Chapter 8: What Sawyer Did Next
He did not go quietly.
Patricia had warned me he wouldn't.
His attorney — a man named Clifford Marsh who specialized in high-asset dissolutions — filed a counter-narrative within seventy-two hours.
The document characterized the brokerage account as a legitimate investment vehicle established with Claire's implied knowledge, described Dana Holt as an unstable third party with a personal grievance, and suggested that Claire's retention of counsel had been premature and adversarial.
Patricia read it to me over the phone with the tone of someone who had read many documents like it before.
"It's a standard opening position," she said.
"He's trying to reframe everything before we get to discovery.
The implied knowledge claim is weak — there's no documentation supporting it.
The Dana characterization is a deflection."
"He's trying to discredit her."
"Yes.
Which tells us he's more worried about her testimony than the account statement alone." A pause.
"Claire, I need to ask you something.
Is there anything else Sawyer might have that he could use?
Anything from your past, your finances, your conduct during the marriage that could be framed negatively?"
I thought carefully.
"No."
"Are you certain?"
"Yes."
"Good." I heard her make a note.
"Then we proceed to discovery and let the financial records speak."
---
Sawyer called me that Thursday evening.
I almost didn't answer.
Then I remembered Patricia's advice: *let him talk.
People under pressure say things they shouldn't.*
"I want to make a proposal," he said.
"I'm listening."
"I'll close the brokerage account.
Transfer everything back to joint holdings.
Full transparency going forward." A pause.
"In exchange, we table the dissolution proceedings for sixty days.
We try counseling.
For Eli's sake."
I sat with that for a moment.
"Sawyer, the account isn't the only issue."
"I know."
"Vanessa Pruitt."
"That's over."
"Since when?"
A silence.
"Since the gala," he said.
"I ended it."
"You ended it because you realized I knew."
"I ended it because I saw Eli at that microphone and I—" He stopped.
"I'm not going to pretend I handled any of this correctly.
I'm asking for a chance to fix it."
"The transfers," I said.
"Were there others?
Before the brokerage account?"
"No."
"Sawyer."
"There were two," he said.
"Smaller.
Two years ago.
I moved them back.
They won't show up in current statements."
Two years ago.
This had been building for two years.
"I'll have Patricia contact Marsh about the sixty-day proposal," I said.
"Does that mean—"
"It means I'll have Patricia contact Marsh," I said.
"Goodnight."
I hung up and sat in the quiet kitchen for a long time.
Then I called Patricia and told her about the two earlier transfers.
"He volunteered that?" she said.
"Yes."
"He's scared," she said.
"That's actually useful.
It means the forensic accountant may find more than he's admitted to.
I'll have her look at the full five-year window."
"Do that," I said.
The forensic accountant's name was Helen Carr.
May you like
She was thorough and unhurried and she called Patricia ten days later with a number that was not four hundred and twelve thousand dollars.
It was considerably more.
