Chapter 17 - The Woman in White
The emergency hearing began in a courtroom too small for all the residents who came. Nate sat behind Rachel, wearing the blue tie their mother had bought him when he opened his second hotel.
Graham's attorneys argued that the dispute was a business misunderstanding. Owen presented authenticated bank records, the retired notary's statement, the independent trustees' denials, and the original housing covenant. Rachel testified about the phone she had lent Sloane and the approvals she had never granted.
The judge did not decide the fraud case. She temporarily blocked enforcement of the disputed lien and ordered the parties to preserve records and halt the challenged property transfer.
Mrs. Alvarez reached across the aisle and squeezed Rachel's hand.
Then the courtroom doors opened.
Sloane stepped inside with an attorney. She was wearing a plain white blouse, and for one sick instant Nate saw her wedding dress again.
Her lawyer asked permission to address the matter. Sloane had agreed to provide investigators with records and a formal statement; the court would consider only evidence properly presented. She approached Owen during the recess and handed him a sealed copy for his review.
"I was part of it," she said, loud enough for Nate to hear. "I accepted the money. I lied to Nathan. I helped Graham get access to Rachel's phone."
Her voice broke, but she did not stop.
"I knew the plan would hurt people. I told myself we'd fix everything after we got paid."
Nate stood in front of her. "You could have stopped."
"I know."
"Did you ever love me?"
She looked at him for a long time. "Sometimes. Never enough to tell you the truth."
That answer was worse than another lie.
May you like
When court resumed, Detective Vega called Owen into the hallway. Graham's abandoned suitcase contained cash and a photograph of Nate's mother, taken outside the old hotel archives.
On the back, Graham had written: SHE KNEW.
