Chapter 2 - WHAT GARRET LEFT BEHIND
At nine the next morning, I called a locksmith.
Not because I needed permission to enter Redwood Crest.
Because I wanted a witness.
Natalie arranged for a property representative to meet us there.
Paige insisted on coming too.
Maya stayed with Paige’s husband, Daniel, for forty-five minutes.
It was the first time I had been away from her since she was born.
I hated every second.
But there were things inside Redwood Crest I needed.
My documents.
Maya’s medical paperwork.
My laptop.
And whatever Garret had left behind.
The locksmith examined the keypad.
“This code was changed yesterday at 3:42 p.m.”
Paige looked at me.
Garret’s flight had departed at 5:10.
He had locked me out before leaving for the airport.
This hadn’t been impulsive.
He had planned it.
The locksmith reset the system.
The door clicked open.
I stepped inside.
The house smelled exactly the same.
Cedar.
Coffee.
The faint lavender polish our housekeeper used on the wood floors.
Nothing had changed.
And somehow everything had.
Paige entered behind me.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
I wasn’t.
On the kitchen counter sat a champagne bottle.
Three glasses.
A receipt from the afternoon before.
Garret.
Evelyn.
Tessa.
They had celebrated before leaving.
Paige picked up the receipt.
“Maybe they were celebrating the trip.”
“Maybe.”
I didn’t believe it.
Neither did she.
I went upstairs.
My bedroom looked untouched.
Then I opened the closet.
Half of Garret’s clothes were gone.
Not vacation clothes.
Suits.
Shoes.
Watches.
Two pieces of luggage were missing.
I opened the safe.
My jewelry was there.
My passport was there.
But the folder containing copies of our prenup was gone.
My stomach tightened.
“Paige.”
She appeared in the doorway.
“What?”
“The prenup copies are missing.”
Her expression changed.
“Garret took them?”
“Someone did.”
“Does Natalie have originals?”
“Yes.”
“Then why take copies?”
That was the question.
We searched his office.
Nothing unusual at first.
Then Paige opened the shredder.
“Audrey.”
Inside were strips of paper.
She pulled several out.
Most were unreadable.
One wasn’t.
It contained part of Redwood Crest’s address.
Another had my full legal name.
A third contained the words PROPERTY TRANSFER.
My skin went cold.
“Bag those.”
Paige stared at me.
“You think he was trying to transfer the house?”
“I don’t know.”
But I intended to find out.
I opened Garret’s desk.
Locked.
The locksmith opened it for me.
Inside was an envelope.
My name was written across the front.
Not in Garret’s handwriting.
Evelyn’s.
I opened it.
There was no letter.
Only a photocopy of a document.
A quitclaim deed.
My name appeared as grantor.
Garret’s name appeared as grantee.
I stared at the signature line.
Someone had practiced my signature.
Again.
And again.
And again.
None of them were perfect.
But they were close.
Paige whispered one word.
“Oh.”
I photographed everything.
Then I called Natalie.
She answered immediately.
“I need you to stop whatever you’re doing.”
“What happened?”
“I found a draft quitclaim deed in Garret’s desk.”
Silence.
“And someone has been practicing my signature.”
Natalie’s voice changed.
“Do not touch anything else.”
“I already photographed it.”
“Good.”
“Take the original envelope.”
“Why?”
“Because this just stopped being only about divorce.”
I looked around Garret’s office.
For years, I had thought his greatest flaw was entitlement.
Maybe I had underestimated him.
My phone buzzed.
A message from Garret.
Morning, beautiful.
Hope you and Maya slept well.
I stared at it.
Paige read over my shoulder.
“He thinks you got inside?”
“No.”
Another message appeared.
Mom says you’re probably still emotional from the birth.
We’ll talk when I get home.
I almost laughed.
Instead, I typed three words.
Enjoy your vacation.
Garret immediately responded with a heart.
I put my phone away.
Paige looked confused.
“You’re not telling him?”
“No.”
“About the house?”
“No.”
“The deed?”
“No.”
“Why?”
May you like
I slipped the forged document into an evidence sleeve Natalie had told me to use.
“Because people reveal more when they think they’re winning.”
