Chapter 10: My Brother’s Warning
“Before you call the police, James, there’s something you need to know about Sarah.””
I stood so fast my chair scraped across the restaurant floor.
Sarah went pale.
Emily looked between us.
“What did he say?””
I held up one finger.
“David, where are you?””
“That doesn’t matter.””
“It matters to me.””
“Just listen.””
“No. You listen. I’ve seen the messages between you and Michael.””
Silence.
Then my brother exhaled.
“Lauren sent them?””
“Yes.””
“I told Michael to delete those.””
“Good to know your first concern is evidence.””
“James, it isn’t what you think.””
I laughed.
“That sentence must be printed on the family crest.””
Emily stood.
“Put him on speaker.””
Sarah immediately said, “No.””
I looked at her.
“Why?””
She didn’t answer.
That was enough.
I put the call on speaker.
“David,” I said, “Emily and Sarah can hear you.””
He swore.
Sarah closed her eyes.
David’s voice hardened.
“Fine. Sarah knows why I contacted Michael.””
Emily stared at her mother.
“Mom?””
Sarah shook her head.
“David is twisting this.””
“Then untwist it,” I said.
David spoke first.
“About six months ago, Sarah called me.””
I looked at her.
“You haven’t spoken to David in years.””
“I know.””
“So why call him?””
“She needed money,” David answered.
Sarah snapped, “Shut up.””
Emily flinched.
I lowered my voice.
“How much?””
David hesitated.
“Twenty-five thousand.””
I sat back down.
“For what?””
Sarah looked at me with tears in her eyes.
“I was going to replace it.””
“Replace what?””
No answer.
I suddenly remembered our home-equity line.
A statement I had glanced at months ago.
A balance that seemed higher than I remembered.
At the time, Sarah told me it was because of wedding expenses.
I had believed her.
“What did you do?””
She whispered, “I made an investment.””
I stared at her.
“What investment?””
“Michael introduced me to someone.””
Emily’s face twisted.
“You were investing with Michael?””
“No. Not exactly.””
David laughed bitterly through the phone.
“Tell him the whole thing.””
Sarah slammed her palm on the table.
“I said shut up!””
Everyone in the restaurant looked over.
Noah quietly closed the door to the private room.
I kept my eyes on Sarah.
“What whole thing?””
She started crying.
“A property development.””
“Where?””
“Outside Murfreesboro.””
“How much?””
She looked down.
“One hundred thousand.””
My chest went cold.
Emily whispered, “Mom…”
Sarah rushed on.
“I thought I could make it back before the wedding. Michael said the return could be forty percent in six months.””
“And you believed him?””
“He had documents!””
“So did the Franklin house.””
“I didn’t know he was lying then!””
David interrupted.
“She didn’t tell you the best part.””
Sarah shouted, “David!””
“What part?””
My brother went quiet for several seconds.
Then he said, “The hundred thousand came from your home-equity line.””
I already suspected it.
Hearing it still felt like being punched.
I looked at Sarah.
“Our house?””
“I was going to repay it.””
“With what?””
“The profit.””
“What profit?””
Her face collapsed.
There had been none.
David continued.
“Michael told her the development stalled. Then he asked for more money to save the original investment.””
I closed my eyes.
Of course he did.
Classic desperation.
Lose money once, then pay more because admitting the first loss hurts too much.
“So Sarah called you,” I said.
“Yes.””
“And you gave her twenty-five thousand?””
“No.””
I opened my eyes.
“Then why did she call you?””
“To ask how much money you had.””
The room went silent.
I looked at Sarah.
She whispered, “James…”
David continued.
“She wanted to know about Dad’s inheritance.””
Our father had died five years earlier.
David and I had each inherited money.
Mine became the investment account Michael later accessed.
“How would you know my balance?””
“I didn’t. Not exactly.””
“But you gave Michael account information.””
“I gave him information about where Dad’s estate funds had originally been transferred.””
I gripped the table.
“Why?””
“Because Michael said he could recover Sarah’s money.””
I laughed in disbelief.
“You believed him too?””
“No.””
David’s voice changed.
“I wanted something.””
There it was.
“What?””
Another silence.
“Michael owed me.””
Sarah looked confused.
“You never told me that.””
“Because it wasn’t your business.””
I leaned toward the phone.
“How did Michael owe you?””
David exhaled.
“Four years ago, he came to me asking for money.””
Four years.
Long before Emily’s engagement.
Long before his dramatic return.
“Why would he come to you?””
“Because he knew who I was.””
“How?””
“Sarah.””
Her head snapped up.
“I never introduced you.””
“No,” David said.
“But you talked about me.””
Sarah looked lost.
“When?””
“Years ago. Before you and James got married.””
I stared at her.
“What?””
She shook her head.
“David, stop.””
But my brother didn’t.
“I knew Sarah before you did, James.””
The room disappeared around me.
I heard Emily inhale sharply.
Noah stared at Sarah.
I couldn’t speak for several seconds.
Finally:
“How?””
Sarah stood.
“I’m leaving.””
I caught her wrist.
Not hard.
Just enough to stop her.
“No.””
She looked at my hand.
I released her.
“You don’t get to disappear in the middle of another truth.””
David spoke through the phone.
“We dated.””
Emily whispered, “Uncle David?””
Sarah covered her face.
I stared at my wife.
“How long?””
“James, it was before us.””
“How long?””
“Three months.””
“When?””
“The year before I met you.””
David corrected her.
“Eight months before.””
Sarah spun toward the phone.
“You said it was over!””
“It was.””
I felt strangely numb.
“You introduced me to Sarah.””
David became quiet.
“Yes.””
“You told me she was a friend from work.””
“Yes.””
“Why didn’t either of you tell me?””
Sarah sat down again.
“Because it didn’t matter.””
“It matters now.””
David sighed.
“There’s more.””
I laughed.
“Of course there is.””
“Michael knew about me because Sarah told him years ago. When he needed money four years back, he found me.””
“And you helped him?””
“I loaned him thirty thousand.””
“Why?””
“Because he offered collateral.””
“What collateral?””
David’s answer came slowly.
“Information.””
I frowned.
“What information?””
“About Dad.””
My chest tightened.
“Our father?””
“Yes.””
David’s voice became almost a whisper.
“James, Michael claims Dad was sending Sarah money before he died.””
I looked at my wife.
Her face told me everything.
“How much?””
Sarah began shaking.
“James, please.””
“How much did my father give you?””
May you like
She whispered:
“Two hundred thousand dollars.””
