“Those are from my account.”
“No,” Eleanor said. “They’re from mine.”
He looked closer.
Every month for eight months, exactly eight hundred dollars had been transferred from Eleanor’s savings account to a company called Bright Path Home Services.
The company had been created six weeks before Olivia and Michael moved in.
Michael’s voice became rough. “What is Bright Path?”
“Your wife’s company,” Eleanor said.
Olivia wiped her cheek with the heel of her hand.
“It was supposed to be a home-care business.”
“You never provided home care.”
“I bought groceries.”
“You bought groceries with my money.”
Michael turned toward her. “You told me your work had dried up.”
“It had.”
“You told me the business was failing because your mother refused to help.”
Olivia laughed once, and the sound broke in the middle.
“She offered to help. She offered money. You think I wanted to steal from her?”
“You set up automatic transfers.”
“I was going to pay it back.”
Eleanor pressed a button on the recorder.
Olivia’s own voice filled the kitchen.
“She won’t remember the details. Just keep the statements out of sight until the guardianship hearing.”
The recording ended.
Silence spread through the room.
Michael stared at his wife as if the woman in front of him had become a stranger while he was watching.
CHAPTER 2 – The Box in the Pantry
Olivia’s lips parted.
“That’s edited.”
Eleanor pressed another button.
Michael’s voice came through this time, low and uncertain.
