Chapter 16 - The Scapegoat
Linda's affidavit was twenty-seven pages long.
Rachel read it once.
Maya read it three times.
Daniel's attorney called it "a demolition charge disguised as a grandmother's concern."
Linda claimed Daniel had become obsessed with keeping Parker Custom Millwork alive.
She claimed he had pressured her to provoke Rachel.
She claimed the private investigator had been Daniel's idea.
She claimed the Family Services report had shocked her.
She even claimed the coffee incident happened because Daniel had told her to create "a memorable confrontation" so Rachel would leave the house angry.
Rachel sat in Maya's office with the affidavit open in front of her.
"She's blaming all of it on him."
Maya nodded.
"Most of it."
"But the recordings contradict her."
"They contradict parts of it."
Maya tapped a paragraph.
"Other parts are carefully written around what the recordings actually show."
Rachel read the sentence again.
My son repeatedly expressed that he needed Rachel to leave the residence so he could protect the company and his daughter.
It was technically close enough to pieces of the truth to be dangerous.
Daniel had wanted options.
Daniel had spoken to a custody attorney.
Daniel had agreed to provoke a confrontation.
The fact that Linda had designed the plan did not make him innocent.
"What happens now?"
"Her grandparent-visitation petition will be heard with the temporary family orders."
"Can she actually get visitation?"
"Under these facts, I think her chances are poor."
Maya's voice remained measured.
"But courts don't reward confidence. We prepare."
Daniel requested another meeting.
Rachel almost refused.
Maya recommended she attend because Daniel was offering a sworn declaration.
He arrived without the defensive posture Rachel had grown used to seeing.
He looked tired, but not panicked.
Steven placed a document on the table.
"Daniel intends to withdraw his opposition to Rachel's temporary primary custody."
Rachel stared at him.
"Why?"
Daniel answered.
"Because I don't trust my judgment right now."
The honesty hurt more than another excuse would have.
He continued.
"I also want the court to know I made the Family Services report and included information I knew was inaccurate."
Rachel looked at Steven.
"You're letting him say that?"
Steven's expression was dry.
"I am advising my client about consequences. My client has decided some consequences are overdue."
Daniel slid the declaration toward Rachel.
It admitted he attended the Friday planning meeting.
It admitted he knew Linda hired the investigator before Sunday.
It admitted he had consulted a custody attorney because Linda convinced him Rachel might leave when the financial irregularities surfaced.
It admitted he repeated false information to Family Services.
And it stated that he did not know Linda planned to use the mug or any other physical action involving Lily.
Rachel read the last page.
"Why are you doing this now?"
Daniel looked at her.
"Because my mother is lying about what I did."
Rachel's expression hardened.
He shook his head.
"That's not the whole reason."
"Then what is?"
Daniel stared at his hands.
"Because I spent a week asking everyone to understand my fear."
He took a slow breath.
"And nobody owed me that."
Rachel said nothing.
"I was afraid of losing the company."
"I know."
"I was afraid of losing Dad's legacy."
"I know."
"I was afraid you'd leave."
Rachel's eyes narrowed.
Daniel nodded.
"And instead of telling you the truth, I helped create the exact reason you needed to leave."
The room went quiet.
Rachel looked back down at the declaration.
"Signing this doesn't fix us."
"I know."
"It doesn't earn normal visitation."
"I know."
"It doesn't make Sunday something that happened to you."
Daniel swallowed.
"I know."
Rachel hated that those two words finally sounded sincere.
That afternoon, another piece of the financial case broke open.
Susan Kelley, the notary whose stamp appeared on Rachel's loan documents, contacted the bank through an attorney.
She admitted she had notarized documents without Rachel being present.
But she denied seeing Claire impersonate Rachel.
According to Susan, Linda brought her a completed package and said Rachel had signed earlier during a video verification.
Susan had stamped it anyway.
"Why?" Rachel asked Michael Reyes during a conference call.
Michael answered carefully.
"Ms. Kelley says she had worked with Parker Family Holdings for years and trusted Mrs. Parker."
Rachel stared at Thomas.
Trust.
Another respectable word doing dirty work.
Michael continued.
"She also received a five-thousand-dollar consulting payment from Cedar Consulting two weeks later."
Rachel almost laughed.
"So she was paid."
"Her attorney characterizes it differently."
"Of course he does."
Michael did not disagree.
The most important development came last.
Investigators recovered fragments from the burn barrel.
Most were unreadable.
One piece contained part of an email address and the words verification workaround.
Another contained Rachel's initials.
A third contained a handwritten note.
M.R. asking questions. Move before Monday.
Rachel frowned.
"M.R.?"
Michael's voice became quiet.
"We believe it refers to me."
"But I didn't call you until Monday."
"Correct."
Rachel's skin prickled.
"Then why would someone write that before Monday?"
Michael paused.
May you like
"Because you were not the first person who contacted the bank."
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