Chapter 4: The Company Behind the Contract
Brenda had been there when Christopher planned to remove me from my home, and now her private office was connected to the money he expected to receive from an unauthorized sale.
I couldn't stop staring at the payment instructions.
The company listed there was Whitmore Family Consulting LLC, registered at the same address Brenda used for her so-called charitable work. The documents didn't prove she owned the company or that she had received money from anyone. But they raised questions neither she nor Christopher had been willing to answer.
And I intended to get those answers.
Rachel arrived at the house less than an hour later.
She came carrying a leather briefcase and wearing the expression she reserved for situations in which someone had made her job unnecessarily difficult.
After checking that Harper was sleeping comfortably in the nursery, she placed the documents on the kitchen table.
“Show me exactly where you found the connection,” she said.
I pointed to the payment instructions.
Rachel adjusted her glasses and read the page twice.
“Did you know Brenda had a company registered at this address?””
“No. She told us she used the office for charity work. She organizes fundraising dinners and collects donations for families in need.””
“Did she ever ask you to contribute?””
“Several times. Christopher always said his mother was doing important work. I donated money occasionally, but I never had access to her accounts.””
Rachel wrote something in her notebook.
“Do you remember the name of the charity?””
I told her.
She looked up.
“Was it a registered nonprofit, to your knowledge?””
“I assumed it was. Brenda always spoke about it as if it were an established organization.””
“Assumptions are exactly what we need to avoid now.””
She took out her laptop and began reviewing the documents Daniel had provided.
I sat across from her, trying to keep my breathing steady.
“Rachel, what do you think they were planning?””
“I think the proposed transaction was structured in a way that deserves scrutiny. But we need to establish who prepared the documents, who communicated with the company, and who was supposed to benefit. We cannot conclude from an address alone that Brenda participated in a scheme.””
“I understand.””
“Good. Because if we discover evidence of fraud, the evidence must be handled properly.””
She turned the laptop toward me.
An email had been included in the material received by Daniel's office. It was a brief exchange between Christopher and a representative of Keystone Residential Partners.
Christopher had asked whether the company could proceed with the transaction once the authorization documents were accepted.
The representative replied that the paperwork would need to be reviewed before any transfer could be completed.
Then Christopher had written:
My mother has already arranged the receiving account. Once the property clears, the outstanding balance will be covered.
I read the sentence again.
“My mother.””
Rachel nodded.
“It's relevant, but it doesn't tell us the entire story.””
“Outstanding balance for what?””
“That is what we need to find out.””
I remembered Christopher's contracting business. Six months earlier, he had complained about a commercial project that had gone over budget. After that, he began receiving calls at strange hours. He would step outside to answer them, returning with a tight jaw and a forced smile.
Whenever I asked whether something was wrong, he accused me of treating him like a child.
Now I wondered whether those calls had anything to do with the money he expected from the house.
Rachel closed the email.
“I want you to understand something, Nora. The fact that you've already sold the property through a legitimate transaction is important. It does not make the documents Christopher prepared harmless. But we're not going to assume that everything he did has the same explanation.””
“What should I do?””
“Preserve the documents. Don't sign anything. Don't agree to any private settlement. And don't give either of them an opportunity to persuade you to destroy evidence.””
As if summoned by her words, Christopher entered the kitchen.
He had changed into a gray sweatshirt, but his face was still drawn with anger.
“What is she doing here?””
Rachel stood.
“I'm representing Nora.””
“This is a family matter.””
“No,” Rachel replied evenly.
“A disputed property transaction involving an attempted transfer is a legal matter.””
Christopher looked at me.
“You're really doing this?””
“I haven't done anything except protect myself.””
“You invited a lawyer into our home to humiliate me.””
“Your mother is linked to the proposed payment account, and a document contains a signature I never authorized. What would you have me do? Pretend I didn't see it?””
He glanced at the folder.
“You don't understand the circumstances.””
“Then explain them.””
Christopher opened his mouth, but Brenda appeared in the doorway before he could speak.
“Explain what?”” she demanded.
“That a husband tried to make a difficult decision because his wife refused to cooperate? That she cares more about a house than about the person she married?””
Rachel turned toward her.
“Mrs. Bennett, no one has accused you of a specific criminal offense. We are trying to establish the facts.””
Brenda gave a sharp laugh.
“You lawyers always make everything sound so respectable.””
“Facts generally require less decoration than accusations,” Rachel replied.
Brenda's cheeks reddened.
She took the chair beside Christopher and placed both hands on the table.
“Let's stop this nonsense. Christopher made a mistake. He was trying to keep his business alive. Nora, you know how much pressure he's been under.””
I studied her face.
“Did you know about the authorization document?””
“I know nothing about any forged signature.””
“That wasn't my question.””
“Then ask a question that deserves an answer.””
Christopher rubbed both hands over his face.
“Mother, please.””
Her head snapped toward him.
“Don't tell me what to do.””
For the first time, I saw something besides confidence between them.
Resentment.
It lasted only a second, but it was real.
Rachel gathered her papers.
“I'm going to leave you with one piece of advice. Do not discuss the disputed documents privately among yourselves in an attempt to settle this. Any further communication should go through the appropriate representatives.””
She slipped the papers into her briefcase and turned to me.
“I'll contact you tomorrow.””
After she left, I remained at the table.
Christopher paced between the refrigerator and the back door. Brenda stood at the window, pulling at the cuff of her blouse.
Neither looked at me.
Finally, Christopher stopped.
“I need to know something,” he said.
“Go ahead.””
“Did you actually sell the house?””
“Yes.””
“How much did you get?””
I almost smiled.
Not Are you safe?
Not How is Harper?
Not even Why did you think you had to do this without telling me?
He wanted the number.
“That information isn't relevant to you.””
“Of course it is.””
“Why?””
“Because I'm your husband.””
“Were you thinking about that when you offered me two hundred dollars and told me to leave three days after giving birth?””
His face tightened.
Brenda intervened.
“You are deliberately misunderstanding him.””
“No. I'm finally understanding him.””
Christopher leaned over the table.
“Listen carefully. I have creditors calling me every day. People who don't care about my excuses. You have no idea what I've been dealing with.””
“Then tell me about it.””
“I can't.””
“Won't or can't?””
He struck the table with his fist.
“You think everything can be solved by asking questions!””
Harper began crying upstairs.
The sound cut through the kitchen.
I rose immediately.
Christopher didn't move.
Neither did Brenda.
I looked at them both.
“My daughter is crying. Excuse me.””
As I climbed the stairs, I heard Brenda whisper, “You should never have told her about the account.””
I stopped on the landing.
My heart began beating harder.
Christopher answered in a furious whisper.
“I didn't tell her anything. She found it herself.””
“Then you need to find out what else she has.””
I stood perfectly still, Harper's cries growing louder from the nursery.
Brenda's voice dropped even lower.
“Because if she finds out what the first payment was actually for, neither of us will be able to explain it away.””
I hurried upstairs before they could hear me.
My hands shook as I lifted Harper from her crib and pressed her against my chest.
The first payment.
Not the sale price.
Not the outstanding balance.
The first payment.
Whatever Christopher and Brenda had planned, money had already changed hands somewhere along the way.
And suddenly I understood why my husband had looked more frightened when I showed him the documents than when I told him I had sold the house.
May you like
He wasn't simply afraid of losing the property.
He was afraid of what I might discover about the deal he had already made.
