“Yes.”
It was the first answer he gave me without trying to make it smaller.
Ruth turned to the next set of papers.
The prospective buyer was a local renovation business. Its representative, Peter Cole, had sent her everything after she returned his call that morning.
Among the documents was a letter carrying my name and what looked like my signature.
It said Vanessa had permission to negotiate on my behalf.
“I never signed that.”
“I know,” Daniel said.
I looked at him.
“When did you know?”
“Saturday night. After you left.”
His voice shook, but he kept talking.
“She’d used a scan from the venue paperwork. The guarantee you signed for the deposit.”
My hand went cold on the desk.
Vanessa had emailed that guarantee to the wedding coordinator for me. I remembered thanking her.
Ruth asked Daniel how he knew where the signature came from.
“She told me. And she sent me the file because she wanted me to say we’d all agreed.”
He slid his phone across the desk.
There was the message.
Just tell them your mother approved it verbally. You know she would have helped us anyway.
Below it was his reply.
She didn’t approve it.
Then another message from Vanessa.
You were happy to spend the money yesterday.
Ruth let the silence stand.
Daniel swallowed.
“There’s more.”
Of course there was.
The buyer had paid Vanessa fifteen thousand dollars under the preliminary arrangement. She had described it as money needed to prepare the property for sale.
Some of it had paid the remaining wedding bills.
