THAT NIGHT, I SET A TRAP FOR SOPHIE
I returned to the house.
Acted exhausted.
Confused.
Exactly how she expected me to behave.
After dinner, I said:
“Sophie?”
“Yeah?”
“I found some papers from Adrian’s office.”
Her expression barely changed.
“I don’t understand any of them.”
She hesitated.
“What kind of papers?”
“Bank stuff.”
That got her.
Only for half a second.
But I saw it.
“I’m too tired to deal with legal paperwork.”
I sighed.
“Could you look at it?”
“Of course.”
I placed copies on the dining table.
Then walked into the hallway with my phone recording.
Sophie opened the folder.
Within seconds—
all color left her face.
Then she grabbed her phone.
Called someone.
The moment he answered, she whispered:
“She has it.”
Pause.
“Adrian kept copies.”
Another pause.
“I told you he would.”
I stepped into the dining room.
“Sophie.”
She dropped the phone.
FOR SEVERAL SECONDS, WE JUST LOOKED AT EACH OTHER
Then:
“Claire.”
“No.”
Her eyes filled immediately.
“Please let me explain.”
“Did you steal from my children?”
Sophie sat down.
“I was going to replace it.”
“That is not what I asked.”
She looked up.
Broken.
Terrified.
And somehow angry too.
“Ryan came back with debts.”
“He said people were threatening him.”
“He said Mia could get dragged into it.”
“I panicked.”
“So you took our money.”
“I borrowed it.”
I laughed once.
“You stole it.”
Her shoulders collapsed.
“I know how it sounds.”
“It sounds exactly like what it was.”
I stepped closer.
“Did you tell Ryan that Adrian had proof?”
Sophie shut her eyes.
I asked again.
“Did you?”
“Yes.”
The room seemed to change temperature.
“WHAT ELSE DID YOU TELL HIM?”
She started crying harder.
“That Adrian had copies.”
“What else?”
“When Adrian left work.”
I stopped breathing.
Sophie pressed one hand against her mouth.
“I thought Ryan would scare him.”
My voice went quiet.
“What?”
“I thought he would frighten Adrian into giving him the evidence.”
“Adrian is dead.”
“I know.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“You don’t get to say that like you’re talking about rain.”
Sophie started sobbing.
“I never thought Ryan would—”
“You sent him after my husband.”
“I didn’t know!”
“You told him where Adrian was.”
She covered her face.
I had been carrying one question since the moment Mark handed me the envelope.
Now I finally asked it.
