Chapter 10
The extra $190,000 had one destination.
M&R Consulting.
Margaret's company.
Nora's accountant traced a draft settlement statement showing the money would be wired there at closing.
I called Daniel.
He answered on the first ring.
"Emily—"
"What was the $190,000 for?"
Silence.
"What money?"
"Don't do that."
He exhaled.
"Mom said M&R had covered business expenses."
"Your mother was paying herself."
"I didn't know that."
"But you approved it."
"Because she told me to."
I closed my eyes.
That sentence summarized our marriage better than anything else he had ever said.
Because she told me to.
"I'm filing for divorce," I said.
He went quiet.
"Emily, no."
"The papers will come through Nora."
"We can fix this."
"You sat at a table while I screamed."
"I was shocked."
"You were comfortable."
That ended the conversation.
Two hours later, Lisa finally called.
She was crying.
"I didn't know about the refinance."
"Did you know about M&R?"
"Some of it."
"That's not an answer."
She admitted Margaret had paid her mortgage for eighteen months after her husband's job loss.
"Mom said it was family money."
"It was company money."
"I know that now."
"And you laughed when she hit me."
Lisa broke down.
"I hate myself for that."
I did not comfort her.
But I listened.
She said Margaret kept a current ledger in the sewing room and had been shredding documents since Christmas morning.
"How do you know?"
"Because she told me to help."
My grip tightened on the phone.
"Did you?"
"No."
"Where are you now?"
Lisa whispered, "Outside the house."
Then I heard glass break through the phone.
Lisa gasped.
May you like
"Emily, she's burning something in the fireplace."
And before I could answer, the line went dead.
