Chapter 6 - The Story Diane Told
Detective Aaron Bell did not look impressed by drama.
Emily liked him immediately.
Not because he believed her.
Because he didn’t appear eager to believe anyone without evidence.
They moved into a small conference room.
“Mrs. Hale, Diane Hale states that you attacked her during an argument and that any contact with the broom occurred while she was defending herself.”
Emily almost laughed.
Instead she said, “There’s video.”
“I’ve reviewed part of the video provided with your report.”
“Then you know she’s lying.”
“I know the video shows certain things. I’m gathering statements.”
Emily nodded.
Fair.
“What did she say I did?”
“Pushed her into the kitchen island, attempted to take the broom, threatened to keep her grandson away from her.”
“The last one is true.”
Bell raised an eyebrow.
“I told her not to contact Noah after he revealed she ordered him to delete a recording.”
“Thank you.”
He wrote something down.
“Did you ever touch Mrs. Hale?”
Emily thought carefully.
“When she swung the broom a second time, I put my forearm up and shoved the handle away. I didn’t shove her body.”
“Any other physical contact?”
“No.”
“Did you threaten her?”
“I told her to leave my house.”
Bell nodded.
“What happened before the recording begins?”
Emily explained the argument about Friday’s papers.
When she finished, Bell closed his notebook.
“I’ll contact you if I need anything else.”
“That’s it?”
“For now.”
Emily almost asked whether Diane would be arrested.
She stopped herself.
Wanting consequences did not give her the right to dictate procedure.
Outside, Michael waited.
Again.
This time Emily’s anger came faster.
“I told you not to follow me.”
“I didn’t. Bell called me too.”
That made sense.
Michael showed his phone.
Three missed calls from Diane.
“She told me not to speak to police without her lawyer.”
Emily stared at him.
“And?”
“I’m speaking to them.”
It was a small thing.
Months earlier, Emily might have praised it.
Now she simply nodded.
That evening, Noah’s first visit with Michael took place at a family center Clara had recommended while the adults worked out temporary arrangements.
Michael hated the idea.
Emily hated it too.
But Noah needed a place where he didn’t have to wonder whether Grandma might appear.
Before they went inside, Noah squeezed Emily’s hand.
“Are you leaving?”
“For two hours.”
“Can you stay?”
Emily crouched.
“This is your time with Dad.”
“What if he asks about the video?”
“He shouldn’t. Grown-up legal problems are for grown-ups.”
“Is he mad?”
“No.”
Emily hoped that was true.
Michael approached slowly.
He had brought Noah’s blue dinosaur backpack and a small plastic box of magnetic tiles.
No gifts.
No grand promises.
That was something.
He crouched several feet away.
“Hey, buddy.”
Noah stared at him.
“Hi.”
Michael’s voice cracked slightly.
“I missed you.”
Noah looked at Emily.
She nodded.
He walked toward his father.
Michael hugged him, but only after Noah lifted his arms first.
Emily had to turn away.
For two hours, she sat at a coffee shop with her laptop.
Clara had referred her to forensic accountant Martin Cho, who agreed to conduct a preliminary review of the documents Michael’s attorney had produced.
At 4:37, Martin called.
“I found something unusual.”
Emily had learned to hate that phrase.
“What?”
“The invoices from the three questionable vendors.”
“What about them?”
“They use sequential invoice numbers despite supposedly coming from different companies.”
Emily frowned.
“Meaning?”
“Someone may have created the invoices from the same template.”
“Diane?”
“I’m not saying who. But two PDFs contain identical metadata. Same authoring software. Same user name.”
“What user name?”
Martin paused.
“MHale.”
Emily’s stomach dropped.
Michael.
“No.”
“It may be his computer profile, not necessarily him.”
“You said author name.”
“On many office systems, PDF metadata automatically captures whichever account created or exported the document. It proves the files were generated under that profile. It does not prove who was physically at the keyboard.”
Emily forced herself to breathe.
“Send it to Clara.”
“Already did.”
When the visit ended, Noah came out holding Michael’s hand.
He was smiling.
Emily was relieved until Michael saw her face.
“What happened?”
“Nothing we’re discussing here.”
His smile disappeared.
Noah hugged Emily.
“Dad made a spaceship.”
“That sounds amazing.”
“It crashed.”
“Most good spaceships do.”
Noah laughed.
Michael waited until their son was buckled into Tessa’s car.
Then he approached Emily.
“Tell me.”
Emily folded her arms.
“The fake vendor invoices were created under your computer profile.”
Michael froze.
“That’s impossible.”
“Martin found metadata.”
“My mother used my office all the time.”
“Of course she did.”
His jaw tightened.
“You think I stole from my own company?”
“I think I keep discovering things you told me weren’t possible.”
“I didn’t create fake vendors.”
“Then prove it.”
Michael stared at her.
“How?”
“Start by telling the truth before someone else finds it.”
He looked away.
That movement told Emily there was still more.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Michael.”
He closed his eyes.
Then said, “I changed the password on my office computer in June.”
Emily’s pulse climbed.
“And?”
“I didn’t give it to Mom.”
“So if the invoices were created after June…”
Michael’s face had gone pale.
Emily already knew the answer.
“When were they created?” he asked.
She checked Martin’s email.
“July seventeenth. August second. August nineteenth.”
Michael stepped backward.
His lips parted.
Then Emily understood the expression.
He wasn’t afraid of what she had found.
He was remembering something.
“Who had your password?”
Michael looked at her.
“One other person.”
“Who?”
He swallowed.
May you like
“My father’s former business partner.”
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