Chapter 10 - What Robert Wrote
Jennifer had chosen the wrong man to impersonate.
Robert never called our house “the family home.” He called it “the old girl,” usually when a pipe burst or a window stuck.
Helen compared the photocopy with my scan. The typeface didn’t match. The page margins changed where the final paragraph had been removed.
She sent a preservation request to Stuart and Jennifer. By then, the report about the missing box had also been filed.
Jennifer called me that evening.
“You’ve made this ugly.”
“You took Robert’s letter.”
“I protected Stuart’s interest.”
“Robert left his interest in writing. You cut it off.”
She was silent.
Then she said, “You won’t keep the grandchildren away from their father.”
“I have never tried to.”
“You’re making him look like a monster.”
“He can answer for what he did. So can you.”
I ended the call.
The next morning, Stuart came to my porch alone. He stayed outside.
“I found the box in Jennifer’s car,” he said. “It’s here.”
He placed it between us. The latch was bent, but the papers appeared to be inside.
“Did you know she made that fake letter?” I asked.
“No.”
“Did you know she was writing false things for the doctor?”
“I knew she kept notes. I didn’t read them.”
I believed he was telling me some of the truth. That did not make his choices harmless.
He looked into the house at the stacked boxes.
“I thought you’d get the money when it sold,” he said. “I figured you might help us. Jennifer pushed the rest.”
“And you pushed the turkey.”
He flinched.
“Yes.”
I lifted the box. “You should go.”
“Mom, can I at least help you move?”
“No.”
He walked to his car, stopped, and turned back.
“Lily says you’re leaving town.”
I hadn’t told Lily where I was going.
Neither had I told Martha or Helen.
Only Denise knew.
I waited until Stuart drove away, then called her.
May you like
A man answered Denise’s phone.
“Ines?” he said. “This is her brother. She’s at the hospital.”
