Chapter 6 - THE MONEY
Lauren’s mouth opened.
Then closed.
“That’s ridiculous.”
Officer Daniels tapped the folder.
“Do you know a man named Eric Dalton?”
“No.”
He looked at her.
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
Dad suddenly spoke.
“I know that name.”
We all turned.
Dad frowned.
“He called my office last month.”
Lauren’s face drained.
“What did he want?” I asked.
Dad looked at her.
“He said Lauren owed him money.”
Lauren jumped up.
“He’s a psycho.”
Daniels raised a hand.
“Sit down.”
This time she didn’t argue.
The truth came out piece by piece.
Eric Dalton wasn’t a boyfriend.
He was an accountant who worked for a small real estate company.
Lauren had been handling payroll there.
Thousands of dollars had disappeared over eighteen months.
Then tens of thousands.
The company suspected Lauren had created fake vendor accounts.
Dad stared at her.
“How much?”
Daniels said, “The current estimate is eighty-seven thousand dollars.”
Mom made a sound like she’d been punched.
I thought about my missing college money.
My mother’s excuses.
Lauren’s constant emergencies.
“How long have you known?” I asked Mom.
“I didn’t.”
Lauren laughed.
“Don’t look at her. She really didn’t.”
Dad’s voice was cold.
“Where’s the money?”
“Gone.”
“On what?”
“That’s none of your business.”
Dad stood.
“It became my business every time your mother asked me to cover one of your debts.”
Mom looked at him.
“I never—”
“Yes, you did.”
He turned toward her.
“The checks for ‘medical bills.’ The apartment deposit. The car repair.”
Mom looked away.
Lauren exploded.
“You all act like you’re perfect!”
“No one said we were,” I replied. “We’re saying you hurt people and then expect everyone else to clean up the wreckage.”
Her eyes locked onto mine.
“You always hated me.”
“No.”
I stepped closer.
“I was afraid of you.”
That shut her up.
“You hit me when I was sixteen.”
She rolled her eyes.
“You stole my college money.”
“That wasn’t stealing.”
“You shoved me while I was pregnant.”
She looked away.
“And tonight you slapped my baby.”
Her chin lifted.
“It was a tap.”
James’ voice cut through the room.
“Stop calling it that.”
Lauren looked at him.
He stood very still.
“You hurt a child because she irritated you.”
Lauren opened her mouth.
James continued.
“That’s what happened. And every time you rename it, you prove you still don’t understand what you did.”
For once, she had nothing to say.
Then Daniels’ phone rang.
He listened.
His eyes shifted toward Lauren.
“Understood.”
He hung up.
“Ms. Miller, the financial crimes unit has obtained a warrant.”
Lauren stood slowly.
“For what?”
Daniels looked directly at her.
May you like
“For your apartment.”
And my sister finally started to panic.
