Chapter 6: What Eli Recorded
Dana drove while I called Sawyer again.
He answered on the fourth attempt.
“Put Eli on the phone.”
“He’s with his father.”
“You collected him without telling me.”
“I followed a court order.”
“You filed that order after threatening me.”
“I warned you to stop.”
Eli’s voice sounded in the background.
“Mom?”
“Let me speak to him.”
Sawyer lowered his voice.
“Sign the settlement.
Give me control of the trust, and we can discuss visitation.”
“He is not a bargaining chip.”
“No.
He’s proof that you can’t control yourself.”
The call ended.
Dana tightened both hands around the steering wheel.
“We go to the house with an officer.
You do not enter alone.”
When we arrived, Vanessa’s car stood in the driveway.
Sawyer opened the door but blocked the entrance.
“You brought a lawyer to my home?”
“Our home,” I said.
“And you changed the locks.”
A uniformed officer stepped forward.
“Sir, the child’s mother is permitted to verify his welfare.”
Sawyer called over his shoulder.
“Eli, come here.”
Eli appeared at the end of the hall.
His eyes were swollen, and he held his tablet against his shirt.
“Mom.”
I opened my arms.
He ran into them.
Sawyer caught his shoulder.
“He stays here.”
The officer moved Sawyer’s hand away.
“Do not pull the child.”
Vanessa came down the stairs carrying the leather document case.
“Sawyer, we need to talk.”
“Not now.”
“You used my aunt’s seal.”
“You gave me access to it.”
“I gave you her office number.”
“You knew what we were doing.”
“No.
I knew about the investment account.
I didn’t know about the trust or Eli’s identity.”
I looked at her.
“His identity?”
Vanessa pulled out a loan application bearing Eli’s name.
“I found this in the case.
Sawyer opened a custodial company and listed Eli as the responsible owner.”
Dana took the paper.
“A nine-year-old cannot authorize this.”
“That was the point,” Vanessa said.
“If the transfers were questioned, Sawyer planned to say the account belonged to Eli.”
Sawyer laughed once.
“Listen to her.
She helped prepare every transaction.”
Vanessa’s face hardened.
“Because you told me your wife approved them.”
“You enjoyed the restaurants and hotel rooms.”
“And you promised me a life built on money that wasn’t yours.”
Sawyer reached for the case.
Vanessa pulled it behind her.
“Give me that.”
“No.”
“I can make sure you go down with me.”
Vanessa looked at Eli, then at me.
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry doesn’t return what you took.”
“No.
But this might stop what he’s about to take.”
She handed the case to Dana.
Sawyer rushed forward, but the officer blocked him.
“You stole my records,” Sawyer said.
“They were in my car,” Vanessa replied.
“You told me to hide them.”
Dana opened the case.
Inside were bank statements, blank signature pages, and a small digital recorder.
“What is this?” she asked.
Vanessa shook her head.
“Not mine.”
Eli raised his tablet.
“I recorded Dad.”
Sawyer’s face changed.
“You did what?”
“You and Vanessa were arguing in the kitchen.
I was upstairs.”
“You recorded a private conversation?”
“I heard you say Mom would lose me.”
Sawyer stepped toward him.
“Delete it.”
Eli moved behind me.
“No.”
Sawyer looked at the officer.
“That device contains stolen information.”
Dana held out her hand.
“Eli, may I hear it?”
He passed her the tablet.
Sawyer grabbed for it, but Vanessa stepped into his path.
“Let him play it.”
The recording began with Sawyer’s voice.
“Once the transfer clears, Vanessa takes the blame.
My wife loses custody, and I control everything through Eli’s account.”
Vanessa stared at him.
“You were going to blame me?”
Sawyer said nothing.
The recording continued.
“After tomorrow, I wipe the charity server and there’s nothing left connecting me to any of it.”
Dana stopped the audio and reached for her phone.
Evelyn answered immediately.
“Check the charity office,” Dana said.
“Sawyer may try to access the server.”
A warning tone sounded from Vanessa’s phone.
She looked at the screen.
“The server room alarm just activated.”
“Whose badge?” Dana asked.
May you like
Vanessa lifted her eyes to Sawyer.
“His.”
