Chapter 9 - THE FAMILY BUSINESS
Jessica’s father was named Raymond Cole.
I had met him six times.
Polite man.
Expensive watch.
Always overdressed.
He claimed to be in “business consulting.”
I had never asked what that meant.
Now I knew.
Daniel explained that Raymond and Victor controlled several small companies.
Hard-money lending.
Property investments.
Debt purchases.
Companies that appeared and disappeared every few years.
“Are they criminals?” I asked.
“I’m not saying that.”
“But?”
“There are lawsuits.”
“How many?”
“Twelve that I found quickly.”
I stood beside the tree.
“For what?”
“Predatory lending claims. Contract disputes. Property transfers.”
My hand went cold around the phone.
“Property transfers?”
“Yes.”
I thought about the fake deed.
“This was not Jessica panicking.”
“I wouldn’t jump that far yet.”
“I would.”
On Christmas morning, I did something I had never done before.
I canceled dinner.
For thirty-eight years, Christmas dinner happened in my house.
People came.
People ate.
People argued.
People forgave.
That year, I wanted silence.
Louise stayed.
At 10:00 a.m., someone knocked.
It was not Matthew.
Raymond Cole stood on my porch.
Gray overcoat.
Leather gloves.
A bottle of wine in one hand.
I did not open the storm door.
“What do you want?”
He smiled.
“Peace.”
“You raised Jessica. You may want to start there.”
His smile thinned.
“I understand emotions are running high.”
“Stop talking to me like I’m confused.”
He nodded.
“Fair enough.”
“What do you want?”
“To make sure this situation does not become unnecessarily ugly.”
I laughed.
“My signature was forged.”
“I was told there were misunderstandings.”
“Forgery is a misunderstanding?”
He glanced toward the street.
“May I come in?”
“No.”
His jaw tightened.
“Eleanor, families sometimes make financial arrangements informally.”
“Not mine.”
“Matthew and Jessica are under tremendous pressure.”
“From your partner?”
That got him.
His expression barely changed.
Barely.
But I saw it.
“Victor is not my partner.”
“Daniel Brooks says otherwise.”
“Your lawyer should be careful making accusations.”
“That sounded like a threat.”
“It wasn’t.”
“Then leave.”
He didn’t move.
Instead he lowered his voice.
“Jessica signed a personal guarantee.”
“For what?”
“Her business financing.”
“How much?”
“More than she told Matthew.”
Of course.
“How much?”
“Two hundred seventy thousand.”
I stared at him.
“That’s impossible.”
“It isn’t.”
“She told Matthew one hundred twenty.”
Raymond gave a tired smile.
“Jessica tells people what they can handle.”
Like everyone else in my family, apparently.
“What does my house have to do with her debt?”
“She identified it as a potential family asset.”
“Potential?”
“She believed Matthew would inherit.”
“When I died.”
He said nothing.
My heart started beating harder.
“How soon were you people expecting that?”
His expression changed.
“Be careful.”
“No. You be careful.”
Louise appeared behind me.
“Ellie?”
“I’m fine.”
Raymond stepped backward.
“I came here to solve this quietly.”
“There is nothing quiet about stealing a widow’s house.”
“No one stole your house.”
“Because the county stopped you.”
He stared at me.
Then he said something strange.
“You really don’t know, do you?”
My skin prickled.
“Know what?”
He looked almost amused.
“The deed wasn’t the first document Jessica filed.”
My stomach dropped.
“What other document?”
Raymond put the wine bottle on the porch.
Then he walked away.
I called after him.
“What other document?”
He never turned around.
Ten minutes later, Daniel called.
His voice was tight.
“Ellie, I need you to sit down.”
I already knew.
“Tell me.”
“We found a life insurance policy.”
“On who?”
May you like
He hesitated.
“On you.”
