“The seventy-two thousand from your savings, the sixty-five thousand from the fraudulent commercial loan, and another fifty-eight thousand Claire transferred from a brokerage account eighteen months ago.”
I had forgotten the brokerage account.
My uncle had helped me open it after my last deployment.
I rarely touched it.
“Where is the money?”
“Northstar Wellness Consulting.”
“And then?”
Rebecca looked toward Claire.
“Most of it moved offshore.”
Claire stood abruptly.
“That isn’t what happened.”
Rebecca’s eyebrows lifted.
“Then this would be a wonderful time to explain.”
Claire looked at me.
For the first time
all evening, she seemed truly afraid.
Not afraid of losing Derek.
Not afraid of the house.
Afraid of me knowing.
“I was going to leave,” she whispered.
“You already told me that.”
“No. Before Derek.”
Derek turned.
“What?”
Claire ignored him.
“Two years ago, after I found the trust documents, I realized something.”
“What?”
“You were going to leave me first.”
