Chapter 6: The Night My First Wife Died
The room seemed to tilt.
I looked at Vanessa.
She was staring at the phone as if it were a ticking bomb.
"What did she mean?"" I asked.
Vanessa shook her head.
"Michael, don't listen to her.""
I grabbed the phone.
"Mom, answer me. Why was Vanessa at the hospital the night Emily died?""
My mother sounded exhausted.
"Your wife was there because she was helping me.""
"Helping you with what?""
"Michael, this isn't the time.""
"Then when is the time?""
She sighed.
"Emily and I had an argument that evening.""
I remembered that night with painful clarity.
Emily had been admitted to the hospital after complications from an unexpected medical emergency.
I'd been at her bedside for hours.
Doctors had told me they were doing everything they could.
I remembered holding her hand.
I remembered the machines.
I remembered promising her that Caleb would always be loved.
But I didn't remember Vanessa.
At that time, Vanessa had been a stranger.
We hadn't met until nearly two years later.
I looked at my wife.
"How did you know my mother?""
Vanessa stood abruptly.
"I met her through a mutual friend.""
"When?""
"After Emily died.""
"That's not what my mother just said.""
She rubbed her face.
"Michael, I didn't know Emily was going to die.""
The words hit me like a punch.
I stared at her.
"Why would you say that?""
She covered her mouth.
My mother was still on the phone.
"Michael, I think you should sit down.""
I didn't.
"Tell me what happened.""
There was a long pause.
Finally, my mother began speaking.
"Emily had discovered that someone had been trying to access Caleb's savings account.""
My chest tightened.
"What?""
"She received notifications about unusual account inquiries. She thought someone had been trying to take money.""
I looked at the blue notebook.
Emily's handwriting.
The account details.
The dates.
"Who was trying to access it?""
My mother hesitated.
"I don't know.""
"Mom!""
"I said I don't know!""
I lowered my voice.
"Then why were you arguing with her?""
My mother began crying.
"She accused me of helping someone get access to the account. She said she had found paperwork that didn't belong there.""
I looked at Vanessa.
She was slowly backing toward the hallway.
I stepped in front of her.
"Where are you going?""
"To get some water.""
"Stay here.""
My mother continued.
"That evening, I went to the hospital because Emily asked to see me. Vanessa came with me because she was helping me with some paperwork.""
"What paperwork?""
"Nothing important.""
I laughed in disbelief.
"Emily was dying, and you were discussing paperwork?""
"Michael, I didn't know how serious her condition was!""
I closed my eyes.
I could almost see Emily lying in that hospital bed.
Her pale face.
Her weak fingers wrapped around mine.
Her whispered request that I never let Caleb grow up feeling alone.
I opened my eyes.
"Did Emily tell you who was trying to access the account?""
My mother didn't answer.
Then Vanessa spoke.
"Michael, I think you should hear the whole story.""
I turned toward her.
"Then tell me.""
She swallowed.
"Your mother asked me to help her contact a financial adviser. Emily had discovered some irregularities, but she didn't understand what they meant.""
"Why would Emily need a financial adviser?""
"Because she thought someone had moved money from the account.""
I stared at her.
"Someone had?""
Vanessa looked at my mother.
That tiny movement told me more than any answer could.
I turned back to the phone.
"Mom, did you take money from Caleb's account before Emily died?""
My mother's voice became defensive.
"I borrowed some of it.""
The silence that followed was unbearable.
"How much?""
"I was going to put it back.""
"How much?""
"Twenty thousand dollars.""
I felt my knees weaken.
"You took twenty thousand dollars from your grandson before his mother died?""
"It was temporary!""
"Did Emily know?""
"She found out.""
"And?""
My mother started crying.
"She said she was going to tell you. She threatened to change the account arrangements.""
I looked at Vanessa.
"Why was she involved?""
My wife finally spoke.
"Because your mother was afraid.""
"Afraid of what?""
"That Emily would report her.""
I stared at both women.
My mother continued speaking through the phone.
"I made a mistake, Michael. I know that now.""
"Then why did you help Vanessa take another seventy-four thousand dollars?""
"I didn't take that money!""
I looked at the video on the coffee table.
"Your voice is on the recording.""
My mother fell silent.
Then she said, "Vanessa told me she had a plan to move the money somewhere safe.""
"Safe for whom?""
Nobody answered.
I walked toward the front window.
Outside, the neighborhood was quiet. A couple of children were riding bicycles under the streetlights.
I thought about Caleb sitting on that little stool, eating rice while everyone else enjoyed dinner.
I thought about his broken shoes.
And I thought about the woman who had promised me she would never let him feel abandoned.
My phone vibrated.
David had sent a message.
I'm reviewing the account information you provided. Something doesn't add up. The original beneficiary documents appear to have been changed. We need to establish who authorized the changes.
I immediately called him.
"David, what do you mean?""
His voice was tense.
"Michael, I found a record showing that someone submitted a request to change the beneficiary designation on Caleb's account.""
"To whom?""
"That's the problem. The request was made shortly before Emily died, but the bank's records indicate the original paperwork was disputed.""
"Who disputed it?""
David paused.
Then he said:
"Your mother.""
I gripped the phone.
"Why?""
"Because the document she submitted claimed that Emily had voluntarily removed Caleb as the sole beneficiary.""
I stared at the wall.
"That's impossible.""
"I agree. But there's more. The signature on the document appears to have been questioned.""
"By whom?""
David lowered his voice.
"An independent handwriting examiner flagged it as potentially forged.""
My heart began pounding.
"Who signed it?""
David took a breath.
"According to the document, Emily Bennett.""
I looked toward Vanessa.
She was standing motionless in the hallway.
For the first time, she didn't look angry or defensive.
She looked terrified.
I walked toward her.
"Did you forge my first wife's signature?""
Vanessa began shaking her head.
"No.""
"Then who did?""
She looked at the phone in my hand.
Then she whispered five words that made the entire room go silent.
"Your mother didn't act alone.""
I stared at her.
"Who helped her?""
Vanessa's eyes filled with tears.
Then she looked directly at me.
"Michael, the person who helped change those documents was someone you trusted enough to give a key to Emily's house.""
And before I could ask another question, the doorbell rang.
I looked through the glass.
A man in a dark suit was standing on my porch, holding a leather folder.
He introduced himself through the door.
"Mr. Bennett? My name is Daniel Cross. I'm the attorney representing your mother and your wife.""
Then he held up a document.
"And I'm here to inform you that, effective immediately, you're being asked to surrender temporary custody of Caleb Bennett.""
I stared at him.
Because the signature at the bottom of the document wasn't Vanessa's.
May you like
It wasn't my mother's either.
It belonged to someone whose involvement I had never suspected.
