Chapter 8: The Witness They Didn't Know About
Raymond called me on a Wednesday with a different tone in his voice.
Not urgent.
Something closer to satisfied.
"The forensic examination of the phone is complete," he said.
"Forty-one messages, as you counted.
But the extraction also recovered eleven deleted messages.
Three of them are between Marcus and a third party."
"Who?"
"The notary who witnessed the power of attorney document."
I sat down.
"The notary was in on it," I said.
"The deleted messages suggest the notary was paid to witness a document without the signatory being present.
Which means the notarization itself is fraudulent.
Which means every legal claim Marcus has built on that document collapses entirely." Raymond let that settle for a moment.
"Detective Marsh executed a search warrant on the notary's office this morning.
She found a second copy of the power of attorney in a locked drawer, along with payment records."
"He paid the notary."
"Wire transfer.
Eleven months ago.
Three weeks after the earliest message on the phone."
Eleven months ago.
The same week Amanda had first mentioned the insurance forms.
"Raymond.
How long until the criminal charges are filed?"
"Marsh's office is presenting to the prosecutor this week.
She expects charges within ten days.
Fraud.
Forgery.
Conspiracy.
Witness tampering for the note." He paused.
"The notary has already indicated a willingness to cooperate in exchange for a reduced charge.
Which means the prosecution will have a witness who was inside the plan."
I stood up and walked to the window.
Outside, the street was ordinary.
A neighbor walking a dog.
A delivery truck double-parked.
Normal things.
"What about Amanda?"
"She's been interviewed twice.
Her attorney is negotiating.
She's in a difficult position because the phone messages establish her as a knowing participant, not someone who was deceived." Raymond's voice was careful.
"She may cooperate as well.
It depends on what Marcus's attorney offers her and whether she believes he'll protect her."
"He won't," I said.
"He looked at Sophie and calculated.
That's who he is."
"I agree with your assessment.
Whether Amanda reaches the same conclusion in time to help herself is her decision to make."
I thought about her sitting in that chair.
The bouquet dropping petals.
*For what it's worth, he told me you'd never figure it out.*
She had said that like a concession.
Like she was giving me something small because everything else was already lost.
Maybe she had known, even then, that Marcus would not protect her.
"There's one more thing," Raymond said.
"The elderly widower from four years ago.
His name is Gerald Fenn.
He's seventy-one.
He lives about forty minutes from here.
The sealed settlement included a non-disclosure, but the prosecutor's office can compel his testimony regardless of the NDA in the context of a criminal case."
"Does he know?"
"Detective Marsh contacted him yesterday.
He agreed to speak with her." Raymond paused.
"He said he'd been waiting for someone to call."
I closed my eyes for a moment.
Gerald Fenn.
Seventy-one.
Forty minutes away.
Waiting four years for a phone call.
"Is there anything I can do for him?"
"Let the case proceed," Raymond said.
"That's what he needs.
That's what closes it for both of you."
After I hung up I sat quietly for a long time.
Then I called Carol and asked if I could come for dinner.
Sophie answered the phone instead of Carol.
She said, "Daddy, we made pasta.
Carol let me put in the noodles."
"Did you stir it?"
"Yes.
I used the big spoon."
"That's the most important job," I said.
She laughed.
It was a completely ordinary laugh.
The kind that doesn't know anything about notaries or forged signatures or index cards left on doorsteps.
May you like
I got in the car and drove to my sister's house.
The pasta was slightly overcooked and completely perfect.
