Chapter 4 - Grandma Speaks
The hospital room was cold and white.
Grandma lay in the bed, her arm propped on a pillow.
Her bandage had been replaced.
Her color looked better.
I sat beside her, holding her good hand.
"How do you feel?" I asked.
"Tired."
"I know. But I need to ask you some questions."
"Your friend from the attorney general's office?"
"She's outside. She'll talk to you later. But I need to hear it from you first."
"Everything?"
"Everything."
She took a deep breath.
"It started after my husband died. Your mother was very supportive at first. She helped me with the funeral. She helped me with the paperwork. She told me I didn't need to worry about anything."
"But things changed."
"Slowly. She started handling my bank account. She said it was easier. She paid my bills, bought my groceries, managed my appointments."
"You gave her permission?"
"At first. But then she stopped showing me the statements. She told me I didn't need to see them. She told me I was getting confused."
"Did you believe her?"
"I wanted to. She was my daughter. I wanted to believe she had my best interests at heart."
"But you started to doubt."
"When I found a receipt for a hotel in Cancun on her credit card. The card she had taken from my wallet."
"A credit card?"
"One of mine. She told me she was using it for emergencies. She told me I had given her permission."
"You didn't."
"No. I never gave her that card. She must have taken it when I was in the hospital."
"Did you confront her?"
"Yes. She told me I was confused. She told me I had signed a shared card agreement. I never signed anything."
I squeezed her hand.
"Grandma, why didn't you call me sooner?"
"Because I was ashamed. Because I thought it was my fault. Because I thought if I just did what she said, everything would go back to normal."
"It's not your fault."
"I know that now. But for a long time, I didn't know who to trust."
---
The door opened.
Mara walked in with a tablet and a small recorder.
"Eleanor, I'm Special Agent Voss. I know you've been through a lot, but I need to ask you some questions."
"What kind of questions?"
"About the power of attorney. About the bank transfers. About the walker."
"The walker. She took it because I was trying to get to the phone. I wanted to call Claire."
"Why did she take it?"
"She was angry."
"Because you were trying to call Claire?"
"Yes."
Mara looked at me.
I nodded.
"She was trying to prevent you from seeking help," Mara said. "That's a form of abuse. In addition to the theft and the forgery."
"I just want to be safe," Grandma whispered.
"You will be. We're going to make sure of it."
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