Chapter 4: What Jason Had Done
I didn't move.
"Tell me."
Emily got up and closed the kitchen door.
She came back to the table but didn't sit.
She stood with her arms crossed, looking at the window.
"About two years after we got married, Jason said he wanted to refinance the house.
He said the interest rate had dropped and we could save money every month.
I didn't think much of it.
He handled all the finances.
I just signed where he told me to sign."
"What did you sign?"
"I didn't read it carefully enough.
He told me it was the refinancing paperwork." She paused.
"Last year I found a copy of the documents in his filing cabinet.
I wasn't snooping.
I was looking for our car insurance policy."
"Emily."
"He had taken out a home equity line of credit, Dad.
Against the full value of the house.
Not half.
The full value." She finally turned to face me.
"He borrowed against your share too.
Without telling you.
Without your signature."
The refrigerator hummed in the corner of the kitchen.
"How much?" I asked.
"Eighty thousand dollars."
I sat back in my chair.
"Where did it go?"
"His business.
He had a contracting company that was losing money.
He used the line of credit to keep it running for almost eighteen months before he finally shut it down.
He told me the business failed because of the economy." She shook her head.
"He never told me where the money came from."
"Does he know you found the documents?"
"No.
I put them back exactly where I found them.
I told myself it was a mistake, that maybe I had misunderstood, that maybe it was legal somehow." Her voice dropped.
"I wanted it not to be true."
I thought about Gerald Holt.
I thought about the blue folder in my closet.
I thought about Margaret's handwriting on the property deed, neat and careful, the way she did everything.
"Emily, those documents he had you sign — do you remember which company handled the refinancing?"
"Meridian Lending.
I remember because I thought it was an unusual name."
I pulled out my phone and wrote it down.
"Dad, what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to call Gerald."
"Jason will fight this.
He'll say I knew about it.
He'll say I consented."
"Did you?"
"No."
"Then say exactly that."
She sat back down.
She looked at the table.
"He's going to be so angry."
"He's already angry.
The difference is that now he has a reason to be."
My phone buzzed.
A text from a number I didn't recognize.
*Mr.
Bennett.
My name is Dennis Hale.
I'm a neighbor.
I've been watching what's been happening at this address for some time.
I think you should know that I have a security camera that faces the front of your property.
It recorded something last month that you may find relevant.
Please call me.*
I read it twice.
Then I showed it to Emily.
She read it and looked up at me.
"Who is Dennis Hale?"
"I have no idea," I said.
May you like
"But I'm going to find out."
Outside, Jason's car was finally gone.
