Chapter 6
“Why?”
“He was looking for the original agreement.”
Claire’s brows drew together. “The divorce agreement?”
“Yes.”
“Why would he need it? He has the signed copy.”
Margaret hesitated.
“He said the signature page was missing.”
Claire felt the room tilt slightly.
“That’s impossible. I signed every page.”
“I know.”
“What did he mean?”
“I don’t know. But he seemed frightened.”
The word hung between them.
Adrian Moretti frightened was not a sight Claire had ever witnessed. He was usually the person everyone else watched carefully.
“Did he say anything else?”
Margaret shook her head. “Only that he needed to find a particular document before his attorney did.”
Claire stepped away from the door.
“What document?”
“I don’t know.”
Margaret left before Claire could ask more.
For several seconds, Claire stood in the hallway listening to her footsteps descend the stairs.
Emily came to her side.
“Do you believe her?”
“Yes.”
“Do you believe Adrian is frightened?”
Claire looked at the cream envelope on the table.
“I don’t know.”
The next morning, Claire called her attorney, Daniel Price.
Daniel had handled the prenuptial agreement before her wedding and had remained available for consultations, though she had spoken to him only twice in the past three years. He was cautious, precise, and unimpressed by Adrian’s reputation.
He asked her to come to his office.
The law firm occupied the top floors of an old limestone building downtown. Snow had melted into dark streaks along the sidewalk, and the city smelled of wet pavement and coffee.
Daniel greeted her in a conference room lined with bookshelves.
“I reviewed the settlement agreement you left with my assistant,” he said.
“And?”
“You signed it.”
“I know.”
“The signature is valid, the terms are clear, and your attorney’s certification is attached.”
“Then why would Adrian say a page was missing?”
Daniel’s face tightened.
“Which page?”
“I don’t know.”
He opened a file. “There are five pages in the copy you gave me. The final page contains your signature and the date. Nothing is missing.”
Claire exhaled.
“Could he be trying to delay?”
“Possibly. But he would have to provide a credible reason. More importantly, this agreement is not the only document relevant to your separation.”
“What does that mean?”
Daniel turned the file toward her.
“There was a supplemental property schedule prepared six months after your wedding.”
Claire stared at him.
“I never saw it.”
“It was signed by you.”