Chapter 6: The Freeze
Ruth's hand came up — a small gesture, stay calm — even though I hadn't moved.
"We'll be filing a response within the hour," she said into the phone.
"Please note the time of this call." She hung up and looked at me directly.
"They filed for an emergency financial injunction at seven this morning.
They're claiming you are attempting to liquidate marital assets in anticipation of divorce proceedings."
"I haven't touched my accounts," I said.
"I haven't moved a single dollar."
"I know.
That's what we'll demonstrate." She was already writing.
"The injunction is a pressure tactic.
They want you to panic and make a mistake, or they want to cut off your ability to pay for legal representation before this gets started." She looked up.
"Do you have any accounts they don't know about?
Savings, investment, anything not connected to the marital household?"
"My work account.
My salary goes directly to a business account I set up before we were married.
Adrian doesn't have the details."
"Good.
Don't touch it.
Don't move anything.
Don't make a single transfer until I tell you to." She tore the top sheet off her legal pad and started a new one.
"I need the name of every bank, every account number, every asset in your name.
Property deed, car title, everything."
I gave her all of it.
While I talked, she wrote.
While she wrote, her assistant appeared in the doorway — a young man with a serious face who handed her a printed document without a word.
She scanned it, made a sound in the back of her throat, and set it face-down on the desk.
"What is it?" I asked.
"The injunction filing." She paused.
"They've named Diane as a co-conspirator.
They're claiming she helped you plan to remove assets from the marital estate."
The room went quiet.
"Diane has nothing to do with my accounts," I said.
"I know.
But naming her does two things — it pressures her to step back and stop cooperating with you, and it gives Adrian's legal team leverage over his own sister." Ruth's voice was flat, matter-of-fact.
"It's ugly.
It's also not uncommon."
I thought of Diane crouching beside me on the floor.
Her hand reaching down.
Her voice saying *look at it.*
"She's not going to step back," I said.
"Good.
Because I need her testimony about the photograph she found at her parents' house, and I need it documented before Hartwell's team gets to her."
Ruth's phone rang again.
She looked at the screen and answered immediately.
"Yes." A pause.
"Put him through."
She held the phone slightly away from her ear and pressed the speaker button.
Adrian's voice filled the room.
"Ruth Calloway?"
"Speaking."
"My name is Adrian Whitmore.
I believe you're representing my wife." His voice was controlled.
Measured.
The voice he used in rooms full of people.
"I'd like to resolve this quietly.
I think that's in everyone's interest."
"I'm listening," Ruth said.
She was already writing.
"Claire is upset.
What happened last night was — it was a difficult evening.
Emotions ran high.
I think if she and I could sit down together, without lawyers, we could reach an understanding that works for both of us."
"Mr.
Whitmore," Ruth said, "your legal team filed an emergency injunction against my client at seven o'clock this morning.
That is not the action of someone seeking a quiet resolution."
A pause.
"That was my father's decision.
I wasn't consulted."
"Your father's decision," Ruth repeated.
She underlined something on her pad.
"And the petition filed three weeks ago by Hartwell and Associates — was that also your father's decision?"
Silence.
"I'd like to speak to Claire directly," he said.
Ruth looked at me.
I shook my head.
"My client is not available," Ruth said.
"She'll want to hear what I have to say."
"Then say it to me."
Another pause.
Longer.
"There are things about this situation," Adrian said carefully, "that Claire doesn't fully understand.
Things that could become very public if this goes further.
Things that would be embarrassing for her."
Ruth's pen stopped.
"Are you threatening my client, Mr.
Whitmore?"
"I'm offering her a way to avoid unnecessary complications."
"I'll note that for the record." Ruth's voice didn't change at all.
"Is there anything else?"
The line went quiet for a moment.
Then Adrian said: "Tell her I still have the emails."
The call ended.
Ruth set the phone down and looked at me.
"What emails?" she asked.
May you like
I opened my mouth.
And realized I didn't know.
