Chapter 10 - The Name on the Loan
"Claire never borrowed that kind of money," I said.
"That's what we need to establish," Ortiz replied.
The loan was connected to Alder Ridge Holdings. The pages listed Mom's property as security and Claire as a witness to the financial authorization. Her name appeared in careful blue letters beneath a signature that looked almost right.
"They copied her handwriting," I told Ortiz. "But she doesn't make her C that way."
"We'll need a document examiner. More important, your wife was working at the school that afternoon. We can verify her whereabouts."
Grant had spent months helping with Mom's bills. He'd offered to organize her paperwork, saying Mallory was overwhelmed. I had thanked him for it. That memory made me feel sick.
Nora came to the hospital with a copy of the first letter from the box. She didn't read it out loud. She handed it to me.
Ethan, I should have told you sooner. I kept hoping your sister would turn around before I had to choose between keeping her secret and protecting the rest of you. I was wrong to wait.
The sentence blurred.
Mom had always found the softest explanation for Mallory. When Mallory wrecked my car at sixteen, Mom called it an accident. When she emptied their shared emergency account at twenty-eight, Mom called it a loan. And now the lies had reached Claire.
"I was angry at Mom for giving Mallory one more chance," I told Nora. "But I gave her those chances too."
"Then be different now," Nora said. "Tell the truth about everything, including what you did at the cemetery."
I called Ortiz and confirmed that I would give a second statement and cooperate with any investigation into my own assault on Mallory.
The detective was quiet for a moment.
"I appreciate that," she said. "But there's something you should know."
May you like
"What?"
"Grant has released a video online. It's the part where you hit your sister. He cut off everything that happened before it."
