Chapter 7 - THE SIGNATURE
Nora found the document in Arthur’s archive.
It was an addendum to the divorce settlement.
Maddie allegedly stated that no pregnancy had resulted from their fertility treatments.
She also supposedly agreed not to contact Vance personally about future claims.
Vance stared at the signature.
Maddie’s name.
Almost right.
“I didn’t sign that,” she said.
Arthur, summoned to Nora’s office, looked suddenly older.
“It came through the family office.”
“From whom?” Nora asked.
“I understood Mrs. Callahan had coordinated it.”
“Maddie or Eleanor?”
He didn’t answer.
Nora turned the document toward him.
“Those are two different people, Mr. Bell.”
“Eleanor.”
Maddie let out a short breath.
Vance reached toward her, then lowered his hand.
She wasn’t asking to be comforted.
She was trying not to shake.
Nora compared the addendum with Maddie’s original settlement signature.
Different letter formation.
Different spacing.
A date when Maddie had been admitted overnight for severe dehydration.
“I’ll request the original and obtain independent examination,” Nora said.
“Until then, nobody makes a public accusation.”
Arthur unbuttoned his jacket.
“I did not know it was false.”
“You knew the pregnancy letters contradicted it,” Vance said.
“I was told she had withdrawn those claims.”
“By my mother.”
“Yes.”
“And you never asked Maddie?”
Arthur’s silence filled the room.
Maddie stood.
“I called your office eleven times.”
Arthur looked at her.
“I left messages after every letter. Your assistant said someone would call.”
“I wasn’t informed.”
“You were paid to handle my divorce. Who exactly was supposed to care?”
Nora opened her laptop.
“The electronic file was created two days after the date printed on it.”
Arthur leaned closer.
“That isn’t possible.”
“It happened.”
She read the account name attached to the upload.
Lila Crane.
Vance closed his eyes.
Arthur’s phone began vibrating.
He glanced at the screen, then put it facedown.
Nora noticed.
“Who is calling?”
“No one relevant.”
The phone rang again.
Vance turned it over.
Eleanor.
A message preview appeared.
May you like
Do not give them the original. We can still contain this.
For once, Arthur didn’t reach for his phone.
