Chapter 6: The Offer He Shouldn't Have Made
Sable read Frances's notes twice, slowly, without speaking.
When she finished, she set the folder on her desk and looked at Marlowe.
"This is enough to add Cordelia as a named party," she said.
"Potentially as a co-conspirator in the asset concealment."
"Can we use handwritten notes from a former employee?"
"As corroborating evidence, yes.
Frances would need to testify to their authenticity.
But combined with the Veltrane filing, the forged signature, and the timeline — yes.
This holds."
Marlowe nodded.
"Then we add her."
Sable made a note.
"I'll prepare the amended filing.
It goes to the court and to the DA's office simultaneously." She paused.
"Garrick's team will know within hours of us filing."
"Good."
"Marlowe." Sable's voice shifted — careful now, not cautious.
"When Garrick said you'd regret this — has anything happened since the adjournment?
Anyone approaching you?
Anything unusual?"
Marlowe thought about it.
"No."
"Keep your phone on.
Don't go anywhere alone at night for the next week."
"You think he'd—"
"I think he's a man who just watched his plan collapse in real time, and he told you directly that there would be consequences." Sable looked at her steadily.
"I'm not saying he would do something.
I'm saying don't give him the opportunity to try."
---
The call from Prescott came the next morning.
Marlowe was in Sable's office when it arrived.
Sable put it on speaker.
"Mrs.
Sterling's counsel," Prescott said.
He sounded like a man who had not slept.
"My client has authorized me to present a revised settlement offer."
"We're listening," Sable said.
"Full financial settlement.
Mrs.
Sterling receives fifty percent of all jointly held liquid assets, the Harwick Road property returned to joint marital ownership for purposes of equitable division, and a lump sum payment of four hundred thousand dollars.
In exchange, the supplementary filing is withdrawn, the DA referral is retracted if possible, and Mrs.
Sterling agrees to a standard non-disclosure clause covering the proceedings."
Sable looked at Marlowe.
Marlowe looked at the phone.
"Mr.
Prescott," she said.
"Is your client aware that we filed an amended complaint this morning naming Cordelia Sterling as a co-respondent?"
A silence.
"I was not informed of that filing," Prescott said carefully.
"You will be shortly," Marlowe said.
"We also have a witness who was present during the Veltrane planning discussions.
A witness who kept contemporaneous notes."
Another silence.
Longer.
"I'll need to consult with my client," Prescott said.
"Of course," Sable said pleasantly.
"We'll be here."
The call ended.
Sable leaned back in her chair.
"He didn't know about the amended filing.
Which means Garrick didn't tell him everything."
"He's managing his own attorney," Marlowe said.
"Which means Prescott is about to have a very uncomfortable conversation with his client." Sable almost smiled.
"Good."
---
The uncomfortable conversation, it turned out, happened in the parking structure of Prescott's office building — and Marlowe knew about it because Sable had quietly arranged for a process server to be waiting there with the amended filing.
The server reported back that Garrick had read the first page of the amended complaint in the parking structure, standing next to his car, and had then sat down on the hood of it.
Just sat there.
For almost four minutes.
When Marlowe heard this, she didn't feel triumphant.
She felt tired in a way that had nothing to do with sleep.
Tired of the years of it.
Tired of the performance of his confidence.
Tired of Cordelia's cold assessments.
Tired of Delphine's smile.
She was sitting in her car outside Sable's office when her phone rang.
The number was Garrick's personal cell.
Not Prescott's line.
His.
She stared at it for two rings.
Then she answered.
"Marlowe." His voice was different.
The arrogance was gone.
What was left was something rawer, and she didn't trust it.
"We need to talk.
Just us.
No lawyers."
"No," she said.
"I can explain the transfer.
There are things you don't understand about the business—"
"Garrick."
He stopped.
"I understand everything," she said.
"That's the problem for you."
She ended the call.
Her hands were steady.
She noticed that specifically — that her hands were steady — and she held onto it as she started the car and drove home.
But when she got inside and closed the door behind her, she stood in the hallway for a long moment, one hand still on the door, before she could make herself move.
She had answered his call.
May you like
She didn't know why she had done that.
And she didn't know what he would do next.
