Chapter 6 - EVAN FINALLY LOOKED INSIDE THE LOCKED DRAWER
I called him.
“What did you find?”
Evan was breathing hard.
“I stayed after the police left.”
“Why?”
“Mom told me to get out.”
That surprised me.
“She kicked you out?”
“I told her I wanted to see the paperwork about the house.”
“What happened?”
“She said I was betraying her.”
I closed my eyes.
Of course she did.
“Then?”
“I went into Dad’s old office.”
Evan’s father had died when Evan was nineteen.
Margaret had kept his office almost untouched.
“I found a key taped behind the bottom desk drawer.”
“For what?”
“A filing cabinet in Mom’s bedroom.”
Tessa leaned closer.
“What’s in it?”
Evan went silent.
“Evan?”
“Pictures.”
My skin prickled.
“What kind?”
“Pictures of Maisie.”
I felt sick.
“Doing what?”
“Crying. Sleeping. Sitting on the floor.”
Tessa whispered, “Oh my God.”
“There are notes.”
I gripped the phone.
“What notes?”
“Dates. Times. Things like ‘tantrum after mother leaves.’ ‘Refuses food.’ ‘Bruise on knee.’”
“That psycho was building a case.”
“I think so.”
“You think?”
“I found a folder with your name on it.”
“What’s inside?”
He took a shaky breath.
“Printed screenshots of every angry text you ever sent me.”
I laughed bitterly.
“So she’s been reading our messages.”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“I don’t know.”
“Evan.”
“I don’t know!”
Then his voice broke.
“I’m sorry.”
I didn’t answer.
Sorry felt microscopic compared with what had happened.
He continued.
“There’s something else.”
“What?”
“A document from six years ago.”
Before we were married.
“What kind?”
“A trust.”
Tessa stiffened.
“What trust?”
“My father left money.”
“That’s not a secret,” Tessa said.
“No.”
Evan’s voice dropped.
“This money was for you too.”
Tessa’s face changed.
“What?”
“Dad left each of us $300,000.”
Tessa stood.
“No, he didn’t.”
“Yes.”
“Mom said Dad’s medical bills wiped everything out.”
“She lied.”
Tessa grabbed the edge of the table.
Dad muttered, “Jesus.”
Evan continued.
“She moved both trusts into something called Hale Family Holdings.”
The same company that received my $48,000.
My head started spinning.
“Evan, get out of that house.”
“I’m taking the files.”
“No. Photograph them.”
“Why?”
“Because if she catches you—”
A door slammed through the phone.
Evan stopped breathing.
Then Margaret’s voice came from somewhere behind him.
May you like
“What are you doing?”
The line went dead.
