Chapter 8: Eighty-Two Thousand Dollars
The officers stayed long enough to photograph the documents and warn Dad not to delete Tyler's spreadsheet, messages, receipts, or sales records.
Then one officer looked at Melissa.
“You should speak with an attorney.””
After they left, nobody went to bed.
Tyler sat at the dining table.
“Eighty-two thousand dollars.””
Melissa stood across from him.
“It wasn't all there when I accessed it.””
“How much was left?””
“About seventy-three.””
“And now?””
She hesitated.
“About three thousand.””
Tyler shot up.
“You took seventy thousand dollars from me?””
“I used it for us.””
“For what?””
“Credit cards. A car loan. Medical bills.””
Dad frowned.
“You told me you had savings when we married.””
“I did.””
“This house has been paid off since before you moved in.””
Melissa looked away.
Tyler asked, “Where's the account now?””
“It doesn't exist.””
He went still.
“What?””
“I closed it.””
“And the three thousand?””
“In another account.””
“Whose?””
Her silence answered.
Tyler's eyes filled.
“You stole from me.””
She reached toward him.
He backed away.
Then Tyler looked at Dad.
“I stole from you too. Your father's watch. Her laptop.””
“Yes,” Dad said.
“Why aren't you screaming?””
“Because I think you finally understand what you did.””
Tyler sank into the chair.
I sat across from him.
“Who bought my laptop?””
“Guy named Evan. He offered six hundred cash.””
“You could've asked me for money.””
“I wanted the phone.””
He paused.
“Then Mom saw the listing.””
Dad's head snapped up.
“What?””
Tyler looked at Melissa.
“She told me not to take less than five hundred.””
Dad slowly stood.
“You knew before he sold it?””
Melissa closed her eyes.
“I didn't think he'd actually do it.””
“You saw the listing.””
“I was angry.””
“At whom?””
She pointed at me.
“At her.””
I stared.
“Why?””
“You worked all summer, bought that laptop, talked about college. Daniel praised you. Tyler saw all of it.””
“I earned it.””
“I know!””
“Then why let him steal it?””
“I wanted him to have something nice too!””
Dad's voice went cold.
“So you taught him that if someone else earns something, he can take it.””
Melissa said nothing.
A notification appeared on Tyler's old phone.
An email from the pawn shop.
*ITEM REDEMPTION / OWNERSHIP DISPUTE*
Dad opened it.
Someone had contacted the shop claiming ownership of Grandpa's watch.
“I didn't do this,” Dad said.
“Neither did I,” Tyler whispered.
Melissa's expression gave her away.
Before Dad could question her, his own phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered on speaker.
“Hello?””
“Is this Daniel? My name is Evan Cole.””
I stood immediately.
The laptop buyer.
“I've got your daughter's computer,” Evan said.
“But there's something on it you need to see.””
Dad frowned.
“What?””
“I got it open before she remotely locked it.””
“How?”” I asked.
“Your stepson gave me a recovery drive.””
Tyler went pale.
Evan continued.
“There was a folder on the desktop.””
“I didn't put one there.””
“I figured.””
“What was inside?””
“Scans of your father's signature. His driver's license. The house deed.””
Dad stopped breathing for a second.
May you like
Then Evan added:
“And a document titled ‘Accident Timeline.’”
