PART 7
I looked down.
“Almost another ninety thousand.”
His eyes widened.
“I didn’t take that.”
“Then who did?”
He stepped closer.
I showed him the transactions.
Different dates.
Different amounts.
But the same destination.
Marcus Reed.
Andrew stared at the screen.
“I don’t understand.”
“You’re telling me you don’t recognize these?”
“No.”
“Then someone else has access to the account.”
His face became pale.
I suddenly remembered something.
My old laptop.
The one I had stopped using because Andrew told me the battery was failing.
“Where is my laptop?”
He looked at me.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“It was in the storage room.”
I walked upstairs.
Andrew followed.
I opened the storage room.
Boxes were stacked everywhere.
Christmas decorations.
Old photographs.
Suitcases.
I moved them aside.
The laptop wasn’t there.
I turned around.
“Where is it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Andrew.”
“I swear.”
I looked at him.
Then I noticed something on the floor.
A small piece of paper.
I picked it up.
It was a receipt.
Computer repair shop.
Three months earlier.
Customer name:
Andrew Carter.
Device:
Carla Carter — MacBook Pro.
I stared at him.
“You told me this laptop was broken.”
“I…”
“You took it to a repair shop?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I needed to access some old files.”
“What files?”
“I don’t remember.”
I held the receipt in front of him.
“You’re lying again.”
Andrew’s face collapsed.
“I was trying to find the original property documents.”
“What?”
“The beach house.”
I stared at him.
“Why?”
“Because Marcus told me the lender had a copy.”
“And?”
“I wanted to destroy it.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“You were trying to destroy legal documents?”
“I was desperate.”
“You could have gone to prison.”
“I know.”
“And you involved me.”
“I know.”
“And you almost lost my mother’s property.”
“I know.”
I turned away.
I couldn’t even look at him.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I almost ignored it.
But something told me not to.
I answered.
“Hello?”
A man’s voice came through.
Calm.
Deep.
Professional.
“Is this Carla Carter?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Marcus Reed.”
My heart stopped.
I looked at Andrew.
His face drained of color.
Marcus continued.
“I believe you have some questions.”
I put the phone on speaker.
“Who are you?”
A quiet chuckle.
“Your husband’s former business partner.”
“I know.”
“Then you know why I’m calling.”
“No. I don’t.”
There was a pause.
“Because your husband has been telling you only half the story.”
Andrew whispered:
“Don’t listen to him.”
Marcus heard him.
“Hello, Andrew.”
Andrew said nothing.
Marcus continued.
“Carla, I suggest you ask your husband where the money really went.”
“I already know about the debt.”
“No.”
Marcus’s voice became colder.
“You know about the old debt.”
I felt my stomach tighten.
“What do you mean?”
“Your husband has another problem.”
Andrew stepped toward the phone.
“Marcus, don’t.”
“You should have told her yourself, Andrew.”
“What problem?”
Marcus answered.
“The reason Andrew needed so much money wasn’t because of my company.”
I looked at Andrew.
He couldn’t meet my eyes.
“Then why?”
Marcus said four words that changed everything.
“Because of your brother.”
My breath caught.
“My brother died six years ago.”
“I know.”
“What does he have to do with Andrew?”
Marcus didn’t answer immediately.
Then he said:
“Ask Andrew why he was with your brother the night he died.”
The room went silent.
I turned slowly toward my husband.
Andrew looked like a man who had just watched his entire life collapse.
“My brother’s death was an accident,” I whispered.
Andrew didn’t answer.
“Wasn’t it?”
Still nothing.
I stepped closer.
“Andrew.”
He finally looked at me.
Tears were running down his face.
“Carla…”
“Tell me.”
“I didn’t kill him.”
My heart stopped.
“I never said you did.”
“But I was there.”
The phone remained on speaker.
Marcus was silent.
Andrew wiped his face.
“Your brother called me that night.”
“Why?”
“Because he had discovered something.”
“What?”
Andrew looked at me.
“Something about Marcus.”
Marcus suddenly spoke.
“That’s enough.”
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