<\/p>\n
Vega said quietly, \u201cOnce it\u2019s processed, we\u2019ll discuss access.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marlene began crying again.<\/p>\n
I could not.<\/p>\n
Not yet.<\/p>\n
Another hour passed.<\/p>\n
Then Vega\u2019s phone rang.<\/p>\n
He listened.<\/p>\n
His shoulders lowered slightly.<\/p>\n
When he hung up, he looked at Grady.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have your wife.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grady stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s safe?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe has minor injuries. She\u2019s conscious.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Randall?\u201d<\/p>\n
Vega paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe escaped the house before entry.\u201d<\/p>\n
The relief vanished.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBoathouse.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan had warned us.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re searching the lake and surrounding roads.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grady asked, \u201cCan I see Kelsey?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSoon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vega turned to me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen officers entered the boathouse, they found financial records Randall had been preparing to destroy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRobert\u2019s?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSome.\u201d<\/p>\n
He placed a preliminary evidence photograph on the table.<\/p>\n
One document had my name.<\/p>\n
Not the SUV.<\/p>\n
Not Robert\u2019s account.<\/p>\n
My house.<\/p>\n
A property transfer form.<\/p>\n
The signature at the bottom looked like mine.<\/p>\n
Karen M. Whitlow.<\/p>\n
No middle initial.<\/p>\n
My stomach went cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Vega said, \u201cIt appears someone was preparing to transfer an interest in your home.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Marlene.<\/p>\n
She covered her mouth.<\/p>\n
Grady whispered, \u201cMom.\u201d<\/p>\n
I kept staring at the false signature.<\/p>\n
The SUV had never been the largest thing Randall intended to take.<\/p>\n
It had only been practice.<\/p>\n
The words remained in my head long after Officer Vega ended the call. He kept Robert there too. Grady heard them. \u201cWhat did she mean?\u201d \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s not … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4729,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chapter-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4740"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4740\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4758,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4740\/revisions\/4758"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4729"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}