Chapter 8 - REBECCA’S SECRET
I called the hospital immediately.
Rebecca answered on the second ring.
“Evelyn?”
“Put Sophie on.”
A pause.
“She’s asleep.”
“Wake her.”
“What?”
“Wake her and put her on the phone.”
Rebecca heard something in my voice.
A minute later Sophie answered.
“Mommy?”
“Hi, sweetheart.”
“Are you coming back?”
“Yes.”
“Rebecca brought me pancakes.”
I closed my eyes.
“Good.”
I forced my voice to remain calm.
“Give the phone back to Rebecca.”
She did.
Rebecca returned.
“What’s wrong?”
“Don’t leave that room.”
Silence.
“What happened?”
“Police found a shell company in your name.”
Another silence.
This one was longer.
“Rebecca.”
“I can explain.”
“Then start.”
“I didn’t create it.”
“But you knew.”
“I found out six months ago.”
My anger rose.
“You knew Preston was moving money?”
“I knew he was using my name.”
“And you said nothing?”
“He threatened me.”
“With what?”
Rebecca’s voice cracked.
“My father’s medical debt.”
I said nothing.
Her father, my uncle Thomas, had died the previous year after a long illness.
“He told me the company had covered expenses that insurance didn’t.”
She continued.
“After Dad died, Preston showed me documents saying the payments were unauthorized loans.”
“So?”
“He said I owed the company almost four hundred thousand dollars.”
“That doesn’t explain the shell company.”
“He said if I signed formation documents, he’d erase the debt.”
I leaned against the elevator wall.
“You signed them.”
“Yes.”
“And then?”
“I started receiving bank statements.”
“How much?”
“Millions.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because Preston said I would go to prison too.”
I shut my eyes.
Fear.
That was the family currency.
They bought obedience with it.
They had used it on me.
On Rebecca.
Probably on dozens of others.
“Did you keep the statements?”
Rebecca hesitated.
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“I made copies.”
“Where?”
“In my father’s old storage unit.”
Detective Torres was watching me.
I covered the phone.
“She has records.”
The detective immediately reached for her own phone.
I returned to Rebecca.
“You’re going to give them everything.”
“I know.”
“No more partial truths.”
“I know.”
“No protecting yourself at Sophie’s expense.”
“I know.”
Her voice broke.
“I’m sorry.”
I wanted to hate her.
Part of me did.
But another part recognized exactly what Preston had done.
He had spent years identifying the weakest point in every person around him.
Then pressing.
Money.
Shame.
Family loyalty.
Fear.
Sophie had simply been the newest pressure point.
“Stay with her.”
“I will.”
I ended the call.
Detective Torres looked at me.
“If those records exist, this may become a major financial investigation.”
“Good.”
Martin stared down the corridor.
“Evelyn.”
I turned.
An elderly man was standing near the elevators.
Tall.
Silver-haired.
Holding a wooden cane.
I recognized him immediately.
Arthur Bennett.
My grandmother’s former attorney.
I had not seen him since her funeral.
He looked at me for a long moment.
May you like
Then he said words that changed everything again.
“Your grandmother knew this day would come.”
