For several seconds, I couldn\u2019t speak.
\nAmanda must have thought the call had dropped.
\n\u201cJune?\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m here.\u201d
\nRebecca was watching my face.
\nMichael had stopped writing.
\nI swallowed.
\n\u201cSay that again.\u201d
\nAmanda\u2019s voice trembled.
\n\u201cTravis told me you died six years ago.\u201d
\nI closed my eyes.
\nSix years.
\nNot six months.
\nNot during some recent separation he could twist into an excuse.
\nSix years.
\nThree years into our marriage.
\n\u201cHow?\u201d
\nAmanda hesitated.
\n\u201cHe said you died after a car accident.\u201d
\nMy hand tightened around the phone.
\n\u201cHe said you were his wife?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd dead?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nRebecca quietly slid a legal pad toward me.
\nI turned on speakerphone.
\n\u201cAmanda, my attorney is here with me.\u201d
\nSilence.
\nThen Amanda said, \u201cGood.\u201d
\nThat answer surprised me.
\n\u201cYou\u2019re okay with that?\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m done protecting him.\u201d
\nRebecca leaned closer.
\n\u201cMs. Reeves, my name is Rebecca Sloan. I represent June. Before we continue, are you comfortable speaking with us?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cThank you. Start wherever you think makes sense.\u201d
\nAmanda exhaled slowly.
\n\u201cI met Travis seven years ago.\u201d
\nMy stomach twisted.
\nSeven years.
\nHe had met her while we were married.
\n\u201cHe came into the medical clinic where I worked near Lafayette. He had injured his shoulder offshore.\u201d
\nI knew about that injury.
\nTravis had come home wearing a brace.
\nI had spent two weeks helping him shower because he could barely lift his arm.
\n\u201cHe was funny,\u201d Amanda continued. \u201cConfident. He flirted with everyone.\u201d
\nThat sounded exactly like him.
\n\u201cAt first, I ignored it. Then he started bringing coffee when he had appointments.\u201d
\nI stared at the wall.
\n\u201cHe told me he was married then?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d
\nAt least that.
\n\u201cBut he said things were bad.\u201d
\nOf course he did.
\n\u201cHe said you two were basically separated. That you stayed together because the property situation was complicated.\u201d
\nA bitter laugh escaped me.
\n\u201cThe property.\u201d
\nAmanda went quiet.
\n\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d
\n\u201cKeep going.\u201d
\nShe did.
\n\u201cHe disappeared for weeks at a time because of the rig. Then he\u2019d come back and say he had been trying to work things out with you.\u201d
\nRebecca wrote something.
\n\u201cDid you have a romantic relationship while June was alive?\u201d
\nAmanda\u2019s voice lowered.
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nI already knew.
\nStill, hearing the word hurt.
\nNot because I wanted Travis back.
\nBut because it rewrote memories I had once trusted.
\nAnniversaries.
\nBirthdays.
\nChristmas mornings.
\nWeekends when he claimed exhaustion from work.
\nAmanda continued.
\n\u201cI ended it after about a year.\u201d
\nThat surprised me.
\n\u201cWhy?\u201d
\n\u201cBecause I found out he was lying.\u201d
\nI looked at the phone.
\n\u201cAbout me?\u201d
\n\u201cNot exactly.\u201d
\nShe paused.
\n\u201cHe told me he wanted children someday.\u201d
\nMy chest tightened.
\nTravis had always told me he didn\u2019t.
\nEvery time I brought up children, he said offshore work made fatherhood impossible.
\nThen Amanda said, \u201cI found out I was pregnant.\u201d
\nNo one in Rebecca\u2019s office moved.
\nI looked at the photograph still glowing on my screen.
\nThe little boy.
\n\u201cHow old is he?\u201d
\n\u201cFive.\u201d
\nMy throat tightened.
\n\u201cWhat\u2019s his name?\u201d
\n\u201cEli.\u201d
\nThe boy had a name.
\nThat somehow made everything more real.
\n\u201cIs Travis his father?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nAmanda answered immediately.
\n\u201cWe had a DNA test done when Eli was born.\u201d
\nI lowered my head.
\nRebecca gently touched my wrist.
\nI didn\u2019t cry.
\nNot yet.
\nAmanda continued.
\n\u201cWhen I told Travis I was pregnant, he panicked.\u201d
\n\u201cHe didn\u2019t want the baby?\u201d
\n\u201cAt first, no.\u201d
\nI almost laughed.
\nThat sounded more familiar.
\n\u201cHe told me a child would destroy everything. His job. His finances. His marriage.\u201d
\n\u201cSo he admitted I was still alive then.\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nMy head snapped up.
\nRebecca caught it too.
\n\u201cSo when did he tell you June died?\u201d she asked.
\nAmanda went silent.
\n\u201cWhen Eli was about eight months old.\u201d
\nCold spread through my body.
\n\u201cWhat exactly did he say?\u201d Rebecca asked.
\n\u201cHe showed up at my apartment crying.\u201d
\nI stared at the phone.
\nTravis cried?
\n\u201cHe said there had been an accident. He said June was driving home at night and another vehicle crossed the center line.\u201d
\nMy stomach turned.
\n\u201cHe said he had been at the hospital?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cHe said you died during surgery.\u201d
\nRebecca\u2019s expression hardened.
\nAmanda continued.
\n\u201cHe looked devastated. I believed him.\u201d
\nOf course she did.
\nWhy wouldn\u2019t she?
\nWho invents their wife\u2019s death?
\n\u201cHe said he had made mistakes with me,\u201d Amanda said, \u201cbut losing you made him realize he couldn\u2019t keep living two lives.\u201d
\nThe cruelty of that sentence nearly took my breath away.
\nBecause he had used my imaginary death to make himself look honorable.
\n\u201cSo you took him back?\u201d I asked.
\n\u201cNot immediately.\u201d
\n\u201cBut eventually.\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nI looked at the picture.
\nTravis holding Eli.
\nSmiling.
\nA family portrait.
\nWhile I sat forty miles away clipping coupons because Travis said we needed to save money.
\n\u201cWhen did the house happen?\u201d
\nAmanda was quiet.
\n\u201cAbout eighteen months ago.\u201d
\n\u201cWhy did Gulf Coast Procurement Services buy it?\u201d
\nAnother silence.
\nThis one felt different.
\nRebecca leaned closer to the phone.
\n\u201cAmanda?\u201d
\n\u201cI don\u2019t know everything.\u201d
\n\u201cBut you know something.\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nMichael looked up.
\nAmanda continued.
\n\u201cTravis told me Gulf Coast Procurement was doing him a favor.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat kind of favor?\u201d Michael asked.
\n\u201cHe said the owner owed him money.\u201d
\n\u201cDo you know the owner?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\nMichael immediately picked up his pen.
\n\u201cWhat\u2019s the name?\u201d
\n\u201cDarren Pike.\u201d
\nMichael froze.
\nRebecca noticed.
\n\u201cYou know that name?\u201d
\nMichael nodded slowly.
\n\u201cI\u2019ve seen it in the transfer records.\u201d
\nAmanda continued.
\n\u201cDarren worked with one of the supply contractors connected to Travis\u2019s rig.\u201d
\nThat changed Michael\u2019s expression completely.
\n\u201cSupply contractor?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat kind?\u201d
\n\u201cEquipment. Parts. Industrial materials. I\u2019m not sure.\u201d
\nMichael leaned forward.
\n\u201cAmanda, did Travis ever explain why Darren owed him money?\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\n\u201cDid you ever hear them discuss invoices?\u201d
\nThere was a long pause.
\nThen Amanda said, \u201cYes.\u201d
\nMichael and Rebecca exchanged another look.
\n\u201cWhat did they say?\u201d
\n\u201cI didn\u2019t understand most of it.\u201d
\n\u201cTell us anyway.\u201d
\nAmanda took a breath.
\n\u201cThey argued once in my kitchen.\u201d
\n\u201cWhen?\u201d
\n\u201cMaybe two years ago.\u201d
\n\u201cAbout what?\u201d
\n\u201cTravis was angry because Darren hadn\u2019t sent him what he promised.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat did he call it?\u201d
\n\u201cI don\u2019t remember exactly.\u201d
\n\u201cTry.\u201d
\nSilence.
\nThen:
\n\u201cSomething about approved vendors.\u201d
\nMichael stopped moving.
\nAmanda continued.
\n\u201cAnd markup.\u201d
\nMichael\u2019s eyes sharpened.
\n\u201cWhat kind of markup?\u201d
\n\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d
\n\u201cDid you hear any numbers?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\n\u201cTwenty percent.\u201d
\nThe room went completely silent.
\nMichael stood.
\nHe walked to his laptop.
\nStarted typing.
\nI watched him.
\n\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d
\nHe didn\u2019t answer immediately.
\nThen he turned the screen toward Rebecca.
\n\u201cThis changes the financial theory.\u201d
\nI stared at both of them.
\n\u201cWhat theory?\u201d
\nMichael sat back down.
\n\u201cIf Travis had influence over purchasing or vendor approvals offshore, and a supplier was inflating invoices, someone inside could potentially receive money in return.\u201d
\nMy stomach tightened.
\n\u201cA kickback?\u201d
\nMichael nodded cautiously.
\n\u201cPotentially.\u201d
\nAmanda spoke from the phone.
\n\u201cKickback?\u201d
\nMichael answered carefully.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re not saying that happened. We\u2019re saying the payment pattern could be consistent with something like that.\u201d
\nAmanda went quiet.
\nThen she whispered, \u201cOh my God.\u201d
\nRebecca looked at me.
\n\u201cJune, this is why Travis said this was bigger than the marriage.\u201d
\nMy mind raced.
\nThe secret account.
\nThe extra house.
\nThe mysterious company.
\nThe sudden money.
\nAnd now possible vendor payments.
\nThen Amanda said something that made Michael stop typing.
\n\u201cThere\u2019s a safe.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat safe?\u201d
\n\u201cIn the Lafayette house.\u201d
\nRebecca immediately leaned closer.
\n\u201cDo you have access to it?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cDo not open it for us.\u201d
\nAmanda sounded confused.
\n\u201cWhy?\u201d
\n\u201cBecause we need to handle evidence correctly.\u201d
\nI almost smiled.
\nEven now, Rebecca was careful.
\n\u201cWhat\u2019s inside?\u201d Michael asked.
\n\u201cI\u2019ve seen some of it.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\n\u201cCash.\u201d
\nMy heart pounded.
\n\u201cHow much?\u201d
\n\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d
\n\u201cThousands?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cTens of thousands?\u201d
\nAmanda hesitated.
\n\u201cProbably.\u201d
\nMichael\u2019s face changed.
\n\u201cWhat else?\u201d
\n\u201cEnvelopes.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat kind?\u201d
\n\u201cWith company names written on them.\u201d
\n\u201cAny you remember?\u201d
\nAmanda thought for a moment.
\n\u201cBluewater Industrial.\u201d
\nMichael typed.
\n\u201cPelican Valve.\u201d
\nMore typing.
\n\u201cAnd something like Red Bay Marine.\u201d
\nMichael suddenly looked at Rebecca.
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\nRebecca asked.
\nMichael turned his laptop.
\n\u201cThese companies appear in Travis\u2019s transaction history.\u201d
\nI stared at the screen.
\nAmanda continued.
\n\u201cThere are also notebooks.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat kind?\u201d
\n\u201cBlack notebooks. Travis writes numbers in them.\u201d
\nMichael leaned back.
\nThat was the first moment I saw real concern on his face.
\nRebecca looked at the phone.
\n\u201cAmanda, I need you to listen carefully.\u201d
\n\u201cOkay.\u201d
\n\u201cDo not confront Travis.\u201d
\n\u201cI won\u2019t.\u201d
\n\u201cDo not remove anything.\u201d
\n\u201cOkay.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd if you believe you or your son are in danger, leave and contact law enforcement.\u201d
\nAmanda\u2019s voice cracked.
\n\u201cYou think he could hurt us?\u201d
\nRebecca answered carefully.
\n\u201cI don\u2019t know. But once someone realizes financial records may expose them, people can behave unpredictably.\u201d
\nI thought about Travis grabbing the door.
\nThe anger.
\nThe fear.
\nThe repeated calls.
\nMy phone buzzed.
\nA message from Travis.
\nWHERE ARE YOU?
\nI showed Rebecca.
\nBefore she could respond, another appeared.
\nI KNOW YOU SPOKE TO AMANDA.
\nMy blood went cold.
\nAmanda whispered, \u201cHe just texted me too.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d
\n\u201cHe wants me to bring Eli to him.\u201d
\nRebecca immediately said, \u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d
\nAmanda inhaled sharply.
\n\u201cI wasn\u2019t going to.\u201d
\nAnother message appeared on my phone.
\nJUNE, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU\u2019RE DOING.
\nThen:
\nPEOPLE CAN LOSE EVERYTHING WHEN THEY DIG INTO THINGS THAT DON\u2019T CONCERN THEM.
\nMichael looked at Rebecca.
\nRebecca photographed the message.
\n\u201cSave everything.\u201d
\nI nodded.
\nThen Amanda suddenly gasped.
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\nI asked.
\n\u201cHe\u2019s here.\u201d
\nEvery muscle in my body tightened.
\n\u201cWho?\u201d
\n\u201cTravis.\u201d
\nRebecca stood instantly.
\n\u201cAmanda, lock the doors.\u201d
\n\u201cHe\u2019s pulling into the driveway.\u201d
\nI heard movement through the phone.
\nA door closing.
\nA lock turning.
\nThen Eli\u2019s small voice in the background.
\n\u201cMommy?\u201d
\nAmanda\u2019s breathing quickened.
\n\u201cGo upstairs, baby.\u201d
\nA car door slammed outside her house.
\nThen Travis\u2019s voice.
\nMuffled.
\nBut unmistakable.
\n\u201cAMANDA!\u201d
\nShe whispered, \u201cOh God.\u201d
\nRebecca pointed at Michael.
\n\u201cCall local law enforcement.\u201d
\nMichael grabbed his phone.
\nTravis pounded on Amanda\u2019s door.
\n\u201cAMANDA, OPEN UP!\u201d
\nEli started crying upstairs.
\nAmanda whispered, \u201cWhat do I do?\u201d
\n\u201cStay inside,\u201d Rebecca said. \u201cDo not open that door.\u201d
\nAnother pound.
\n\u201cAmanda!\u201d
\nThen Travis shouted something that made every person in Rebecca\u2019s office freeze.
\n\u201cWE NEED TO MOVE THE SAFE BEFORE THEY FIND IT!\u201d
\nAmanda covered her mouth.
\nMichael slowly lowered his phone.
\nBecause Travis had just said the one sentence nobody needed to interpret.
\nThere really was something in that safe.
\nSomething he was terrified we would see.
\nRebecca whispered, \u201cAmanda, stay on the line.\u201d
\nBut suddenly the pounding stopped.
\nSilence.
\nTen seconds.
\nTwenty.
\nThen Amanda whispered:
\n\u201cHe\u2019s leaving.\u201d
\nI exhaled.
\nBut Michael didn\u2019t.
\nHe was staring at his laptop.
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\nI asked.
\nHe looked at Rebecca.
\n\u201cI just found another transfer.\u201d
\n\u201cHow much?\u201d
\n\u201cForty-eight thousand.\u201d
\n\u201cFrom where?\u201d
\nHe rotated the screen.
\nThe sender wasn\u2019t Gulf Coast Procurement Services.
\nIt was a company none of us had discussed.
\nPARKER LAND MANAGEMENT LLC.
\nI stared at the name.
\nParker.
\nMy maiden name.
\nRebecca slowly turned toward me.
\n\u201cJune, do you own a company called Parker Land Management?\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\nMichael\u2019s face went pale.
\n\u201cThen we have a much bigger problem.\u201d
\n\u201cWhy?\u201d
\nHe pointed at the registration date.
\nThe company had been created eight years earlier.
\nUsing the address of Daddy\u2019s property.
\nMy property.
\nAnd listed beneath AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE was a signature.
\nMy signature.
\nExcept I had never signed it.<\/p>\n
PART 4 \u2014 THE WOMAN WHO THOUGHT I WAS DEAD For several seconds, I couldn\u2019t speak. Amanda must have thought the call had dropped. \u201cJune?\u201d \u201cI\u2019m here.\u201d Rebecca was watching … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6482,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family-drama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readviralstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readviralstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readviralstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readviralstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readviralstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6484"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/readviralstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6484\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6502,"href":"https:\/\/readviralstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6484\/revisions\/6502"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readviralstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6482"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readviralstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readviralstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readviralstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}