Patricia reacted before anyone could question Melissa further.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is a lie.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her voice cracked across the courtroom.<\/p>\n
The judge struck the gavel once.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Brooks, another interruption and you will be removed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patricia sat, but her composure was gone.<\/p>\n
For nine years I had watched her control rooms through certainty. She rarely raised her voice because she rarely needed to. Other people adjusted themselves around her.<\/p>\n
Now her hands would not stay still.<\/p>\n
Melissa saw them shaking.<\/p>\n
So did Brian.<\/p>\n
Daniel remained standing beside the evidence table.<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Grant, when you say Patricia planned everything, what exactly do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa glanced toward the judge.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean the withdrawals.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAll four?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe use of Angela Brooks\u2019s identification?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe forged signatures?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach twisted at the word forged even though I had spent months insisting that was precisely what they were.<\/p>\n
Hearing someone finally admit it did not feel triumphant.<\/p>\n
It felt like discovering how long I had been watched without knowing.<\/p>\n
Daniel continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did Patricia obtain Mrs. Brooks\u2019s driver\u2019s license?\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa rubbed her palms together.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe brought it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLate winter.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas that the original license?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. At first she photographed it.\u201d<\/p>\n
I remembered my missing wallet.<\/p>\n
The evening I had searched my locker.<\/p>\n
The following morning Patricia arriving at my door with an apologetic smile and saying I had left it in her car.<\/p>\n
I had thanked her.<\/p>\n
That memory sickened me now.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe eventually gave me a duplicate,\u201d Melissa said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did it come from?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never asked?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI asked a lot of things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her eyes moved toward Patricia.<\/p>\n
\u201cI stopped getting answers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel nodded toward the ring.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa\u2019s mouth tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe gave it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA few days before the first withdrawal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she tell you where it came from?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said it belonged to Angela.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brian lowered his head.<\/p>\n
I kept watching Melissa.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat were you told to do with it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWear it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said if someone knew Angela, they might recognize the jewelry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruth Wilkes shifted in the witness chair.<\/p>\n
The reasoning had worked.<\/p>\n
She had remembered the ring.<\/p>\n
Just not in the way Patricia intended.<\/p>\n
Daniel asked, \u201cDid Patricia provide samples of Angela\u2019s signature?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cChecks. Forms. A Christmas card.\u201d<\/p>\n
That last item struck me unexpectedly.<\/p>\n
I remembered writing Patricia a Christmas card the previous year.<\/p>\n
Brian had signed only his first name beneath my message.<\/p>\n
Patricia had saved it.<\/p>\n
Not because it mattered to her.<\/p>\n
Because my handwriting did.<\/p>\n
I looked at Brian.<\/p>\n
He appeared physically ill.<\/p>\n
Daniel asked Melissa how long she had practiced.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout three weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt Patricia\u2019s request?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she watch you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she tell you if the signature didn\u2019t look right?\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo keep doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel returned to his table and lifted one of the withdrawal records.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou made this transaction?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first withdrawal, twelve thousand dollars?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd this one?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
One by one, she admitted all four.<\/p>\n
Sixty-one thousand dollars.<\/p>\n
Four trips into my bank.<\/p>\n
Four times presenting herself as me.<\/p>\n
Four times walking away with money I had earned while I was caring for patients a few miles away.<\/p>\n
When she finished, Daniel asked the question that mattered most.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa stopped breathing normally.<\/p>\n
Patricia looked at her.<\/p>\n
This time the warning was unmistakable.<\/p>\n
The judge saw it.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Brooks,\u201d she said sharply, \u201ckeep your eyes forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patricia faced the bench.<\/p>\n
Melissa stared at her lap.<\/p>\n
Daniel waited.<\/p>\n
Nobody rushed her.<\/p>\n
Finally she said, \u201cI needed help.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t say.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have just admitted to conduct that may constitute several serious crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I suggest you explain why you did it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa\u2019s eyes filled again.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said nobody would get hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n
A humorless sound escaped me.<\/p>\n
Melissa flinched.<\/p>\n
I had not meant to react.<\/p>\n
She looked toward me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know how that sounds.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d I said quietly. \u201cI don\u2019t think you do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel touched my arm, reminding me where we were.<\/p>\n
Melissa lowered her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told me Angela had enough money. She said it would be replaced later.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBy whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did the money go?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo Patricia.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patricia shook her head.<\/p>\n
The judge noticed.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you dispute that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am not answering questions without counsel.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was the first sensible thing she had said all afternoon.<\/p>\n
Daniel looked toward Melissa.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did you give her the cash?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDifferent ways.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExplain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first time I gave it to her in the bank parking lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe full twelve thousand?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe second?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt her house.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe third?\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe came with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruth Wilkes leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone looked at her.<\/p>\n
Ruth pointed toward Patricia.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patricia\u2019s lawyer was still absent, and now her face showed how badly she wanted one.<\/p>\n
The judge questioned Ruth directly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou saw Patricia Brooks at the bank?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTwice, I believe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cInside?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOne time near the entrance. Another time she stayed farther back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brian stared at his mother.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy were you there?\u201d<\/p>\n
Patricia ignored him.<\/p>\n
Daniel returned to Melissa.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the fourth withdrawal?\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa\u2019s face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat one was different.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t give all of it to Patricia.\u201d<\/p>\n
The courtroom became completely silent.<\/p>\n
Patricia turned toward her despite the judge\u2019s warning.<\/p>\n
Melissa stared back.<\/p>\n
Daniel lowered the withdrawal slip.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much was the fourth transaction?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSixteen thousand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened to it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSome was moved.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t explain all of that without the records.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho has the records?\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patricia closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
Brian whispered, \u201cOh my God.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel asked, \u201cWhere are they?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSafe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo they show where the sixty-one thousand dollars went?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMost of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMost?\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa nodded.<\/p>\n
Her confidence seemed to strengthen with every answer. Fear had controlled her when she entered the courtroom. Now that the first truth was out, the rest appeared to be forcing its way behind it.<\/p>\n
Daniel glanced at the judge.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour Honor, given this testimony, I believe this matter has moved beyond the original financial dispute.\u201d<\/p>\n
The judge\u2019s expression suggested she had reached the same conclusion.<\/p>\n
\u201cI agree.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brian\u2019s attorney stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy client has repeatedly denied knowledge of these withdrawals.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa looked at him.<\/p>\n
Daniel noticed.<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Grant, did Brian Brooks participate in the withdrawals?\u201d<\/p>\n
She hesitated.<\/p>\n
Brian stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n
His attorney grabbed his sleeve.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrian.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa looked at Patricia.<\/p>\n
Then at Brian.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Air seemed to leave him.<\/p>\n
I felt none of the relief I expected.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he know you were impersonating his wife?\u201d Daniel asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot that I know of.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brian covered his face for several seconds.<\/p>\n
The man who had accused me of stealing our savings had just discovered he might not be a conspirator.<\/p>\n
That did not make him innocent of what he had done to me.<\/p>\n
It only made the betrayal more complicated.<\/p>\n
Daniel asked, \u201cThen why did you say Brian promised to protect you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Patricia said he would.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would you believe her?\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa\u2019s eyes shifted toward Brian.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said he knew who I was.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought so.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brian shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t even know you existed.\u201d<\/p>\n
A strange expression crossed Melissa\u2019s face.<\/p>\n
Pain.<\/p>\n
Not surprise.<\/p>\n
That told me there was another family wound underneath the financial crime.<\/p>\n
Daniel saw it too.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy had you never met?\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa wiped her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mother and Patricia stopped speaking years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOver what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know the whole story.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid your aunt contact you recently?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout eight months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
That timeline landed heavily.<\/p>\n
Eight months ago.<\/p>\n
Two months before the first withdrawal.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she want?\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa glanced at Patricia.<\/p>\n
\u201cHelp.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith money?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt first.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind of help?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said she had a debt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brian looked up sharply.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat debt?\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa did not answer him directly.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said it belonged to the family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel\u2019s voice became careful.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI never knew exactly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMore than sixty-one thousand dollars?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patricia whispered something under her breath.<\/p>\n
The judge heard her.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Brooks.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI said nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou will continue saying nothing unless called.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patricia pressed her lips together.<\/p>\n
Daniel asked Melissa, \u201cDid Patricia tell you why she could not use her own money?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said people were watching her accounts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she tell you why Angela was chosen?\u201d<\/p>\n
That question changed the room.<\/p>\n
Melissa looked at me.<\/p>\n
For the first time, she seemed ashamed to meet my eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Angela had savings.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLots of families have savings.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe had something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
My skin prickled.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA predictable schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt physically cold.<\/p>\n
Melissa continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cPatricia knew which weekends Angela worked. Which days she did doubles. When Brian was away. When the house was empty.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brian stared at his mother.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou gave her Angela\u2019s schedule?\u201d<\/p>\n
Patricia said nothing.<\/p>\n
Daniel asked, \u201cHow did Patricia know it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa\u2019s voice dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe had copies.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCopies of what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHospital schedules.\u201d<\/p>\n
The courtroom seemed suddenly too warm.<\/p>\n
My nursing schedule was posted electronically, but I sometimes printed a copy and kept it beside the calendar at home.<\/p>\n
Someone had taken photographs.<\/p>\n
Maybe more than once.<\/p>\n
Daniel said, \u201cWhat else did Patricia have?\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cBank statements.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart sank.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cInsurance papers.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat insurance papers?\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked confused by my reaction.<\/p>\n
\u201cLife insurance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brian turned toward me.<\/p>\n
I could see the same question forming in his mind that had formed in mine.<\/p>\n
Why would anyone planning bank theft need my life-insurance information?<\/p>\n
Daniel\u2019s expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you certain?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Patricia explain why she had it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you ever see other documents?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPhotographs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf Angela?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLeaving work. Getting into her car. At the grocery store.\u201d<\/p>\n
For a few seconds I heard nothing but the blood pounding in my ears.<\/p>\n
Someone had photographed me.<\/p>\n
This had not been a hurried plan made by a desperate relative.<\/p>\n
Someone had studied my movements.<\/p>\n
Brian stood halfway before his lawyer forced him back into the chair.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou followed her?\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa shook her head quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I didn\u2019t take those pictures.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho did?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho gave them to you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPatricia.\u201d<\/p>\n
Every answer brought us back to his mother.<\/p>\n
Daniel walked toward his table, made several notes, then turned again.<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Grant, when you made the withdrawals, was anyone waiting outside?\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes Patricia.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patricia\u2019s face changed.<\/p>\n
It happened so quickly most people probably missed it.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat person?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know his name.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMan or woman?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA man.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDescribe him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTaller than Brian. Older. Gray hair.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brian frowned.<\/p>\n
The color disappeared from his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad?\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone looked at him.<\/p>\n
His attorney whispered, \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Brian kept staring at Melissa.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow old was he?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe sixty.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he look like?\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa gave a rough description.<\/p>\n
Tall.<\/p>\n
Broad shoulders.<\/p>\n
Gray at the temples.<\/p>\n
A way of standing with one hand in his jacket pocket.<\/p>\n
Brian slowly sat back.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy father stood like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrian, your father is dead.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe died three years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked toward Patricia.<\/p>\n
She was no longer merely nervous.<\/p>\n
She was frightened.<\/p>\n
Ruth Wilkes spoke from the witness chair.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe man looked like him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brian turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike who?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou.\u201d<\/p>\n
She pointed toward Brian.<\/p>\n
\u201cOlder, but there was something around the eyes. I remember thinking they might be related.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patricia whispered, \u201cThat\u2019s impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel heard her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
She said nothing.<\/p>\n
The judge called a short recess and ordered Melissa not to leave.<\/p>\n
The moment we entered the courthouse hallway, Brian grabbed the railing beside the window.<\/p>\n
I stood several feet away.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t understand any of this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
I wanted to comfort him.<\/p>\n
That old instinct irritated me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou believed the easiest explanation,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat I stole it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were willing to destroy me before you discovered that.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. You\u2019re starting to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel approached before Brian could answer.<\/p>\n
He carried a thin folder.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething I received this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
He glanced toward Brian.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven what we just heard, I think Angela needs to see it now.\u201d<\/p>\n
He handed me a police report.<\/p>\n
The date was the day after the first withdrawal.<\/p>\n
I read the first paragraph.<\/p>\n
A vehicle had been reported in the First Federal parking lot after a minor dispute over a blocked loading area.<\/p>\n
The license plate was recorded.<\/p>\n
My license plate.<\/p>\n
I looked up.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s my car.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t at the bank that day.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brian stopped breathing.<\/p>\n
I turned toward him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at the report.<\/p>\n
Then at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour car was at home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
His expression became strange.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean, no?\u201d<\/p>\n
He swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI used it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The hallway seemed to tilt.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat week.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were in North Dakota.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was supposed to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
The words settled between us.<\/p>\n
I could hear people moving beyond the courtroom doors, attorneys speaking softly, shoes striking tile.<\/p>\n
\u201cSupposed to be?\u201d<\/p>\n
Brian looked sick.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy contract ended early.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen did you come home?\u201d<\/p>\n
He rubbed both hands over his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe night before the first withdrawal.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never told me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was going to surprise you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did you stay?\u201d<\/p>\n
His answer took too long.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt my mother\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everything inside me tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you drive my car to the bank?\u201d<\/p>\n
Brian\u2019s lips parted.<\/p>\n
Before he could answer, Melissa stepped into the hallway under the bailiff\u2019s supervision.<\/p>\n
She had heard the question.<\/p>\n
Her face changed when she saw Brian.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
We all turned.<\/p>\n
Brian stared at her.<\/p>\n
Melissa shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wasn\u2019t the man waiting for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel stepped closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen who was?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI told you. I don\u2019t know his name.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked through the courtroom doors toward Patricia.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut she does.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brian\u2019s voice was barely audible.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy did my mother have my wife\u2019s car?\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa\u2019s eyes filled with dread.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then she looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
My fingers tightened around the police report.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa glanced at the bailiff, then Daniel.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I said Patricia took the money, that wasn\u2019t completely true.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patricia appeared in the courtroom doorway behind her.<\/p>\n
She heard every word.<\/p>\n
Melissa turned and saw her.<\/p>\n
For once, she did not look away.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first three withdrawals went where Patricia told me to put them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Daniel\u2019s voice became very quiet.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the fourth?\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa held Patricia\u2019s stare.<\/p>\n
\u201cI kept proof.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProof of what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat the money didn\u2019t disappear.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patricia went white.<\/p>\n
Melissa looked back at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s still money left.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n
She drew a breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough to prove who this was really for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patricia reacted before anyone could question Melissa further. \u201cThat is a lie.\u201d Her voice cracked across the courtroom. The judge struck the gavel once. \u201cMrs. Brooks, another interruption and you … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11356,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11360"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11360\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11380,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11360\/revisions\/11380"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}