Chapter 6 - THE OBITUARY
David read his own obituary at the dining-room table.
It described him as a decorated soldier, loving father and devoted husband.
It even included a sentence Sarah had used in their wedding vows.
The file had been created nine days after the Army listed him missing.
Nine days.
Sarah covered her mouth.
"I never saw that."
Agent Ortiz believed her about that part.
The document metadata showed it had been created on Marcus's laptop.
But Sarah had signed other forms.
A power of attorney.
A request to redirect mail.
An application to refinance the house.
"I thought I was protecting the kids," she said.
David stared at her.
"By giving him control?"
Sarah snapped, "You weren't here!"
The words cracked through the room.
David did not raise his voice.
"I was serving."
"And I was alone."
"Those are both true."
His answer took the fight out of her.
"But Maya still needed you."
Sarah began to sob.
I wanted to comfort my sister.
I also wanted to shake her.
Child protective services placed Maya and Eli temporarily with David, contingent on medical clearance and a safe residence. Because the house was now a crime scene, we went to my apartment for the night.
Maya refused to sleep in a bedroom alone.
David sat on the floor beside the couch until she finally drifted off.
At 2:00 a.m., she woke screaming.
"The cup! I didn't mean to drop it!"
David held her carefully.
"Nobody is mad about the cup."
She blinked through tears.
"Marcus said soldiers don't want crybabies."
David's jaw tightened.
"Marcus doesn't get to tell you what soldiers want."
"What do soldiers want?"
David looked at me over her head.
Then back at his daughter.
"They want kids to feel safe enough to be kids."
Maya fell asleep against him.
His phone vibrated.
A message from Ortiz.
They had located the notary on the forged deed.
May you like
She was Marcus's older sister.
And she had notarized documents for three other military families.
