Emma attendit.
James a finalement répondu.
« J’aime beaucoup votre mère. »
“Mais?”
« Mais l’amour ne rend pas toutes les relations saines. »
Emma baissa les yeux.
« Vous divorcez ? »
“Je ne sais pas.”
Elle hocha lentement la tête.
Puis elle m’a regardé.
« Que se passera-t-il demain ? »
Cette question m’est restée en tête même après que tout le monde soit allé se coucher.
J’avais passé douze ans à imaginer le retour de James.
Dans aucun de ces fantasmes, je n’étais responsable de décider de la suite des événements.
J’ai traversé la maison silencieuse vers minuit.
Le manoir parut soudain trop grand.
J’ai alors aperçu de la lumière sous la porte de la bibliothèque.
James était à l’intérieur.
Il se tenait près des étagères, tenant une photographie encadrée.
Robert et James pêchaient ensemble.
James avait l’air d’avoir dix-sept ans.
« Il gardait cette photo sur son bureau », ai-je dit.
James s’essuya le visage.
“Je me souviens.”
Je suis resté près de la porte.
Il a posé la photo.
« J’ai tout gâché. »
“Non.”
Il m’a regardé.
« Tu as gâché beaucoup de choses. »
Un son étrange lui échappa.
Un demi-rire.
Un demi-sanglot.
« Mais tout est trop dramatique. »
Il hocha la tête.
«Je le mérite.»
Je me suis assise en face de lui.
« Pourquoi êtes-vous réellement en train de perdre des clients ? »
James fronça les sourcils.
“Quoi?”
“You have made foolish financial choices.”
He looked embarrassed.
“That does not explain everything.”
“What do you mean?”
“You said you guaranteed business loans with your house.”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
He hesitated.
“About two hundred thousand.”
“That does not equal everything.”
He stared at me.
I waited.
He looked toward the closed door.
Then he whispered.
“Jessica took money.”
My stomach tightened.
“How much?”
“Nearly four hundred thousand dollars.”
I stared at him.
“From where?”
“The business.”
“Did you know?”
“Not at first.”
He reached into his pocket.
Then he stopped.
“I found transfers.”
“To what?”
“An account in her name.”
“Why?”
“She said she was protecting money from creditors.”
“Was she?”
“I don’t think so.”
I leaned forward.
“Where did it go?”
James swallowed.
“That is the problem.”
“What problem?”
“I cannot find it.”
The house seemed to become colder.
“When did you discover this?”
“Three weeks ago.”
“And that is when you searched for me.”
He looked ashamed.
“Yes.”
Not because he missed me.
Because money had disappeared.
I appreciated the honesty even though it hurt.
“Did Jessica know you discovered the transfers?”
“No.”
I stared at him.
“She knows now.”
James looked confused.
“I never told her.”
“Then why did she insist on coming here?”
He slowly straightened.
We stared at each other.
A realization moved between us.
Jessica had not come because James wanted my help.
Jessica had her own reason.
Then my phone vibrated on the table.
It was nearly midnight.
The security system had sent an alert.
Someone was outside the detached office behind the house.
I opened the camera feed.
James came beside me.
The image appeared.
A woman stood beneath the motion light.
She wore dark pants and a hooded jacket.
But I recognized the posture immediately.
Jessica.
James whispered, “What is she doing?”
I enlarged the image.
Jessica walked toward the office door.
Then she removed something from her pocket.
A key.
James stared.
“How does she have a key?”
I looked at him.
“She doesn’t.”
But the door opened.
Jessica stepped inside.
My blood went cold.
That office contained every financial record related to the software sale.
It also contained my estate documents.
James reached for the phone.
“I’m calling her.”
I stopped him.
“No.”
He stared at me.
“What?”
I opened another camera.
Jessica moved through the dark office with a flashlight.
She went directly toward the filing cabinets.
She knew exactly where she was going.
James whispered, “Mom.”
I said nothing.
Jessica opened the third drawer.
Then she removed a folder.
The camera angle was clear enough for me to read the label.
ESTATE PLAN.
James looked at me.
“Why does she want your estate plan?”
I already knew.
Because twelve years earlier, Jessica had thought I possessed four million dollars.
Now she knew I possessed far more.
And somehow, she had entered my private office with a key she should never have had.
I reached for my phone.
This time, I called the police.
PART 3
The dispatcher told me officers were already on their way because my security company had reported the unauthorized entry.
James stared at the camera feed.
Jessica remained unaware she was being watched.
Elle a ouvert mon dossier successoral.
Elle a ensuite photographié plusieurs pages avec son téléphone.
James murmura : « Je ne comprends pas. »
Je l’ai fait.
Au moins en partie.
« Elle s’attendait à trouver quelque chose. »
“Quoi?”
« J’ai l’intention de lui demander. »
James se dirigea vers la porte.
Je lui ai attrapé le bras.
“Non.”
Il m’a regardé.
« C’est ma femme. »
« Et elle se trouve actuellement dans mon bureau fermé à clé, sans autorisation. »
« Elle a peut-être une explication. »
« Elle pourra alors l’expliquer à la police. »
Il tressaillit.
Je n’ai pas aimé le dire.
Mais douze ans plus tôt, j’avais ignoré trop de signaux d’alarme parce que James était mon fils.
Je ne referais pas cette erreur car Jessica était sa femme.
La première voiture de patrouille est entrée sur la propriété trois minutes plus tard.
Jessica a apparemment aperçu les lumières à travers les fenêtres du bureau.
Elle a couru.
La caméra l’a filmée se précipitant vers la porte arrière.
Deux agents l’ont interceptée à l’extérieur.
James ferma les yeux.
Emma est apparue dans le couloir derrière nous.
“Ce qui s’est passé?”
Je me suis retourné rapidement.
« Tu devrais dormir. »
« Il y a des voitures de police dehors. »
Tony apparut derrière elle avec Max.
James se frotta le front.
