Chapter 8 - The Brother
Thomas Carter had always been charming in the way irresponsible men often were.
He remembered birthdays, forgot debts, brought expensive wine to dinners, and somehow never paid for his own vacations.
Daniel defended him almost as often as he defended Margaret.
“He’s going through a rough patch.”
The rough patch had lasted fourteen years.
Police did not arrest Thomas that afternoon. They questioned him and let him leave.
But Rachel’s accountant found his name quickly.
MJC Ventures had transferred $230,000 to a company owned by Thomas.
Daniel stared at the records.
“He told me his business was finally doing well.”
Emily looked at him. “Your mother financed it with our house.”
Daniel sat down.
That evening, Thomas called.
“Bro, Mom is losing it. You need to fix this.”
Daniel put him on speaker.
“Did you know she transferred my house?”
Silence.
“Thomas?”
“I knew she reorganized some things.”
“With my forged signature?”
“I didn’t know that part.”
“Did you take two hundred thirty thousand dollars from her company?”
Thomas swore under his breath.
Emily watched Daniel’s face.
He was finally hearing what she had heard for years: deflection, irritation, entitlement.
Thomas said, “Mom said it was family money.”
Daniel’s voice went flat. “It was my wife’s money too.”
“Oh, come on. Emily barely contributes.”
Daniel flinched.
Emily did not.
She had heard it before.
From Margaret.
Now she knew where it traveled.
Daniel said, “Her studio sale paid almost half the down payment on that house.”
Thomas went quiet.
Then he laughed nervously. “You’re really choosing her over us?”
Daniel looked at Emily.
“No,” he said. “I’m finally choosing what’s right.”
The line went dead.
That night, Emily received a text from an unknown number.
A photograph loaded slowly.
It showed her asleep in the hospital bed.
Taken from the hallway.
Under it were six words.
DROP THE CHARGES OR LOSE EVERYTHING.
May you like
Emily’s blood went cold.
Someone had been watching her inside the hospital.
