“When I received the petition.”
“Why did you wait until today to raise it?”
“Because I wanted to verify what I was seeing before accusing anyone.”
The answer seemed to affect Andrew more than the accusation itself.
He lowered his eyes.
I had spent three weeks questioning my own memory.
I had compared dates.
I had searched old boxes in the back of the closet.
I had opened bank statements I had not looked at in years.
I had examined the agreement under a desk lamp until my eyes hurt.
Only after I had become certain did I come to court.
Judge Porter examined the signature page again.
“What is your professional background, Mrs. Ellison?”
Calder looked toward me sharply.
I felt Ruth’s gaze settle on my face.
“Before my marriage, I served as an attorney in the United States Army.”
The courtroom seemed to contract around the sentence.
