Chapter 19 - THE LAST THING DELINE TRIED TO TAKE
Deline had tried to sell the lake cabin to a company registered only nine days earlier.
The company belonged to Mason’s cousin.
The purchase price was less than half the cabin’s estimated value.
Claire believed the transfer was designed to move the property beyond the reach of creditors.
The lender blocked it.
By December 27, the situation was no longer a family disagreement with financial consequences.
It was an investigation.
Deline retained a criminal defense attorney.
Mason retained a different one.
That told Claire something.
“They may be blaming each other.”
Margaret stopped calling everyone.
Callum met with investigators voluntarily.
He turned over passwords, archived emails, estate records, and old devices.
He also admitted every transaction he had knowingly approved.
Even the ones that made him look weak.
Especially those.
One evening, he came to our house after an interview.
He sat across from me at the kitchen island where everything had started.
“I told them about the ninety thousand.”
“I know.”
“And the twenty-five for your mother.”
“I know.”
“I told them I knew Deline might have done something improper at the bank last spring.”
That confession could hurt him.
He understood that.
“Why?”
I asked.
“Because I’m done making the truth smaller so I can live with myself.”
For the first time in weeks, I reached across the island and touched his hand.
Not forgiveness.
Not reconciliation.
Recognition.
He covered my fingers with his.
Then released them before I had to.
On January 3, Deline was formally removed as a beneficiary with administrative access to several family accounts while the estate matter was reviewed.
The flower shop remained open, but only on cash flow it could actually support.
The cabin renovation stopped.
Margaret hired her own attorney.
Renley returned to school.
Life began doing the strange thing it always does after a disaster.
It continued.
Then, one Thursday afternoon, Claire called me.
“We found the source of the seventy-three thousand.”
I sat down.
“What source?”
“The North Ridge home-equity draw.”
“Where did the money go?”
“Most of it went to Hollow Brook.”
“Most?”
“Fifty thousand.”
“And the rest?”
Claire hesitated.
“Twenty-three thousand went into an account opened under Renley’s name.”
My skin went cold.
“What?”
“It’s a custodial account.”
“I never opened one.”
“I know.”
“Who did?”
Another pause.
“According to the application, Callum did.”
I looked toward the window.
Callum was outside helping Renley build a snowman.
He lifted her onto his shoulders.
She laughed.
Claire continued.
“But Evelyn, before you confront him, there’s something else.”
“What?”
“The account was opened using his identity.”
I closed my eyes.
May you like
“But the person on the branch camera isn’t Callum.”
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