Chapter 5 - EVELYN
Ethan searched Evelyn Brooks before Sarah and Chloe returned home.
There were dozens of women with that name.
Then he searched Daniel's old company records.
One result appeared.
Evelyn Brooks.
Former controller.
Harper Strategic Consulting.
Ethan stared at the screen.
Daniel hadn't simply known Evelyn.
She had worked for him.
He called Chloe.
“Tell Mom Evelyn used to handle Dad's company accounts.”
Sarah heard through the speaker.
“When did she leave?”
“About seven months ago.”
That date mattered.
Daniel claimed the company lost its major client eight months earlier.
By his version of events, their financial collapse had started almost immediately afterward.
Ethan kept searching.
Harper Strategic Consulting had not declared bankruptcy.
It had not closed.
Its corporate registration remained active.
Even stranger, two new companies had appeared at the same office address.
Northline Holdings LLC.
Cedar Bridge Assets LLC.
Both had been formed within the last year.
The registered agent was Evelyn Brooks.
That evening Daniel arrived home carrying groceries.
He kissed Sarah on the cheek.
“How was your day?”
Sarah looked at the man she had been married to for twenty-one years.
“Quiet.”
Daniel smiled.
“Good.”
At dinner, he launched into another speech about money.
“We have to tighten things further.”
Chloe lowered her fork.
Daniel continued.
“I spoke to the mortgage company.”
Sarah watched him carefully.
“And?”
“They're not giving us much flexibility.”
“Are we losing the house?”
Daniel sighed dramatically.
“I hope not.”
Ethan wanted to throw the entire metal box onto the table.
Instead he asked,
“What happens if we do?”
“We adapt.”
Daniel looked toward Chloe.
“You may need to forget college for another year.”
Chloe's jaw tightened.
“And Mom's medication?”
Daniel glanced toward Sarah.
“We prioritize what we can.”
Sarah placed her fork down.
Daniel smiled sympathetically.
“We're all sacrificing.”
Sarah nearly broke then.
Not because of Vanessa.
Not even because of Rachel.
Because Daniel believed he could sit at their table, look directly at the people he was hurting, and perform concern.
Sarah forced herself to smile.
“Of course.”
Daniel looked relieved.
Later that night, Ethan heard the garage door.
Through his bedroom window he watched Daniel walk toward the backyard.
Daniel stopped beneath the maple tree.
For several seconds he stared at the ground.
Then he looked up.
Directly at Ethan's window.
Ethan stepped away.
Downstairs, the back door opened.
Daniel came inside.
But he didn't go to bed.
He entered his home office and locked the door.
Ethan waited until almost 2 a.m.
After Daniel finally left, Ethan slipped downstairs.
The office was locked.
But Ethan knew something Daniel didn't.
Six months earlier, Daniel had hidden the spare key above the laundry room door.
Ethan unlocked the office.
Inside the desk was a laptop.
Password protected.
He tried Daniel's birthday.
Wrong.
Sarah's birthday.
Wrong.
Then Ethan remembered the transfer records.
One number appeared repeatedly.
September 17.
Rachel's birthday.
He typed:
Rachel0917.
The screen unlocked.
Ethan stared at the files.
One folder sat in the center of the desktop.
PRIVATE.
Inside were spreadsheets.
Account numbers.
Property records.
And one document named:
EXIT PLAN.
Ethan opened it.
At the bottom of the first page was a number.
May you like
$1,842,600.
That was the amount Daniel intended to leave with.
