Chapter 5: My Brother's Voice
I answered on the second ring.
"Daniel." His voice was careful.
Measured.
The voice he used when he was managing something.
I had heard it across negotiating tables and family dinners and once, years ago, at our father's funeral when he gave the eulogy and didn't cry.
"Melissa called me."
"I know she did."
"Whatever she told you—"
"She didn't tell me anything, Marcus.
Mom did."
A pause.
Shorter than it should have been.
"Mom's been confused," he said.
"You know that.
The doctor said—"
"Stop." I sat down on the edge of the bed.
The earrings were still in my hand.
"I have the recordings.
All of them.
I've heard your voice on them.
I know about the property transfer.
I know about the notary on Thursday.
So don't tell me Mom is confused."
Silence.
"Daniel—"
"The Galveston house, Marcus.
Dad's house.
You were going to take it."
"It's more complicated than that."
"Explain it to me simply."
Another pause.
When he spoke again, the management was gone from his voice.
What replaced it was something I hadn't heard from him since we were children.
Something small.
"The business is in trouble again.
Real trouble this time.
I owe people money and they're not patient people.
Melissa came to me six months ago.
She said she had a plan.
She said the house was sitting empty anyway and Mom would never notice and you'd never have to know."
"And you said yes."
He didn't answer.
"You said yes, Marcus."
"I needed the money."
"She's seventy-four years old.
She's our mother."
"I know that."
"She has bruises on her wrist.
She has bruises on her wrist because your partner pushed her down the back steps and told me she tripped over her slippers."
The silence that followed was different from the others.
Longer.
Heavier.
"I didn't know about that," he said.
"I don't believe you."
"Daniel, I swear to you.
I knew about the document.
I didn't know she was—" He stopped.
"I didn't know it had gone that far."
"How far did you think it would go?
You were helping her isolate Mom from me for months.
You knew what Melissa was telling me.
You never said a word."
"I needed the money."
He said it again, like it was an answer.
Like it explained something.
I looked at the earrings in my palm.
"I'm going to give you one chance," I said.
"One.
You're going to come to this house tonight.
You're going to sit across from Mom and you're going to tell her exactly what you did and why.
And then we're going to talk about what happens next.
If you don't come, I go to an attorney in the morning with the recordings and the document and I let them decide what to do with it."
A long breath on the other end.
"And Melissa?" he asked.
"Melissa is not your concern anymore."
I ended the call.
I sat on the edge of the bed for a moment.
Then I went back downstairs.
Melissa was standing at the kitchen counter with her arms crossed.
Mom hadn't moved.
The recorder was still on the table.
"He's coming tonight," I said.
Melissa's eyes narrowed.
"You don't know what you're doing."
May you like
"I'm starting to," I said.
"Sit down."
