Chapter 10: Patricia's Voice
“Play it again.””
Margaret looked at me carefully.
“Daniel—”
“Please.””
She restarted the recording.
A woman spoke to the trustee in a soft, measured voice.
“My name is Rachel Carter. I'm calling regarding the protective account established for my daughter, Emily.””
My stomach twisted.
Rachel's voice had been warm and slightly husky.
This wasn't close.
But I knew this voice.
I had heard it crying in Marcus's kitchen.
I had heard it apologizing for staying silent.
Patricia.
Marcus leaned toward me.
“You're sure?””
“Yes.””
Margaret stopped the recording.
“I need to be precise. You recognize the voice as Patricia?””
“My wife's mother.””
Margaret wrote something down.
“When did you last speak with her?””
“This morning.””
“Does she know you're here?””
“No.””
My phone rang.
Patricia.
Marcus and I stared at the screen.
I answered.
“Daniel?””
Her voice sounded exactly like the recording.
“Where are you?””
“With an attorney.””
Silence.
Then: “About Emily?””
“Yes.””
Another pause.
“Is she okay?””
“She is.””
I looked at Margaret.
“Patricia, where are you?””
“At my house. Caleb's with me.””
“Stay there.””
“Why?””
“I need to talk to you.””
Her breathing changed.
“Did Vanessa tell you something?””
“No.””
“Then what's wrong?””
I couldn't hold it back.
“Why did you call a trustee pretending to be my dead wife?””
Silence.
Not confusion.
Not outrage.
Silence.
“Patricia?””
The call ended.
I immediately called back.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
I stood.
“Caleb is with her.””
Marcus grabbed his jacket.
We contacted the people already involved before doing anything else.
By the time we reached Patricia's house, another vehicle was pulling up.
The front door was open.
“Caleb!””
I ran inside.
He appeared at the top of the stairs.
“Daniel?””
Relief nearly knocked me over.
“Are you okay?””
“Yeah.””
“Where's your grandmother?””
He pointed toward the kitchen.
Patricia sat at the table.
Her car keys were in front of her.
So was a folder.
She looked twenty years older.
“I wasn't going anywhere,” she said.
I looked at the keys.
“I didn't ask.””
“You thought I was.””
“I thought you hung up after I asked why you impersonated Rachel.””
Caleb froze behind me.
Patricia looked at him.
“Sweetheart, go upstairs.””
“No.””
His voice surprised everyone.
“I want to know too.””
Patricia started crying.
“I was trying to help your mother.””
“By pretending to be Rachel?””
She covered her face.
“I didn't know what Vanessa was really doing.””
My anger rose.
“You keep saying that.””
“Because it's true.””
“You saw videos.””
“Later.””
“You knew she wanted Emily gone.””
“I knew she wanted space.””
“She's six!””
“I know!””
Her shout cracked.
Then Patricia broke.
“She told me she was drowning.””
I stared at her.
“In debt?””
“In everything.””
Patricia wiped her cheeks.
“Hawthorne was failing. She'd borrowed from cards, lenders, friends. Lauren wanted out. Vanessa was terrified you'd discover it.””
“So she decided Emily's money could rescue her?””
“She told me the money was yours.””
“It wasn't.””
“I know that now.””
“You called pretending to be a dead woman.””
Patricia looked sick.
“Vanessa said it was only to ask questions.””
“Why Rachel?””
“She said they wouldn't discuss the account with anyone else.””
“So you impersonated her.””
“Yes.””
The admission sat between us.
Caleb whispered, “Grandma…”
Patricia looked toward him.
“I'm sorry.””
I pointed at the folder.
“What's that?””
Her hand covered it.
“Nothing.””
I laughed once.
“I'm finished hearing that word.””
I didn't touch the folder.
“Open it.””
Patricia stared at me.
Then she slowly did.
Bank statements.
Loan notices.
Printouts from Hawthorne.
And photographs.
One showed Vanessa standing beside Lauren Pierce.
Another showed Patricia.
All three women were inside the apartment.
“You were involved in Hawthorne.””
Patricia shook her head.
“I loaned Vanessa money.””
“You were at the apartment.””
“I helped unpack.””
I picked up another page.
A spreadsheet listed debts.
$18,400.
$27,900.
$11,600.
Then a line labeled PRIVATE NOTE — L.P.
$52,000.
“Lauren?””
Patricia nodded.
“She invested.””
Marcus leaned closer.
“That's over a hundred thousand in debt.””
Patricia looked down.
“Vanessa thought if Hawthorne survived another year, she could repay everyone.””
“With Emily's money.””
“She told me it was temporary.””
I stared at her.
“Did you help forge my signature?””
“No.””
The answer came instantly.
“Did you know she was doing it?””
Patricia hesitated.
That hesitation was enough.
“Patricia.””
“I saw her practicing once.””
Caleb had said the same thing.
“And you said nothing?””
“I told her to stop.””
“But you stayed quiet.””
“Yes.””
I looked away.
Then Caleb spoke.
“Grandma, where's Mom?””
Patricia frowned.
“At home.””
“No.””
He shook his head.
“She called me.””
“When?””
“Before Daniel came.””
My head snapped toward him.
“What did she say?””
Caleb swallowed.
“She said she was going somewhere Dad used to take her.””
Patricia's face went white.
“Your dad?””
Caleb's biological father had supposedly disappeared from their lives years earlier.
Vanessa told me he had abandoned them.
“What was his name?”” I asked.
Patricia closed her eyes.
“Eric.””
“Eric what?””
“Pierce.””
I looked down at the photograph.
Lauren Pierce.
My pulse stopped.
“Who is Lauren?””
Patricia whispered, “Eric's sister.””
May you like
And suddenly Hawthorne wasn't just Vanessa's failing business.
It was connected to the man she'd told me was gone forever.
