Chapter 3: The Woman Outside the Cottage
I turned the photograph toward the family.
My husband, Daniel, stood outside Rose Cottage with his arm around a pregnant woman.
A set of keys hung from her fingers.
Helen, Daniel’s sister, leaned closer.
“Isn’t that Claire’s cottage?”
“It was my father’s,” I said.
“He left it to me.”
Daniel reached across the table.
“Give me the photograph.”
I moved it beyond his grasp.
“Tell them who she is.”
“She’s a client.”
Margaret gave a sharp nod.
“There.
You have your answer.”
“Clients don’t usually wear engagement rings chosen by their married financial advisers.”
Daniel’s uncle lowered his fork.
Helen picked up the official letter that had fallen beside the photograph.
“What does ‘notice of default’ mean?” she asked.
“It means someone borrowed one hundred and eighty thousand dollars against Rose Cottage,” I said.
“The payments stopped three months ago.”
Daniel’s chair scraped the floor.
“I refinanced an asset for the business.
I was protecting our future.”
“You forged my signature.”
“I had your permission.”
“Then tell me when I gave it.”
Margaret pushed the letter away.
“Daniel handles the finances because you don’t understand them.”
“I understand the date.” I pointed to the bottom of the page.
“The loan was approved six months ago, while I was caring for my aunt in Toronto.”
“You signed electronically,” Daniel said.
“From our home computer while I was in another country?”
His mouth tightened.
Margaret stepped between us and lifted her chin.
“My son was desperate.
The company employs forty people.”
“Did those forty people know he bought that woman a car?”
Helen looked at Daniel.
“You bought her a car?”
“It was a company vehicle.”
“The payment came from the loan on my cottage.”
Daniel pointed at me.
“You hired someone to follow me?”
“I hired someone to find out why foreclosure letters were being redirected to Margaret’s address.”
Margaret’s eyes flicked toward the letter.
“You told him to send them there,” I said.
“I did no such thing.”
“The lender recorded every address change.”
Daniel lowered his voice.
“Claire, sit down before you make this worse.”
“For whom?”
The doorbell rang.
Nobody moved until it rang again.
Helen went to the hallway, and I heard the front door open.
A woman’s voice trembled.
“I’m looking for Daniel.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
The woman from the photograph entered with one hand beneath her pregnant stomach.
She saw Daniel first, then the photograph on the table.
“What is this?” she asked.
Daniel hurried toward her.
“Vanessa, you shouldn’t be here.”
“You stopped answering your phone.”
Margaret caught Vanessa’s arm.
“This is a family matter.”
Vanessa pulled away.
“Daniel said I was his family.”
Helen looked from Vanessa to me.
“Does she know he’s married?”
Vanessa stared at the wedding ring on my hand.
“Married?” she whispered.
“I’m Claire,” I said.
“Daniel’s wife.”
Vanessa gripped the back of a chair.
Daniel moved toward her, but she raised her palm.
May you like
“No.
You told me Claire had passed away two years ago.”
