Chapter 9: What Greta Found
Greta's report came through at nine that evening.
Arthur sat at the kitchen table with his reading glasses on.
The children were in the guest room — Mia asleep, Leo reading a book he'd found on the shelf, the light still on under the door.
He read the report twice.
Raymond Marsh, fifty-three years old.
Two failed businesses in the past six years.
A tax lien filed eighteen months ago for unpaid debt.
A civil judgment against him from a former business partner — amount undisclosed, settled out of court.
Current bank balance, according to Greta's contact, was negligible.
And at the bottom of the report, one paragraph that Arthur read three times.
*Donna Marsh took out two small life insurance policies on Leo and Mia at the time she registered as their informal guardian.
Beneficiary on both policies: listed as "next of kin or legal guardian at time of claim." Total combined value: $40,000.
Policies have not been claimed.
Claimant eligibility would pass to a legal guardian or, in the absence of one, to the nearest blood relative.*
Arthur took off his glasses and set them on the table.
Forty thousand dollars.
That was what Ray Marsh wanted.
Not the children.
The policies attached to their names.
And the only way to claim them was to establish legal guardianship — or to be recognized as the nearest blood relative in the absence of any guardian.
Sarah had never formalized her arrangement.
Which meant, on paper, there was no guardian.
Which meant Ray had a path.
Arthur picked up his phone and called his lawyer.
"Edward.
I need a guardianship petition filed first thing tomorrow morning.
Emergency basis." He paused.
"Yes, I know what that requires.
I'll be at your office at eight." Another pause.
"There's also a set of insurance policies you need to know about.
Donna Marsh, two children, combined value forty thousand.
The opposing party is filing Friday to establish himself as beneficiary." He listened.
"I understand.
I'll bring everything I have."
He ended the call.
A sound from the hallway.
He looked up.
Leo was standing in the kitchen doorway in his socks, the book still in his hand.
"You're not sleeping," Arthur said.
"Neither are you." Leo came in and sat down across from him.
He looked at the papers on the table, then at Arthur.
"It's about money, isn't it.
Why he wants us."
Arthur looked at him for a long moment.
"Yes," he said.
Leo nodded slowly.
He didn't look surprised.
He looked like someone who had suspected something and had just had it confirmed.
"Donna had insurance on us," Leo said.
"I heard her talking about it once on the phone.
She said it was to make sure we'd be taken care of if something happened."
"That's what it was meant for," Arthur said.
"But Ray wants it."
"He wants to claim it.
The only way he can do that is if he becomes your legal guardian, or if there's no guardian at all." Arthur looked at the boy.
"So tomorrow morning I'm going to file papers to become your guardian.
Formally.
Legally.
So there's no gap for him to step into."
Leo was quiet for a moment.
"What if the judge says no?"
"Then we fight harder." Arthur leaned forward.
"Leo, I want you to hear me.
Ray Marsh is not getting custody of you and Mia.
Not because of the money, and not for any other reason.
I made a promise to your mother.
And I made one to Mia this morning.
I don't break promises."
Leo looked at the table.
Then back up.
"Why are you doing this?" he asked.
"You didn't know us yesterday."
Arthur thought about Sarah's letter.
About the handwriting that had gone looser toward the bottom.
About the line she had almost not written: *I believe you are still the man I knew.*
"Because someone I trusted a long time ago still trusted me," he said.
"And because you walked into that diner alone at night for your sister's sake.
That tells me everything I need to know about who you are."
Leo was quiet for a long time.
Then he said, "I'm going to tell the judge the truth.
About Ray at the hospital.
About how he looked at us."
"Good," Arthur said.
"That's exactly what I need you to do."
Leo stood up.
He picked up his book.
"Goodnight, Mr.
Harrison."
"Goodnight, Leo."
The boy went back down the hall.
The light under the guest room door stayed on for another twenty minutes, then went out.
Arthur sat at the table until midnight, reading the report one more time, thinking about a man in Clarkson who thought forty thousand dollars was worth two children's lives.
May you like
Then he put the papers in his briefcase, turned off the kitchen light, and went to bed.
Friday was three days away.
