Chapter 10 - Luke’s Secret
Luke asked me to meet him in a parking lot.
I refused.
“If you have something to say, come to Rachel’s office.”
He arrived looking like he hadn’t slept.
Rachel placed a recorder on the table.
“You understand this conversation is voluntary?”
Luke nodded.
Then he looked at me.
“Aunt Teresa said you were hiding money from Amy.”
I stared at him.
“So you stole company documents?”
“She said she needed proof of your income.”
“For what?”
He rubbed his face.
“The loan.”
Amy inhaled sharply.
Luke continued.
“She said you wanted to surprise Amy with a renovation.”
“That makes no sense.”
“I know that now.”
“No.”
My voice rose.
“You knew it then.”
Luke looked down.
I hated that he could not meet my eyes.
“How much did she pay you?”
His head snapped up.
That answered the question.
“How much?”
“Five thousand.”
Amy whispered.
“Oh my God.”
Luke started talking faster.
“I owed money.”
“So you sold my identity?”
“I didn’t know she would forge anything.”
“You copied my tax returns.”
“I know.”
“You copied my pay stubs.”
“I know.”
“You copied confidential work documents.”
“I know.”
Rachel stopped me before I stood.
She asked Luke what else Teresa requested.
His answer was worse.
“She wanted Frederick’s birth certificate.”
Amy went rigid.
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you give it to her?”
Luke hesitated.
“Yes.”
I felt sick.
Rachel leaned forward.
“What else?”
“Connor’s passport copy.”
“Why did you have that?”
“He kept a scanned copy with travel documents.”
I closed my eyes.
Luke’s voice became quieter.
“She also asked whether Amy had ever been treated for depression.”
Amy stared.
I looked at her.
She shook her head.
“No.”
Luke continued.
“Aunt Teresa said she might need evidence that Amy couldn’t handle Frederick.”
There it was.
Financial fraud.
A staged neglect complaint.
Attempts to portray Amy as unfit.
The pieces finally formed one picture.
Teresa wanted influence over me.
Money.
The house.
And access to Frederick.
If Amy could be pushed out, Teresa would move in.
She had practically said it at the party.
In this house, I make the rules.
Rachel asked Luke one final question.
“Who is Raymond?”
Luke went pale.
“You know about Raymond?”
“Who is he?”
“My aunt’s boyfriend.”
I stared at him.
“My mother doesn’t have a boyfriend.”
Luke gave a bitter laugh.
“She’s had one for almost two years.”
Amy and I exchanged looks.
“What does he do?”
Luke swallowed.
“Real estate investments.”
Rachel’s expression changed.
“Full name?”
“Raymond Cole.”
She typed it into her laptop.
Thirty seconds later, she turned the screen toward us.
Raymond Cole had been sued three times for fraudulent property transfers.
He had also declared bankruptcy twice.
And according to Luke, Teresa planned to give him forty thousand dollars from the loan against my house.
May you like
The family drama had just become something much more dangerous.
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