Chapter 5: The Filing
Rachel answered on the first ring.
"Garrett Locke and Ashley were in a relationship," she said.
"It ended approximately three and a half years ago.
Fourteen months before you met her."
I was sitting in my car in Diane's driveway.
The engine wasn't running.
"How long were they together?"
"Two years.
His LinkedIn still lists her as a reference contact — I don't think he updated it or he didn't think anyone would check." A pause.
"He joined Meridian Logistics as acquisitions partner eight months after they ended things.
Bennett Freight became one of his named targets within his first quarter there."
"And then she met me."
"At the freight industry conference in Denver.
September, three and a half years ago." Rachel let that land.
"I checked the attendee list from that year.
Garrett Locke was also registered.
He didn't present, but he was registered."
I put my hand on the steering wheel and looked at Diane's front door.
"They were in the same room when she met me," I said.
"I can't prove she was sent.
I want to be honest with you about that.
But the shape of it is—"
"I know what the shape of it is."
Rachel went quiet for a moment.
"I've spoken to your mother's estate attorney, David Harmon.
He wants to meet with both of us tomorrow morning.
He believes there are steps we can take to protect the trust and the company holdings.
But we need to move before she does."
"She already has," I said.
"She mentioned Locke deliberately.
She knew I'd look him up."
"That's what worries me too.
She may already be further along than we know."
I was back at the condo the next morning to collect some personal documents from the home office when I heard the key in the lock.
Ashley walked in carrying two coffee cups and stopped when she saw me at the desk.
"I didn't expect you," she said.
"My name is on the lease."
She set both cups down on the kitchen counter.
"I've been thinking.
I think we reacted emotionally and we both said things we regret.
I'd like to try to have a real conversation about where we go from here."
"I'd like that too," I said.
"You can start by explaining your relationship with Garrett Locke."
The cup she was holding didn't move.
Her face didn't change.
But her weight shifted to her back foot.
"He's an old friend."
"He's an ex-partner of two years who works for the company that has been trying to buy Bennett Freight for the last four years.
And you met me in the same room as him at the Denver conference."
"That's a remarkable series of coincidences you've assembled."
"I haven't assembled anything.
I just followed the facts you handed me."
Ashley set her cup down deliberately.
"What do you want me to say?
That he and I dated?
Fine.
We did.
It ended.
I moved on.
I met you and I fell in love with you, and at some point you're going to have to decide whether you believe that or whether you're going to let your cousin and your mother build a story that fits what they already wanted to believe about me."
"My mother has a voicemail, Ashley."
Something finally moved in her face.
"She recorded me?"
"She kept a voicemail.
The one where you suggested the two of you could come to an arrangement."
For three seconds she said nothing.
Then: "I was trying to fix things with her.
That's all that was."
"That's not what it sounds like."
"I don't care what it sounds like." Her voice sharpened.
"I care what it looks like in court.
And right now, what it looks like is a new wife being investigated by her husband's family attorney and cousin, twelve hours after her wedding, based on a private phone call that was kept as evidence without her knowledge." She picked her phone up off the counter.
"My attorney filed this morning."
I looked at her.
"The divorce petition.
Standard procedure when a marriage breaks down this quickly." She held the phone toward me so I could see the confirmation screen.
"Once a petition is filed, certain assets become subject to equitable review during proceedings.
That includes shares held in a jointly-relevant marital estate." Her expression was smooth and controlled.
"David Harmon can explain it to you.
I'm sure you'll be calling him within the hour anyway."
She picked up one of the coffees and walked toward the bedroom.
"I hoped it wouldn't come to this," she said from the doorway.
"I genuinely did.
But I also prepared for it.
Because that's what you do when you're entering a family that never really wanted you."
She closed the door.
My phone was already in my hand.
David Harmon picked up on the second ring.
"She filed," I said.
A short silence.
"When?"
"This morning, apparently.
She just told me."
"All right." His voice was measured.
"Don't move anything.
Don't transfer anything.
Don't sign anything.
Come to my office in one hour and bring Rachel."
I looked at the closed bedroom door.
"She knew we were building a case," I said.
"Yes," David said.
May you like
"Which means she has someone telling her what to look for." He paused.
"Or she already knew exactly how much time she had."
