Chapter 7: What Rosa Saw
Rosa Mendez agreed to meet me the following evening at a diner two miles from the catering company.
She was twenty-six, small, with careful eyes and the posture of someone who had learned early to take up as little space as possible in other people's rooms.
She was already there when I arrived, both hands around a coffee cup, a paper napkin folded into a small square beside her saucer.
I sat down across from her.
I ordered coffee.
I did not rush her.
"I've worked for the Cole family for four years," she said finally.
"Vanessa runs the floor.
Judith does the books.
It's a good job.
I don't want to lose it."
"I understand."
"I need you to understand that before I say anything else."
"Rosa.
Whatever you tell me, I will not put you in a position where you lose your job if I can help it.
But I also won't make you a promise I can't keep.
What I can tell you is that I'm not trying to damage the business.
I'm trying to protect my children."
She looked at her coffee.
Then at me.
"I was in the kitchen when it started," she said.
"But the kitchen door was open.
I heard everything."
I kept my hands flat on the table.
"I heard Vanessa say the thing about serving the family first.
I heard the sound." She paused.
"I came to the doorway.
I saw you standing up.
I saw you sl*p her back.
And I saw Mr.
Cole tell you not to make it worse."
"Did anyone see you in the doorway?"
"Mrs.
Cole — Judith — looked at me.
She shook her head, just slightly.
Like this." Rosa gave a tiny, precise movement of her chin.
"I went back into the kitchen."
"Judith saw you."
"Yes."
"And she signaled you to stay out of it."
"Yes."
I sat with that for a moment.
Judith had known there was a witness.
She had managed her.
"Rosa.
Would you be willing to give a written statement to my attorney?
Not to testify in court, not yet — just a statement of what you saw and heard."
She turned the folded napkin over in her fingers.
"If I do that and Vanessa finds out—"
"She may find out eventually.
I won't pretend otherwise."
"She'll fire me."
"Probably." I leaned forward slightly.
"I know that's not a small thing.
I know what it costs.
And I know I have no right to ask you to pay that price for my benefit."
Rosa was quiet for a long moment.
"She sl*pped you," she said.
"In your own house.
In front of your little girl." She set the napkin down.
"I have a daughter.
She's three."
I didn't say anything.
"I'll give the statement," Rosa said.
"But I want to do it quickly, before anyone has a chance to warn me off."
I called Daniel from the car park outside.
He said he could have someone at Rosa's home the next morning.
I was pulling back onto the road when my phone rang through the car speakers.
Nathan.
I almost let it go to voicemail.
Then I thought about what Daniel had said.
*Don't settle.
Not yet.
Know what he's willing to offer.*
I answered.
"Emily." His voice was different from the voicemails.
Quieter.
Careful.
"I think we need to talk.
In person.
Just us."
"Say what you need to say, Nathan."
A pause.
"I want to offer you something fair.
The house — I'll sign it back to you.
Full title.
No contest.
I just need you to agree to drop the other matter."
The fraud claim.
He wanted me to drop the fraud claim.
"And the children?" I said.
"Shared custody.
Reasonable terms.
I'm not trying to take them from you."
"You told your mother you'd already spoken to a lawyer about custody."
Silence.
"Nathan.
You sent me a text message the night I left telling me things would not go well for me in court.
Now you're calling to offer me the house back.
Those are not the actions of a man who wants something fair.
They are the actions of a man who has realized how much trouble he is in."
"Emily—"
"I'll have my attorney contact yours," I said.
"Don't call me again directly."
I ended the call.
My hands were steady on the wheel.
He had offered me the house.
May you like
Which meant he knew he was going to lose far more than the house if this went forward.
The question was what else he was hiding.
