Chapter 5 - BUILDING A CASE
Carmine called his attorney, Nora Bennett, at eleven that night.
She arrived before midnight.
Leo was asleep in Carmine's bed.
Carmine refused to leave him alone.
Nora read the draft petition twice.
"This was never filed."
"Yet."
"No."
"Can she do anything with it?"
"Not without standing."
"She planned to marry me."
"Exactly."
Carmine felt stupid.
He hated feeling stupid.
Helena had talked about marriage constantly.
Not romance.
Timing.
Venues.
Prenups.
"Protection."
She had pushed for a wedding before the end of the quarter.
Now he understood why.
"If we marry, does that give her standing?"
"Possibly more influence, especially if she establishes herself as primary caregiver."
"She was manufacturing proof Leo was difficult."
"That's how it looks."
His phone buzzed.
Helena.
He answered.
"What?"
Her voice was soft now.
"Carmine, please. We both said things."
"You made my son scrub a car you scratched."
Silence.
"It was a lesson."
"You disabled the camera."
"Privacy."
"You searched his room."
"I live there."
"You copied his trust."
Another silence.
Then she changed.
The sweetness vanished.
"You've been spying on me?"
"You used my security system."
"I was protecting my future."
"From a child?"
"From your obsession with a dead woman."
Nora mouthed: Keep her talking.
He put the call on speaker.
Helena continued.
"You built everything around Elena's memory. Leo gets the trust. Leo gets the shares. Leo gets the estate. Where exactly was I supposed to fit?"
There it was.
Not love.
A balance sheet.
"Helena," he said, "did you hurt my son to make him look unstable?"
"No."
"Did you starve him?"
"I skipped dessert."
"Did you threaten boarding school?"
"He needed structure."
"Did you fake the car damage?"
Then she said, "You should be careful what you accuse me of."
The line disconnected.
"Save that recording."
Marcus stepped into the room.
"We have movement at the guest house."
"What kind?"
"Helena just left."
"Where is she going?"
Marcus handed him the tablet.
May you like
On camera, Helena carried a suitcase.
And in her other hand was Leo's red backpack.
