Chapter 8 - THE ACCOUNT IN EMMA'S NAME
I thought Dad had to be confused.
There was no college account.
James and I had opened a 529 ourselves after Emma was born.
Dad told us this was different.
My mother was listed as custodian until certain paperwork was completed.
"How much?" I asked.
Dad hesitated.
"About forty-eight thousand dollars."
I sat down.
"Why was I never told?"
"Your mother said she wanted it to be a surprise."
James's expression turned flat.
"What did she do with it?"
"I don't know."
But Lauren knew.
That explained the blackmail.
Within an hour, I called the attorney who had handled my grandfather's estate.
He remembered the account immediately.
"Mrs. Walker, I assumed your mother had transferred custodial responsibility to you last spring."
"She didn't."
A pause.
"Then I need to review the records."
By afternoon, he called back.
The account balance was not forty-eight thousand dollars.
It was eleven thousand three hundred and sixteen.
My hands went numb.
"Where did the rest go?"
"There were withdrawals categorized as educational expenses."
"Emma is six months old."
"I understand."
The withdrawals had been made over four months.
Several lined up almost perfectly with payments toward Lauren's rent, credit-card bills, and a weekend trip she had posted online.
James stared at the spreadsheet.
"Your mother used our daughter's money to support Lauren."
I called Mom.
She answered crying.
"Claire, I can explain."
"Did you take money from Emma's account?"
"It wasn't like that."
"Yes or no."
"Lauren was in trouble."
I closed my eyes.
"So yes."
"I intended to replace every dollar."
"With what?"
Mom's voice sharpened.
"Do you care more about money than family?"
I laughed once because the alternative was screaming.
"You stole from a baby to rescue the adult who hit her."
"Don't use that word."
"Which one? Stole? Baby? Hit?"
She started sobbing.
Then she said, "You don't understand what Lauren has been going through."
"I understand exactly what Emma went through."
I hung up.
Two minutes later, our attorney called.
His tone had changed.
"Claire, I found one more withdrawal. It wasn't used for rent."
"What was it for?"
"A retainer."
"For who?"
"A family-law attorney hired three weeks ago."
James and I looked at each other.
May you like
Emma had not been hit three weeks ago.
Which meant someone had been planning for a fight before Christmas ever happened.
