Chapter 14
The calmness in her voice made it impossible to turn the conversation into an argument.
I sat.
Miriam placed a folder on the desk between us.
“Corinne has not filed for divorce. She has requested a formal separation and temporary arrangements for Owen.”
“I read her letter.”
“Then you know she wants you involved in his life.”
“She took him without telling me.”
“She tried to tell you. You were unreachable.”
I lowered my eyes.
Miriam did not soften the point.
“She called your office. She called your assistant. She called you directly. She informed Mrs. Pearl. She left a written explanation. This was not an attempt to erase you.”
“Where is she?”
“I cannot disclose the address today.”
“Why?”
“Because she believes you may arrive before you have considered what you are prepared to say.”
I leaned back.
“What am I supposed to say?”
“The truth would be a start.”
The words reminded me of the recording.
I looked toward the folder.
“What did Corinne discover?”
Miriam opened it.
“Your wife came to me six weeks ago with concerns about your relationship and the family trust. She had found evidence of your affair. During the process of reviewing the trust documents, she noticed irregularities.”
“Those documents were prepared by my father’s attorney.”
“Yes.”
“Are you saying they were fraudulent?”
“I am saying the ownership history is incomplete.”
She drew out several pages.
“These are records from 1998 through 2004. Property transferred into Keaton Family Holdings. Some of the transfers were authorized by your father. Others contain signatures that require examination.”
I recognized my mother’s name.
“Corinne found these?”
“She found a reference to them in an old file belonging to your father. She then contacted Eleanor Voss.”
I placed my mother’s letter on the desk.
Miriam read the first lines and looked up.
“Where did you get this?”
“My father’s office.”
“Did anyone know you were going there?”
“No.”
She carefully turned the pages.
“Eleanor has been looking for this letter.”
“Why?”
“Because she believed your mother wrote one. She never received it.”
I stared at her.
“What do you mean?”
“Your mother gave Eleanor a packet of documents shortly before she died. The packet included copies of property records, loan agreements, and correspondence with your father. But the letter explaining the full history was missing.”
“She left it in his office.”
“Apparently.”
Miriam’s expression changed slightly.
“Your father’s former attorney died last year. Before his death, he told Eleanor that your father had kept a private file concerning the trust. We thought it had been destroyed.”