Chapter 6 - Evelyn Fires Back
By noon, Evelyn had found her second weapon.
If she couldn't make me look like a thief, she would make me look like a blackmailer.
Her attorney arrived with printed screenshots of text messages supposedly sent from my number.
PAY ME OR I TELL RICHARD ABOUT VICTOR.
Another read:
I KNOW ABOUT THE MONEY. $50,000 AND I STAY QUIET.
Evelyn slid the pages across the dining table like she had just won.
"There. Now everyone can see what she is."
Richard didn't touch them.
I did.
The messages looked convincing. My name. My number. Even my profile picture.
Daniel whispered, "Claire?"
I turned on him so fast he stepped back.
"You get exactly one chance not to ask me whether I sent those."
He closed his mouth.
Smartest thing he'd done all day.
I called Maya.
My sister answered on the first ring. "Are you safe?"
"Physically? Mostly. Emotionally? Ask me in ten years. I need you to check our family phone account. Evelyn has fake screenshots from my number."
Maya worked in IT security for a hospital. She was not a hacker, no matter how many relatives called her one. She was simply very good at proving when people were careless.
Twenty minutes later, she arrived with a laptop and the expression she wore when someone had insulted both of us.
She studied the screenshots.
"These are cute."
Evelyn's attorney frowned. "Excuse me?"
"The font spacing is wrong. Also Claire's carrier records show no outgoing texts to this number on these dates. But my favorite part?"
She zoomed in.
"This profile photo wasn't uploaded until last month. Two of these alleged screenshots are dated three months ago."
Eric barked a laugh.
Evelyn's face twisted.
Her attorney slowly lowered the pages.
Ortiz, who had returned with a warrant for the security token and financial records, asked, "Who created these screenshots?"
Evelyn looked at Victor's attorney.
That tiny glance was enough.
Ortiz saw it too.
"Mrs. Cole, do not destroy your phone. Do not delete messages. Do not contact potential witnesses to coordinate stories."
Evelyn stood. "I am the victim here."
I touched the bruise on my cheek.
"You should probably workshop that line."
Her eyes landed on me, full of poison.
Then she smiled.
"Claire, ask your sister what else she found on the family phone account."
Maya's expression changed.
I looked at her. "What?"
She hesitated.
"There are dozens of calls between Daniel and Victor."
Daniel went pale.
I stared at him.
"How many?"
Maya turned the laptop around.
Thirty-seven calls in six weeks.
And the most recent one had lasted eleven minutes.
It happened the night before Evelyn attacked me.
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