Chapter 5 - THE PART OF THE RECORDING I COULD HEAR
Police made a forensic copy of my phone.
They did not hand the original recording back immediately.
Elena played portions for me with my lawyer present two days later.
My lawyer was Dana Holt.
Megan found her.
Apparently sisters are better than search engines when your life collapses.
The recording began before Ryan came outside.
My breathing.
Wind.
I had placed the phone inside the flowerpot with the microphone facing out.
Then footsteps.
Ryan:
“You wanted to talk. Talk.”
Me:
“I’m leaving tonight.”
Silence.
Then:
“Before the baby?”
“Yes.”
“You can’t.”
“I can.”
“You don’t know what that does.”
“What does it do?”
He did not answer.
Instead:
“You went through my desk.”
“You used my name.”
“Lower your voice.”
“That’s my signature.”
Then movement.
My voice farther away.
“Give me my phone.”
He did not know the real phone was recording.
I had carried an old phone visibly so he thought that was mine.
Small preparation.
Then:
“I’ll bury you if you’re going to leave before we fix this.”
I looked at Dana.
“Fix what?”
She said:
“That’s what we need to understand.”
Recording continued.
I accused him of a bridge loan.
He said:
“You signed enough things. Don’t pretend you read every page.”
My stomach turned.
Maybe some signatures really were mine.
Then:
“If that trust splits before we close, we’re finished.”
I stopped.
“What trust?”
Dana looked at me.
“You don’t know?”
“No.”
She asked:
“Did your father leave you a trust?”
“Yes.”
I stared.
“How does Ryan know anything about it?”
May you like
Dana’s expression changed.
We had found a second problem.
