Chapter 7 - THE MAN WHO BOUGHT THE WATCH
Tessa stayed in Miriam’s office for nearly two hours.
Her father’s company had lost money on three renovations.
Then it had borrowed to finish them.
Then borrowed again to cover the first payments.
“Dad kept saying one good project would fix it,” she said.
“What project?” Alexander asked.
“There wasn’t one.”
The flash drive held invoices, bank transfers, and emails.
Miriam made copies and told Tessa not to alter anything.
At noon, the title company responded.
Their file included a scanned power of attorney bearing my signature.
It was a good imitation.
Too good.
I pointed to the crooked capital M.
“That’s from my Christmas cards.”
Alexander leaned closer.
Bianca had kept every card I mailed them in a drawer near their front door.
The document said I had signed in front of a notary eleven days earlier.
On that date, I had been at a church food drive from nine until two.
Twenty people could confirm it.
I had photographs.
Miriam nodded.
“That gives us something specific to investigate.”
Then Paige called.
“The photographer remembers a man carrying things out during the listing appointment.”
“Ewald?”
“She didn’t know his name.
But she took a picture because he walked into a shot.”
Paige sent it.
Ewald stood in my hallway with my metal box open in his hands.
Alexander swore.
I looked at the photograph until my eyes blurred.
Not because I needed more proof.
Because I recognized the little kitchen towel beneath his arm.
He had wrapped my husband’s watch in it.
Tessa stared at the screen.
“I know where he went.”
She took us to a jewelry buyer near the interstate.
The owner would not discuss a customer’s transaction with us.
So I showed him the police report and a photograph of my husband wearing the watch.
He looked carefully.
Then he called the officer listed on the report.
We waited in silence.
When he returned, his expression had softened.
“I can preserve the item while they sort this out.”
He opened a drawer behind the counter.
There it was.
The scratched silver case.
The worn leather band.
I pressed both hands to my mouth.
Alexander turned away.
Tessa began crying.
The owner looked at Alexander.
“The man who sold this said the owner had died.”
My son stared at him.
Then he looked at me.
May you like
Something inside him finally broke.
“My mother is standing right here.”
