Chapter 13: What Came After
Jessica retained an attorney on Tuesday.
Grace called me Thursday.
"She's cooperating," Grace said.
"Partially.
Her attorney is trying to negotiate, but the forgery is difficult to explain away.
The insurance commissioner has opened a formal investigation.
The state's attorney's office has requested the forensic report."
"What does partial cooperation look like?"
"She's acknowledged the account transfers.
She's characterizing them as an unauthorized but well-intentioned savings arrangement.
She has not yet addressed the forged signature directly."
"She will have to."
"Yes," Grace said.
"She will.
Her attorney knows that.
I think the full cooperation is coming.
It's a matter of when, not if."
"What are the likely outcomes?"
"Given her clean record and the fact that no funds were moved outside the family structure, a plea arrangement is possible.
Restitution, probation, no prison time — that's the realistic range if she cooperates fully and early.
If she fights it, the exposure is considerably worse."
"I don't want her in prison," I said.
"I want the money returned and the LLC dissolved and the insurance application voided.
I want it on record that the signature was forged.
Beyond that—"
"Beyond that is up to the state's attorney," Grace said.
"Not you.
I want you to understand that."
"I know."
"But your position on sentencing will be considered," she said.
"It usually is, in cases like this."
Kevin flew home on Saturday with Tyler and Emma.
Jessica flew home separately, on a different flight, with her attorney meeting her at O'Hare.
Kevin called me from the car on the way from the airport.
"She told me everything," he said.
"On Thursday night.
After she spoke with her attorney.
She sat down at the hotel room table and she told me everything."
"How are you?"
"I don't know yet," he said honestly.
"I keep thinking about all the times I should have asked questions and didn't.
All the times I let her handle things because it was easier."
"Kevin."
"I know.
I know it's not all my fault.
But some of it is."
"Yes," I said.
"Some of it is."
A pause.
He hadn't expected me to agree.
"What do we do now?" he asked.
"You come home," I said.
"You talk to your children honestly, in an age-appropriate way.
You cooperate with Grace fully.
You get your own attorney, which Carol has already arranged.
And then you and I sit down together, in person, and we have the conversation we should have had a long time ago."
"About Jessica?"
"About everything," I said.
"About what I need from you.
About what you need from me.
About what kind of family we want to be."
He was quiet for a moment.
"Mom," he said.
"I looked at Jessica before I answered you.
At the airport.
You saw that."
"Yes."
"I've been doing that for years.
Looking at her before I decided what to think.
What to say.
What to feel." A pause.
"I didn't realize how much I'd been doing it until I saw your face when I answered."
I didn't say anything.
"I don't want to do that anymore," he said.
"Good," I said.
"Then don't."
Emma got on the phone then, the way she always did when Kevin was on speaker in the car.
"Grandma.
Did you see the turtles?"
"I did," I said.
"I went on the excursion by myself.
They were magnificent."
"Were they big?"
"Very big.
And very old.
And completely unbothered by anything."
Emma giggled.
"Grandma.
I kept your tiara safe the whole trip.
I didn't let anyone touch it."
I looked at the small plastic crown sitting on my kitchen counter, where I had placed it the morning I got home.
May you like
"I know you did, sweetheart," I said.
"I know you did."
