Randall stopped three feet outside the garage.
\nHe still had that smile on his face.
\nThe kind of smile men wear when they think everybody else is already trapped.
\nJeremy moved in front of me.
\n\u201cLeave.\u201d
\nRandall looked at him.
\n\u201cGood afternoon to you too.\u201d
\n\u201cI said leave.\u201d
\nRandall lifted the brown envelope.
\n\u201cYou might want to hear what I brought before you start pretending you\u2019re brave.\u201d
\nTyler appeared in the doorway behind us.
\n\u201cMom?\u201d
\nI turned.
\n\u201cGo inside.\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m not leaving you out here.\u201d
\n\u201cTyler.\u201d
\nSomething in my voice must have reached him because he stopped.
\nBut he didn\u2019t leave.
\nRandall noticed him.
\nThen Emma.
\nThen Lacey.
\nHis smile widened.
\n\u201cWell, this is cozy.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Lacey stood slowly.
\n\u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d
\nRandall looked at her.
\n\u201cDon\u2019t what?\u201d
\n\u201cDon\u2019t talk to her children.\u201d
\n\u201cInteresting choice of words.\u201d
\nJeremy stepped forward.
\n\u201cYou\u2019re done.\u201d
\nRandall laughed.
\n\u201cNo, Jeremy. You\u2019re done.\u201d
\nHe held up the envelope.
\n\u201cEverything you signed. Every payment. Every claim.\u201d
\nJeremy\u2019s face tightened.
\n\u201cWhat do you want?\u201d
\n\u201cI want Jill to understand her situation.\u201d
\n\u201cMy situation?\u201d I said.
\nRandall looked at me.
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cGo ahead.\u201d
\nJeremy turned.
\n\u201cJill\u2014\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\nI stepped beside him.
\n\u201cIf this man thinks he owns my house, used my name on a loan and forged my divorce, I want him talking.\u201d
\nRandall\u2019s smile faded slightly.
\n\u201cForged is a dangerous word.\u201d
\n\u201cSo is fraud.\u201d
\nThat erased the smile completely.
\nHe opened the envelope.
\nHe pulled out a stack of papers.
\n\u201cYour husband participated in insurance fraud for three years.\u201d
\n\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Jeremy stared at me.
\nRandall raised an eyebrow.
\n\u201cHe told you?\u201d
\n\u201cEnough.\u201d
\n\u201cDid he tell you he signed project certifications?\u201d
\nJeremy snapped, \u201cYou altered those after I signed.\u201d
\nRandall ignored him.
\n\u201cDid he tell you federal investigators contacted the company last month?\u201d
\nI looked at Jeremy.
\nHe hadn\u2019t told me that.
\nRandall saw it.
\n\u201cThere we go.\u201d
\nJeremy\u2019s voice dropped.
\n\u201cShut up.\u201d
\nRandall kept going.
\n\u201cHe knew the investigation was coming.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd that\u2019s why you stole my house?\u201d
\n\u201cI didn\u2019t steal anything.\u201d
\n\u201cThen explain the loan.\u201d
\nRandall handed me a document.
\nHOME EQUITY CREDIT AGREEMENT.
\nBorrower:
\nJill Marie Tolley.
\nMy name.
\nMy address.
\nMy Social Security number.
\nMy employer.
\nEven my monthly income.
\nAt the bottom was a signature.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It looked like mine.
\nAlmost.
\nBut the J was wrong.
\nI always looped the bottom.
\nThis one didn\u2019t.
\n\u201cThat isn\u2019t my signature.\u201d
\nRandall shrugged.
\n\u201cA handwriting expert might disagree.\u201d
\n\u201cYou practiced it.\u201d
\nHe smiled again.
\n\u201cYou should be careful.\u201d
\nMelissa\u2019s words came back to me.
\nDon\u2019t confront anybody until you understand what you\u2019re looking at.
\nBut it was too late for careful.
\n\u201cWhat happened to the money?\u201d
\nRandall didn\u2019t answer.
\nJeremy did.
\n\u201cYou used it to cover the company.\u201d
\nRandall turned toward him.
\nJeremy\u2019s eyes hardened.
\n\u201cWhen the insurance companies started questioning claims, you needed cash.\u201d
\nRandall said nothing.
\n\u201cYou borrowed against our house using Jill\u2019s identity.\u201d
\n\u201cProve it.\u201d
\nJeremy pointed toward the paperwork.
\n\u201cI didn\u2019t know about that loan.\u201d
\n\u201cNo?\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\nRandall looked at me.
\n\u201cYour husband has lied to you for years. Be careful deciding which lie you suddenly believe.\u201d
\nThat hurt because it was true.
\nI hated him for knowing exactly where to cut.
\nJeremy looked at me.
\n\u201cHe\u2019s right about one thing.\u201d
\nRandall looked surprised.
\nJeremy continued.
\n\u201cI lied to you.\u201d
\nHe swallowed.
\n\u201cI lied about Lacey. Emma. The money. The trust.\u201d
\nMy chest tightened.
\n\u201cBut I swear to you, Jill, I didn\u2019t know about that loan.\u201d
\nRandall laughed.
\n\u201cBeautiful speech.\u201d
\nJeremy stepped toward him.
\n\u201cWhy did you forge the divorce?\u201d
\nRandall\u2019s expression changed.
\nJust for a second.
\nThat was enough.
\n\u201cYou know about that too?\u201d
\nI stared at him.
\n\u201cYou just answered the question.\u201d
\nHis face hardened.
\n\u201cI didn\u2019t forge anything.\u201d
\n\u201cEmma was fifteen.\u201d
\nRandall glanced at her.
\nEmma immediately moved closer to Lacey.
\n\u201cThe notary commission was in her name,\u201d I said.
\nRandall looked at me.
\n\u201cYou\u2019ve been busy.\u201d
\n\u201cNot busy enough.\u201d
\nI pulled out my phone.
\nRandall noticed.
\n\u201cAre you recording me?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nJeremy looked at me.
\nI hadn\u2019t been.
\nBut I hit record now.
\nRandall smiled coldly.
\n\u201cThen let me make something very clear.\u201d
\nHe stepped closer.
\n\u201cThis house is collateral on a legal debt.\u201d
\n\u201cBuilt on a forged signature.\u201d
\n\u201cThat remains to be determined.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd the trust?\u201d
\n\u201cLegal.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd my divorce?\u201d
\n\u201cCourt order.\u201d
\n\u201cFiled under false documents.\u201d
\n\u201cAgain, your allegation.\u201d
\nI looked directly at him.
\n\u201cYou\u2019re scared.\u201d
\nHis face changed.
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I stepped closer.
\n\u201cYou drove to my house because a courthouse clerk pulled an old marriage record and somebody requested trust documents.\u201d
\nHe said nothing.
\n\u201cYou\u2019re monitoring county records.\u201d
\nJeremy looked at Randall sharply.
\nI continued.
\n\u201cYou knew within hours.\u201d
\nRandall\u2019s jaw tightened.
\n\u201cThat means you expected somebody to discover this someday.\u201d
\n\u201cJill.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd now you\u2019re here because you want me scared enough to sign something.\u201d
\nHis eyes dropped toward the brown envelope.
\nJust once.
\nI saw it.
\nI pointed.
\n\u201cWhat\u2019s in the rest of that envelope?\u201d
\nHe didn\u2019t answer.
\n\u201cShow me.\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\n\u201cSo that\u2019s what you came for.\u201d
\nRandall folded the papers.
\nJeremy suddenly grabbed his wrist.
\nRandall jerked away.
\n\u201cDon\u2019t touch me.\u201d
\nJeremy stepped closer.
\n\u201cYou\u2019re not leaving with those documents.\u201d
\n\u201cThey\u2019re mine.\u201d
\n\u201cThey concern my wife.\u201d
\n\u201cEx-wife.\u201d
\nThe word exploded in the garage.
\nJeremy froze.
\nRandall smiled.
\n\u201cAccording to the State of Tennessee, Jill hasn\u2019t been your wife for twenty-three months.\u201d
\nTyler spoke from behind us.
\n\u201cGet off our property.\u201d
\nEverybody turned.
\nHe stood in the doorway with his phone in his hand.
\nRandall laughed.
\n\u201cSon, adults are talking.\u201d
\nTyler\u2019s face changed.
\n\u201cI\u2019m not your son.\u201d
\nRandall\u2019s smile disappeared.
\nTyler held up his phone.
\n\u201cAnd I already called the police.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Randall looked toward the street.
\nThen at Jeremy.
\n\u201cYou let your kid call the cops?\u201d
\nJeremy almost smiled.
\n\u201cI didn\u2019t let him do anything.\u201d
\nRandall shoved the papers back into the envelope.
\nI blocked his path.
\n\u201cLeave the documents.\u201d
\nHe stared at me.
\n\u201cMove.\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\n\u201cJill.\u201d
\n\u201cLeave them.\u201d
\n\u201cThose documents belong to my company.\u201d
\n\u201cMy forged signature belongs to me.\u201d
\nHis eyes narrowed.
\nThen Lacey spoke.
\n\u201cI have copies.\u201d
\nRandall turned.
\nShe looked terrified.
\nBut she didn\u2019t move.
\n\u201cCopies of what?\u201d he asked.
\n\u201cThe loan papers.\u201d
\nJeremy stared at her.
\n\u201cYou have them?\u201d
\nLacey nodded.
\n\u201cRandall left a packet at my apartment last month.\u201d
\nRandall\u2019s face went pale.
\n\u201cHe told me Emma had to sign because she was listed in the trust.\u201d
\nEmma looked at her mother.
\n\u201cYou never told me.\u201d
\n\u201cI threw it in my closet.\u201d
\nLacey kept her eyes on Randall.
\n\u201cI never signed.\u201d
\nRandall\u2019s voice became colder.
\n\u201cYou should stay out of this.\u201d
\n\u201cI tried.\u201d
\nShe touched the scarf around her head.
\n\u201cI spent three years thinking I might die. I didn\u2019t have the strength to fight anyone.\u201d
\nThen she looked at me.
\n\u201cBut she does.\u201d
\nSomething inside me shifted.
\nI had spent half the day seeing Lacey as the woman who stole my husband.
\nMaybe she had.
\nMaybe Jeremy had allowed himself to be stolen.
\nMaybe none of those words mattered anymore.
\nBecause right then, Lacey wasn\u2019t standing with Randall.
\nShe was standing beside me.
\nSirens sounded in the distance.
\nRandall heard them.
\nHe backed toward his truck.
\n\u201cThis is a civil dispute.\u201d
\nI said nothing.
\n\u201cYou\u2019re wasting everyone\u2019s time.\u201d
\nHe opened his truck door.
\nJeremy shouted, \u201cRandall!\u201d
\nRandall looked back.
\nJeremy said, \u201cIf you used Jill\u2019s signature\u2014\u201d
\nRandall smiled.
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\nJeremy took another step.
\n\u201cIf you used her name to cover your crimes, I\u2019ll testify.\u201d
\nThat smile disappeared.
\n\u201cYou\u2019ll testify?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cYou?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nRandall laughed quietly.
\n\u201cYou think they\u2019ll believe you?\u201d
\n\u201cI don\u2019t care.\u201d
\n\u201cYou should.\u201d
\nHe pointed toward Tyler.
\n\u201cBecause when investigators are done, your son may be visiting you through glass.\u201d
\nTyler flinched.
\nJeremy\u2019s face hardened.
\nRandall climbed into his truck.
\nBefore shutting the door, he looked at me.
\n\u201cAsk your husband about Claim 419.\u201d
\nThen he drove away.
\nThe sheriff\u2019s deputy arrived two minutes later.
\nRandall was gone.
\nWe gave the deputy his name, license plate and everything we could explain without sounding completely insane.
\nSecret second marriage.
\nForged divorce.
\nFraudulent loan.
\nTrust sale.
\nPossible identity theft.
\nThe deputy stared at us for a moment.
\nThen said, \u201cYou need detectives.\u201d
\n\u201cI need somebody to stop that sale,\u201d I said.
\n\u201cThat part will probably require court action.\u201d
\nOf course it would.
\nEverything required court action when you didn\u2019t have money for court.
\nAfter the deputy left, nobody moved.
\nThen I looked at Jeremy.
\n\u201cClaim 419.\u201d
\nHis face was already telling me I wasn\u2019t going to like the answer.
\n\u201cWhat is it?\u201d
\nHe shook his head.
\n\u201cNot here.\u201d
\nI laughed.
\n\u201cJeremy, I have discovered two wives, a secret child, a hidden bank account, a fake divorce and a quarter-million-dollar loan in one day.\u201d
\nI pointed at the garage floor.
\n\u201cThere is no private place left in this family.\u201d
\nTyler came closer.
\n\u201cTell us.\u201d
\nJeremy looked at him.
\n\u201cSon\u2014\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\nTyler\u2019s voice shook.
\n\u201cYou don\u2019t get to protect me after lying to me.\u201d
\nJeremy closed his eyes.
\nThen he walked to the filing cabinet.
\nHe pulled out another folder.
\nThis one was black.
\nI hadn\u2019t seen it earlier.
\nHe opened it.
\nInside were photographs of houses.
\nDamaged roofs.
\nInsurance estimates.
\nInvoices.
\nJeremy pulled one sheet.
\nCLAIM 419.
\nPolicyholder:
\nEleanor Watkins.
\nI looked at him.
\n\u201cWho is she?\u201d
\nJeremy swallowed.
\n\u201cAn eighty-one-year-old widow.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat happened?\u201d
\n\u201cThere was a hailstorm.\u201d
\n\u201cSo?\u201d
\n\u201cHer roof had minor damage.\u201d
\nHe looked sick.
\n\u201cRandall\u2019s company reported structural failure.\u201d
\nI understood.
\n\u201cThey inflated the claim.\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cHow much?\u201d
\n\u201cInsurance paid one hundred eighty-seven thousand dollars.\u201d
\n\u201cFor a roof?\u201d
\n\u201cIt wasn\u2019t just the roof on paper.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat was on paper?\u201d
\n\u201cWater damage. Mold remediation. Structural reinforcement.\u201d
\n\u201cDid any of that happen?\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\nTyler muttered, \u201cJesus.\u201d
\nJeremy continued.
\n\u201cEleanor signed documents she didn\u2019t understand.\u201d
\nMy stomach tightened.
\n\u201cLike me.\u201d
\nJeremy looked down.
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat happened to her?\u201d
\nHis silence scared me.
\n\u201cJeremy.\u201d
\n\u201cThe insurance company discovered inconsistencies.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd?\u201d
\n\u201cThey refused the final payment.\u201d
\n\u201cSo Randall went after her?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cHow?\u201d
\n\u201cHe placed a contractor lien on her house.\u201d
\nI stared at him.
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\nJeremy\u2019s eyes filled.
\n\u201cShe lost it.\u201d
\nThe garage went completely silent.
\n\u201cShe lost her house?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cWhere is she now?\u201d
\n\u201cAssisted living.\u201d
\nSomething inside me snapped.
\nNot loudly.
\nQuietly.
\nThe way rope snaps after being pulled too long.
\nI looked around at my house.
\nThe garage.
\nTyler\u2019s bicycle.
\nThe freezer Jeremy and I bought after our first Christmas bonus.
\nThe pencil marks on the kitchen doorway where we measured Tyler every birthday.
\nEleanor Watkins had probably had those things too.
\nA kitchen.
\nA favorite chair.
\nMarks on a doorway.
\nAnd men like Randall reduced all of it to paperwork.
\nI looked at Jeremy.
\n\u201cYou knew.\u201d
\nHe nodded.
\n\u201cAnd kept working.\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nI wanted to hate him.
\nMaybe I did.
\nBut his face told me he already hated himself.
\n\u201cWhy keep Claim 419?\u201d
\nHe looked at the black folder.
\n\u201cBecause that was when I started saving evidence.\u201d
\nI froze.
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\nHe opened the folder wider.
\nThere were dozens of documents.
\nCopies of internal emails.
\nOriginal estimates.
\nAltered estimates.
\nBank transfers.
\nPhotos.
\nAudio transcripts.
\n\u201cI started copying everything.\u201d
\nLacey whispered, \u201cJeremy.\u201d
\nHe nodded.
\n\u201cI knew Randall would eventually blame somebody.\u201d
\n\u201cSo you collected evidence?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cFor yourself?\u201d
\n\u201cAt first.\u201d
\nOf course.
\n\u201cAt first?\u201d
\nJeremy looked at me.
\n\u201cThen Eleanor lost her home.\u201d
\nHe swallowed.
\n\u201cAnd I realized this wasn\u2019t just about saving myself.\u201d
\nI flipped through the papers.
\n\u201cHow many claims?\u201d
\n\u201cForty-seven.\u201d
\n\u201cHow much money?\u201d
\n\u201cAbout six million.\u201d
\nTyler stared.
\n\u201cSix million dollars?\u201d
\nJeremy nodded.
\n\u201cAnd Randall knows you have this?\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\n\u201cThen why mention Claim 419?\u201d
\nJeremy\u2019s face tightened.
\n\u201cBecause he knows I felt guilty about Eleanor.\u201d
\nI closed the folder.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re taking this to Melissa.\u201d
\n\u201cJill\u2014\u201d
\n\u201cAll of it.\u201d
\n\u201cIf I hand that over, I\u2019m admitting what I did.\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cI could go to prison.\u201d
\nI looked at him.
\nFor the first time all day, my voice didn\u2019t shake.
\n\u201cThen maybe you go.\u201d
\nTyler looked at me.
\nJeremy did too.
\nI continued.
\n\u201cBut if you keep hiding it, Randall gets to do this to another Eleanor.\u201d
\nJeremy\u2019s eyes filled.
\n\u201cAnd another Jill.\u201d
\nThat landed.
\nHe nodded slowly.
\n\u201cYou\u2019re right.\u201d
\nI put the black folder into my bag.
\nThen Lacey\u2019s phone rang.
\nShe answered.
\n\u201cHello?\u201d
\nHer face changed.
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\nEmma stepped toward her.
\n\u201cMom?\u201d
\nLacey covered her mouth.
\n\u201cWho did this?\u201d
\nShe listened.
\nThen looked at me.
\nPure fear.
\n\u201cWhat happened?\u201d I asked.
\nShe lowered the phone.
\n\u201cMy apartment.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat about it?\u201d
\n\u201cSomeone broke in.\u201d
\nJeremy stiffened.
\n\u201cWhen?\u201d
\n\u201cToday.\u201d
\n\u201cDid they take anything?\u201d
\nLacey stared at him.
\nThen whispered, \u201cOnly one thing.\u201d
\nI already knew.
\n\u201cThe packet Randall left.\u201d
\nShe nodded.
\nThe copies of the loan documents.
\nGone.
\nEmma started crying.
\nJeremy grabbed his keys.
\n\u201cI\u2019m going over there.\u201d
\n\u201cNo,\u201d I said.
\nHe turned.
\n\u201cJill\u2014\u201d
\n\u201cIf Randall sent someone, that\u2019s exactly what he wants.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat do you suggest?\u201d
\n\u201cWe take what we still have to somebody who can protect it.\u201d
\nMelissa.
\nThe courthouse.
\nPolice.
\nAnybody.
\nI reached for the black folder.
\nThen I noticed something tucked behind the final document.
\nA small white envelope.
\nMy name was written on it.
\nJILL.
\nJeremy saw it.
\nHis face went pale.
\n\u201cWhat is this?\u201d
\nHe didn\u2019t answer.
\nI opened it.
\nInside was a handwritten letter.
\nDated eight months earlier.
\nJill,
\nIf you\u2019re reading this, it means everything finally came apart.
\nI stopped.
\nI looked at Jeremy.
\n\u201cYou wrote this?\u201d
\nHe nodded.
\n\u201cWhy?\u201d
\n\u201cKeep reading.\u201d
\nI looked back at the letter.
\nThere are things I did because I was afraid.
\nThere are things I did because I was ashamed.
\nAnd there are things I let happen because I convinced myself I could fix them later.
\nI was wrong.
\nRandall knows enough to destroy me.
\nBut what he doesn\u2019t know is that I copied everything.
\nIf something happens to me, take the black folder to Detective Samuel Price, Financial Crimes Unit.
\nDo not trust Randall.
\nDo not trust anyone at Mercer Roofing.
\nAnd Jill\u2026
\nThere is one last thing I never told you.
\nEmma is not the only child I kept secret.
\nMy hands stopped moving.
\nI looked up.
\nJeremy\u2019s face had completely collapsed.
\nTyler whispered, \u201cWhat?\u201d
\nLacey stared at Jeremy.
\nEven she looked shocked.
\nI read the final line again.
\nEmma is not the only child I kept secret.
\nI could barely breathe.
\n\u201cHow many children do you have?\u201d
\nJeremy opened his mouth.
\nThen closed it.
\nAnd before he could answer, someone knocked on the front door.
\nThree hard knocks.
\nA man\u2019s voice called from outside.
\n\u201cJill Tolley?\u201d
\nI looked toward the house.
\n\u201cWho is it?\u201d
\nThe voice answered.
\n\u201cDetective Samuel Price.\u201d
\nJeremy went white.
\nThe detective named in the secret letter had just arrived at my door.
\nAnd somehow, he already knew my name.<\/p>\n
Nobody moved.
\nDetective Samuel Price knocked again.
\nThree slow knocks.
\n\u201cMrs. Tolley?\u201d
\nJeremy looked at me.
\n\u201cDon\u2019t open it.\u201d
\nI stared at him.
\n\u201cYou wrote his name in that letter.\u201d
\n\u201cI know.\u201d
\n\u201cThen why shouldn\u2019t I open the door?\u201d
\n\u201cBecause I never contacted him.\u201d
\nThat stopped me.
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\nJeremy pointed at the letter in my hand.
\n\u201cI planned to. I never did.\u201d
\nTyler whispered, \u201cThen how does he know Mom?\u201d
\nExactly.
\nI walked toward the kitchen.
\nJeremy followed.
\n\u201cJill.\u201d
\n\u201cIf he\u2019s really a detective, I\u2019m talking to him.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd if he isn\u2019t?\u201d
\nI stopped.
\nEmma\u2019s face went pale.
\nLacey pulled her closer.
\nTyler looked through the front window.
\n\u201cThere\u2019s an unmarked car outside.\u201d
\n\u201cThat proves nothing,\u201d Jeremy said.
\nI looked at Tyler.
\n\u201cStay back.\u201d
\n\u201cMom\u2014\u201d
\n\u201cPlease.\u201d
\nHe stepped away.
\nI reached the front door.
\n\u201cWho are you with?\u201d I called.
\n\u201cWilliamson County Sheriff\u2019s Office. Financial Crimes.\u201d
\nJeremy\u2019s expression changed.
\nPrice continued.
\n\u201cI can show identification through the window.\u201d
\nI pulled the curtain aside two inches.
\nA man in his late forties stood on the porch.
\nGray suit.
\nNo tie.
\nTired face.
\nHe held up a badge and identification card.
\nJeremy looked through the glass.
\n\u201cThat\u2019s him.\u201d
\n\u201cYou\u2019ve seen him?\u201d
\n\u201cOnce.\u201d
\nMy stomach tightened.
\n\u201cWhen?\u201d
\n\u201cEight months ago.\u201d
\nI turned.
\n\u201cYou just said you never contacted him.\u201d
\n\u201cI didn\u2019t.\u201d
\n\u201cThen how did you meet him?\u201d
\nJeremy rubbed his forehead.
\n\u201cHe came to Mercer Roofing.\u201d
\nOf course he did.
\nEvery answer created another question.
\nI opened the door but left the chain latched.
\nDetective Price looked at me.
\n\u201cJill Tolley?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nHe showed the badge again.
\n\u201cI\u2019d like to speak with you and Jeremy.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat about?\u201d
\nHis eyes moved past me.
\nHe saw Jeremy.
\nThen the black folder under my arm.
\nHis face changed.
\n\u201cClaim 419.\u201d
\nI tightened my grip on the folder.
\n\u201cHow do you know about that?\u201d
\nPrice looked directly at Jeremy.
\n\u201cBecause Mr. Tolley mailed me part of that file eight months ago.\u201d
\nI turned slowly.
\nJeremy looked stunned.
\n\u201cNo, I didn\u2019t.\u201d
\nPrice frowned.
\n\u201cYes, you did.\u201d
\n\u201cI never mailed anything.\u201d
\nDetective Price reached into his coat.
\nJeremy immediately raised his hands.
\nPrice stopped.
\n\u201cEasy.\u201d
\nHe slowly pulled out a clear evidence sleeve.
\nInside was an envelope.
\nJeremy\u2019s name appeared in the return-address corner.
\nDetective Price held it against the glass.
\nMERCER ROOFING.
\nJEREMY TOLLEY.
\nThe handwriting looked like Jeremy\u2019s.
\nBut after everything I had learned that day, handwriting didn\u2019t mean much anymore.
\n\u201cWhat was inside?\u201d I asked.
\n\u201cCopies of seven claims, including 419.\u201d
\nJeremy shook his head.
\n\u201cI made copies, but I never sent them.\u201d
\nPrice studied him.
\n\u201cThen somebody wanted me to think you did.\u201d
\nI unlatched the door.
\n\u201cCome inside.\u201d
\nJeremy said, \u201cJill.\u201d
\nI looked at him.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re past secrets.\u201d
\nPrice entered.
\nHis eyes moved through the living room.
\nLacey.
\nEmma.
\nTyler.
\nThen back to Jeremy.
\n\u201cI wasn\u2019t expecting an audience.\u201d
\n\u201cNeither was I,\u201d I said.
\nPrice looked at Lacey.
\n\u201cLacey Burcham?\u201d
\nShe stiffened.
\n\u201cHow do you know me?\u201d
\nHe didn\u2019t answer immediately.
\nThat frightened me.
\n\u201cDetective?\u201d
\nHe looked at me.
\n\u201cMay we sit down?\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\nHe blinked.
\n\u201cI\u2019ve been sitting down for lies all day. Tell me what you came here to say.\u201d
\nPrice nodded.
\nFair enough.
\nHe opened a thin leather folder.
\n\u201cMercer Roofing has been under investigation for fourteen months.\u201d
\nJeremy exhaled.
\nPrice continued.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re looking at insurance fraud, falsified contractor liens, identity theft, forged loan documents and possible money laundering.\u201d
\nI glanced at Jeremy.
\nHis face had gone gray.
\n\u201cPossible?\u201d I asked.
\nPrice looked at the black folder.
\n\u201cThat may change after I see what you\u2019re holding.\u201d
\nI didn\u2019t give it to him yet.
\n\u201cWhy are you here today?\u201d
\nPrice hesitated.
\n\u201cBecause someone accessed documents connected to your property this morning.\u201d
\n\u201cRandall knew that too.\u201d
\nPrice\u2019s eyes sharpened.
\n\u201cRandall Mercer contacted you?\u201d
\n\u201cHe came here.\u201d
\n\u201cWhen?\u201d
\n\u201cAbout twenty minutes ago.\u201d
\nPrice immediately pulled out his phone.
\n\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d
\nI explained.
\nThe loan.
\nThe trust.
\nThe fake divorce.
\nThe brown envelope.
\nClaim 419.
\nPrice stopped typing.
\n\u201cDid you record him?\u201d
\n\u201cSome of it.\u201d
\n\u201cSave the original file. Don\u2019t edit it. Don\u2019t send it around.\u201d
\nI nodded.
\nJeremy said, \u201cHe broke into Lacey\u2019s apartment.\u201d
\nPrice looked at her.
\n\u201cDo you know that?\u201d
\n\u201cSomeone broke in today,\u201d she said. \u201cThe only thing missing was a packet Randall had given me.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat packet?\u201d
\n\u201cLoan documents connected to Jill\u2019s house.\u201d
\nPrice closed his eyes for half a second.
\n\u201cThat matters.\u201d
\nEmma spoke.
\n\u201cSomeone used my name too.\u201d
\nPrice looked at her.
\n\u201cHow?\u201d
\n\u201cThe divorce paperwork says I notarized it.\u201d
\nHe stared at her.
\n\u201cHow old are you?\u201d
\n\u201cSeventeen.\u201d
\n\u201cWhen was the document notarized?\u201d
\n\u201cTwo years ago.\u201d
\nPrice\u2019s jaw tightened.
\n\u201cYou were fifteen.\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nHe looked at me.
\n\u201cDo you have a copy?\u201d
\n\u201cThe attorney at the courthouse does.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat attorney?\u201d
\n\u201cMelissa Grant.\u201d
\nPrice knew the name.
\nHis expression told me.
\n\u201cYou know her?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cHow?\u201d
\n\u201cShe\u2019s helped victims in two other cases connected to Mercer.\u201d
\nMy stomach dropped.
\n\u201cOther cases?\u201d
\nPrice nodded.
\n\u201cYou\u2019re not the first homeowner whose signature appears on paperwork they say they never signed.\u201d
\nJeremy whispered, \u201cHow many?\u201d
\n\u201cEleven confirmed.\u201d
\nNobody spoke.
\nPrice added, \u201cPossibly more.\u201d
\nI looked at the walls around me.
\nMy house suddenly felt like evidence.
\nTyler said quietly, \u201cAre we going to lose the house?\u201d
\nPrice looked at him.
\nThen at me.
\n\u201cI can\u2019t promise what a civil court will do.\u201d
\nTyler looked down.
\n\u201cBut,\u201d Price continued, \u201cif the debt was created using forged documents, there are ways to challenge it.\u201d
\nThat wasn\u2019t a promise.
\nBut it was the first thing that sounded like hope.
\nI finally handed him the black folder.
\nPrice opened it.
\nThe room changed.
\nHe stopped looking tired.
\nHe started looking like a detective.
\nHe flipped one page.
\nThen another.
\nHis eyes moved faster.
\n\u201cWhere did you get these?\u201d
\nHe looked at Jeremy.
\n\u201cI collected them.\u201d
\n\u201cWhen?\u201d
\n\u201cOver three years.\u201d
\n\u201cYou kept originals?\u201d
\n\u201cSome.\u201d
\nPrice flipped deeper.
\n\u201cInternal estimates?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cPayment schedules?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cCustomer signatures before alteration?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nPrice looked up.
\n\u201cDo you understand what this is?\u201d
\nJeremy swallowed.
\n\u201cEvidence.\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\nPrice held up one sheet.
\n\u201cThis is the bridge between the insurance claims and the shell companies.\u201d
\nJeremy frowned.
\n\u201cWhat shell companies?\u201d
\nPrice slowly lowered the paper.
\n\u201cYou don\u2019t know?\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\nPrice pulled a chair out and sat.
\nFor the first time, I realized he was shocked.
\n\u201cRandall wasn\u2019t just inflating claims.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat else?\u201d
\n\u201cMoney from fraudulent claims was moved through subcontractors.\u201d
\nJeremy nodded.
\n\u201cThat I knew.\u201d
\nPrice continued.
\n\u201cSeveral subcontractors don\u2019t exist.\u201d
\nJeremy\u2019s face changed.
\nPrice pointed to a company on the paper.
\n\u201cBlue Ridge Restoration Services.\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019ve seen that name.\u201d
\n\u201cThere is no Blue Ridge Restoration Services.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a mailbox.\u201d
\nHe pointed to another.
\n\u201cClaymore Materials.\u201d
\nJeremy nodded.
\n\u201cSupplier.\u201d
\n\u201cNo warehouse. No employees. No inventory.\u201d
\nAnother.
\n\u201cRMC Property Solutions.\u201d
\nJeremy stared.
\n\u201cThat\u2019s Randall\u2019s side company.\u201d
\nPrice looked at him.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s owned by a woman named Patricia Mercer.\u201d
\nJeremy frowned.
\n\u201cHis mother?\u201d
\nPrice nodded.
\n\u201cShe died six years ago.\u201d
\nTyler whispered, \u201cHe owns a company in a dead person\u2019s name?\u201d
\n\u201cOn paper,\u201d Price said.
\nI felt sick.
\n\u201cHow much money?\u201d
\nPrice looked at me.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve documented more than four million moving through those entities.\u201d
\nJeremy sat down hard.
\nPrice kept looking through the folder.
\nThen he stopped.
\nOne sheet had caught his attention.
\nHe pulled it out.
\nA wire transfer.
\n$86,000.
\nRecipient:
\nJMT Holdings.
\nPrice looked at Jeremy.
\n\u201cWhat is JMT Holdings?\u201d
\nJeremy shook his head.
\n\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d
\nPrice stared at him.
\n\u201cJMT.\u201d
\nJeremy Lee Tolley.
\nEveryone understood at the same time.
\nJeremy stood.
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\nPrice pointed to the transfer.
\n\u201cIt uses your initials.\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019ve never owned a company.\u201d
\n\u201cAccording to state records, you do.\u201d
\nI felt another piece of my life breaking loose.
\n\u201cWhen was it created?\u201d I asked.
\nPrice checked his notes.
\n\u201cThirty-one months ago.\u201d
\nRight around the second marriage.
\nThe hidden account.
\nEverything.
\nJeremy\u2019s voice shook.
\n\u201cI swear I didn\u2019t create that.\u201d
\nPrice studied him.
\n\u201cI believe you might not have.\u201d
\nJeremy looked surprised.
\n\u201cWhy?\u201d
\n\u201cBecause you\u2019re not listed as organizer.\u201d
\n\u201cWho is?\u201d
\nPrice hesitated.
\nThen turned the document around.
\nOrganizer:
\nEmma Louise Burcham.
\nEmma made a sound like the air had been punched out of her.
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\nLacey stood.
\n\u201cShe was fourteen.\u201d
\nPrice nodded.
\n\u201cThat\u2019s the point.\u201d
\nEmma began crying.
\n\u201cI didn\u2019t do any of this.\u201d
\nPrice\u2019s voice softened.
\n\u201cI know.\u201d
\nShe looked at him.
\n\u201cHow?\u201d
\n\u201cBecause whoever created these records reused identities connected to Jeremy\u2019s family.\u201d
\nI stared at him.
\n\u201cWhy?\u201d
\n\u201cTo build distance between Randall and the money.\u201d
\nJeremy whispered, \u201cHe used us as shields.\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nPrice looked at me.
\n\u201cIf investigators found the shell company first, they would see Jeremy\u2019s initials and Emma\u2019s identity.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd Randall disappears behind them.\u201d
\n\u201cExactly.\u201d
\nLacey sat down.
\n\u201cOh God.\u201d
\nEmma held her.
\nI looked at Price.
\n\u201cThen arrest him.\u201d
\nHis face tightened.
\n\u201cI need enough to charge him.\u201d
\nI pointed at the folder.
\n\u201cWhat is that?\u201d
\n\u201cPotentially enough to help.\u201d
\n\u201cPotentially?\u201d
\n\u201cFinancial cases have to be built carefully.\u201d
\nI hated that answer.
\nPrice continued.
\n\u201cIf we move too soon and the evidence doesn\u2019t hold, he walks.\u201d
\nJeremy looked at him.
\n\u201cWhat do you need?\u201d
\nPrice closed the folder.
\n\u201cSomething connecting Randall directly to the forged records.\u201d
\nLacey spoke.
\n\u201cThe packet he brought me.\u201d
\n\u201cIt\u2019s gone.\u201d
\nI thought of Randall\u2019s visit.
\nHis brown envelope.
\nThen something clicked.
\n\u201cHe touched documents today.\u201d
\nPrice looked at me.
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\n\u201cThe loan papers.\u201d
\n\u201cDo you have them?\u201d
\n\u201cNo. He took them.\u201d
\nPrice leaned back.
\n\u201cThen we need another route.\u201d
\nJeremy suddenly stood.
\n\u201cI might have one.\u201d
\nEveryone looked at him.
\nHe walked toward the garage.
\nI followed.
\n\u201cWhere are you going?\u201d
\n\u201cMy old work phone.\u201d
\n\u201cYou still have it?\u201d
\n\u201cI thought I did.\u201d
\nWe followed him to the filing cabinet.
\nHe removed the bottom drawer completely.
\nBehind it was an old cracked smartphone wrapped in a plastic grocery bag.
\nTyler stared.
\n\u201cDad, what is this, a spy movie?\u201d
\nJeremy ignored him.
\nHe turned the phone on.
\nDead.
\nI found a charger.
\nWe waited.
\nThe screen finally lit.
\nJeremy entered a code.
\nDozens of old text messages appeared.
\nRandall Mercer.
\nJeremy scrolled.
\nThen stopped.
\nHis face changed.
\n\u201cHere.\u201d
\nPrice took the phone.
\nA message from Randall:
\nUSE JILL\u2019S INFO ON THIS ONE. BANK WON\u2019T CHECK IF EVERYTHING MATCHES COUNTY RECORDS.
\nMy stomach turned.
\nAnother message:
\nGET EMMA\u2019S DOB FROM LACEY. I\u2019LL HANDLE THE REST.
\nEmma started crying again.
\nAnother:
\nAFTER DIVORCE FILES CLEAR, TRUST TRANSFER BECOMES EASIER.
\nI looked at Jeremy.
\n\u201cYou saw these?\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\n\u201cThey were on your phone.\u201d
\n\u201cThis wasn\u2019t my normal phone.\u201d
\n\u201cThen whose was it?\u201d
\n\u201cCompany phone. Randall collected it after jobs.\u201d
\nPrice looked up.
\n\u201cWhy do you have it?\u201d
\n\u201cRandall threw it away after the screen cracked.\u201d
\nJeremy swallowed.
\n\u201cI took it out of the trash because I thought there might be evidence on it.\u201d
\nPrice kept scrolling.
\nThen he stopped.
\nHis face hardened.
\n\u201cThis is it.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\n\u201cA message where Randall tells someone to create the divorce petition.\u201d
\nMy body went cold.
\n\u201cWho was he texting?\u201d
\nPrice looked at the screen.
\n\u201cThe contact is saved as M.G.\u201d
\nMelissa Grant.
\nMy attorney.
\nI stared at him.
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\nPrice\u2019s expression didn\u2019t change.
\nI grabbed the phone.
\nThe message read:
\nM.G. NEED DIVORCE FILE ENTERED BEFORE FRIDAY. USE EXISTING SIGNATURE SAMPLE. SAME ARRANGEMENT AS WATKINS.
\nMy heart stopped.
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\nMelissa had helped me.
\nMelissa had told me to protect myself.
\nMelissa had found the sealed divorce.
\nPrice took the phone back.
\n\u201cDo not assume M.G. is Melissa Grant.\u201d
\n\u201cBut the initials\u2014\u201d
\n\u201cInitials aren\u2019t proof.\u201d
\nJeremy suddenly looked at Lacey.
\n\u201cWhat was Randall\u2019s accountant\u2019s name?\u201d
\nShe frowned.
\n\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d
\nHe snapped his fingers.
\n\u201cMarsha.\u201d
\nPrice looked at him.
\n\u201cLast name?\u201d
\nJeremy went still.
\nThen whispered, \u201cGivens.\u201d
\nM.G.
\nPrice searched something on his phone.
\nHis expression darkened.
\n\u201cMarsha Givens.\u201d
\nHe turned the screen toward us.
\nLicensed notary.
\nFormer loan officer.
\nCurrent office manager at Mercer Roofing.
\nEverything clicked.
\nThe forged notarizations.
\nLoans.
\nDivorce paperwork.
\nTrust transfers.
\nI whispered, \u201cShe can create paperwork that looks legitimate.\u201d
\nPrice nodded.
\n\u201cAnd she has access to employee records.\u201d
\nJeremy looked at Emma.
\n\u201cBirth dates.\u201d
\nPrice nodded.
\n\u201cAddresses. Social Security information. Signature samples.\u201d
\nEmma wiped her face.
\n\u201cSo she used me.\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nPrice looked at Jeremy.
\n\u201cAnd Jill.\u201d
\nI felt anger replace fear.
\n\u201cWhere is Marsha?\u201d
\nPrice checked his watch.
\n\u201cAt Mercer Roofing if she hasn\u2019t left.\u201d
\nJeremy stood.
\n\u201cThen let\u2019s go.\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\nPrice\u2019s answer was immediate.
\nJeremy frowned.
\n\u201cNo?\u201d
\n\u201cYou stay here.\u201d
\n\u201cWhy?\u201d
\n\u201cBecause if Randall suspects this phone exists, he may come looking for it.\u201d
\nTyler looked toward the windows.
\n\u201cThat\u2019s comforting.\u201d
\nPrice took an evidence bag from his case.
\n\u201cI need this phone.\u201d
\nJeremy hesitated.
\nThen handed it over.
\nPrice sealed it.
\n\u201cI\u2019m also taking copies of the black folder.\u201d
\nI nodded.
\n\u201cYou\u2019re not taking the original.\u201d
\nPrice looked at me.
\n\u201cSmart.\u201d
\n\u201cI learned fast today.\u201d
\nHe almost smiled.
\nThen his phone rang.
\nHe checked the number.
\nHis expression changed.
\nHe answered.
\n\u201cPrice.\u201d
\nWe listened.
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nPause.
\n\u201cWhen?\u201d
\nLonger pause.
\n\u201cDon\u2019t touch anything.\u201d
\nHis face went completely still.
\n\u201cI\u2019m on my way.\u201d
\nHe hung up.
\n\u201cWhat happened?\u201d I asked.
\nHe didn\u2019t answer immediately.
\nThen he looked at Jeremy.
\n\u201cMercer Roofing is on fire.\u201d
\nJeremy stared.
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\n\u201cWarehouse and office.\u201d
\n\u201cOh my God.\u201d
\nPrice grabbed his coat.
\n\u201cWhen did it start?\u201d
\n\u201cAbout fifteen minutes ago.\u201d
\nJeremy looked at the black folder.
\n\u201cHe\u2019s destroying everything.\u201d
\n\u201cProbably.\u201d
\nPrice moved toward the door.
\nThen stopped.
\n\u201cStay here.\u201d
\nI laughed.
\n\u201cYou keep saying that like people listen to me.\u201d
\nHe looked at me.
\n\u201cThis time I mean it.\u201d
\nHe left.
\nThe room went quiet again.
\nTyler sat on the stairs.
\nEmma sat beside Lacey.
\nJeremy stared at the front door.
\nI looked at the letter still in my hand.
\nThen I remembered the line we had never finished discussing.
\nEmma is not the only child I kept secret.
\nI looked at Jeremy.
\nHe saw my face.
\n\u201cOh.\u201d
\n\u201cYes. Oh.\u201d
\n\u201cJill\u2014\u201d
\n\u201cNo more fires. No more fraud. No more Randall.\u201d
\nI held up the letter.
\n\u201cWho is the other child?\u201d
\nLacey looked at Jeremy.
\n\u201cI want to know too.\u201d
\nJeremy slowly sat.
\nHe looked twenty years older than he had that morning.
\n\u201cHis name is Caleb.\u201d
\nTyler\u2019s face hardened.
\n\u201cAnother son?\u201d
\nJeremy nodded.
\n\u201cHow old?\u201d
\n\u201cTwenty-three.\u201d
\nMy stomach dropped.
\nTwenty-three.
\nOlder than our marriage.
\n\u201cWho is his mother?\u201d
\nJeremy didn\u2019t answer.
\nI stepped closer.
\n\u201cJeremy.\u201d
\nHis eyes filled.
\n\u201cHer name was Rebecca.\u201d
\n\u201cWas?\u201d
\n\u201cShe died.\u201d
\n\u201cWhen?\u201d
\n\u201cFour years ago.\u201d
\n\u201cHow long did you know about Caleb?\u201d
\n\u201cSince he was born.\u201d
\nThat hurt differently.
\nWith Emma, Jeremy claimed he didn\u2019t know.
\nCaleb?
\nHe knew.
\nTwenty-three years.
\n\u201cYou abandoned him?\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat do you call hiding your own son?\u201d
\nJeremy looked down.
\n\u201cI sent money.\u201d
\nTyler laughed bitterly.
\n\u201cThat seems to be your solution for everything.\u201d
\n\u201cTyler.\u201d
\n\u201cNo, Dad.\u201d
\nHis eyes filled.
\n\u201cYou had another son my entire life?\u201d
\nJeremy nodded.
\n\u201cDoes he know about me?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nTyler looked like he had been slapped.
\n\u201cSo strangers know about me, but I don\u2019t know about them.\u201d
\nI put my arm around him.
\nJeremy whispered, \u201cI was ashamed.\u201d
\nTyler pulled away from me and stood.
\n\u201cThat doesn\u2019t fix anything.\u201d
\nHe went upstairs.
\nThis time I let him.
\nI looked at Jeremy.
\n\u201cWhere is Caleb now?\u201d
\nJeremy\u2019s eyes met mine.
\n\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d
\n\u201cHe disappeared about a year ago.\u201d
\n\u201cDisappeared?\u201d
\n\u201cHe stopped answering calls.\u201d
\n\u201cDid you report him missing?\u201d
\n\u201cHe was twenty-two.\u201d
\n\u201cThat wasn\u2019t my question.\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\n\u201cWhy?\u201d
\nJeremy hesitated.
\nBecause of course there was another secret.
\n\u201cBecause before he disappeared, Caleb worked for Randall.\u201d
\nMy entire body went cold.
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\n\u201cHe was an estimator.\u201d
\n\u201cFor Mercer Roofing?\u201d
\nJeremy nodded.
\n\u201cFor six months.\u201d
\nLacey whispered, \u201cJeremy\u2026\u201d
\nI stared at him.
\n\u201cDid Caleb know about the fraud?\u201d
\n\u201cI think so.\u201d
\n\u201cDid he know about Claim 419?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cHow?\u201d
\nJeremy looked toward the window.
\n\u201cHe was the original estimator.\u201d
\nMy breath caught.
\n\u201cThe widow\u2019s house?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cThe house she lost?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd then Caleb disappeared.\u201d
\nJeremy nodded.
\nI suddenly understood why Claim 419 mattered so much.
\nIt wasn\u2019t just Jeremy\u2019s guilt.
\nIt was connected to his secret son.
\nI asked, \u201cWhat happened before Caleb disappeared?\u201d
\nJeremy rubbed his hands together.
\n\u201cHe called me.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d
\n\u201cHe said he found something in Randall\u2019s office.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\n\u201cHe wouldn\u2019t tell me over the phone.\u201d
\n\u201cThen?\u201d
\n\u201cHe said he copied it.\u201d
\nMy heartbeat quickened.
\n\u201cWhere is the copy?\u201d
\n\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d
\n\u201cDid you meet him?\u201d
\n\u201cWe were supposed to.\u201d
\n\u201cWhen?\u201d
\n\u201cThe next morning.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd?\u201d
\n\u201cHe never came.\u201d
\nI whispered, \u201cThen what?\u201d
\n\u201cHis apartment was empty.\u201d
\n\u201cCar?\u201d
\n\u201cGone.\u201d
\n\u201cBank account?\u201d
\n\u201cNo activity.\u201d
\nLacey covered her mouth.
\nI stared at Jeremy.
\n\u201cYou didn\u2019t think that was suspicious?\u201d
\n\u201cI did.\u201d
\n\u201cBut you didn\u2019t call police.\u201d
\nJeremy\u2019s voice broke.
\n\u201cCaleb told me not to.\u201d
\n\u201cWhen?\u201d
\n\u201cDuring the last call.\u201d
\n\u201cWhy?\u201d
\n\u201cHe said he didn\u2019t trust anyone.\u201d
\nMy skin prickled.
\n\u201cWhat exactly did he say?\u201d
\nJeremy closed his eyes.
\nThen repeated the words.
\n\u201cIf I don\u2019t show tomorrow, don\u2019t call the cops. Don\u2019t call Randall. Don\u2019t call anyone from the company.\u201d
\nI waited.
\n\u201cThere was one more thing.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\nJeremy opened his eyes.
\n\u201cHe said, \u2018Dad, tell Jill I\u2019m sorry.\u2019\u201d
\nThe room seemed to tilt.
\nI stared at him.
\n\u201cWhy would your secret son apologize to me?\u201d
\nJeremy looked terrified.
\n\u201cI never knew.\u201d
\nMy phone buzzed.
\nUnknown number.
\nI almost ignored it.
\nThen a text appeared.
\nJILL TOLLEY?
\nI looked at Jeremy.
\nAnother message arrived.
\nYOU DON\u2019T KNOW ME.
\nMy heart started pounding.
\nA third.
\nMY NAME IS CALEB.
\nJeremy stood so fast the chair fell backward.
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\nI held up the phone.
\nHe grabbed my wrist.
\n\u201cShow me.\u201d
\nThe next message appeared before I could.
\nDO NOT TRUST RANDALL.
\nThen another.
\nDO NOT TRUST DETECTIVE PRICE EITHER.
\nNobody breathed.
\nThen the final message came.
\nIF PRICE TOOK THE BLACK FOLDER, YOU JUST GAVE THE EVIDENCE TO THE WRONG MAN.<\/p>\n