Chapter 6
We didn’t confront Lauren immediately.
James called the investigator from his unit and asked whether the threats had involved money from a civilian employer. The investigator said the military had no evidence of that, but he had received a copy of the dental office’s complaint.
“Why wasn’t I told?” James asked.
“Because the civilian issue is separate. We received it because Lauren mentioned your name.”
The investigator explained that Lauren had asked Colin to help her access a payroll system. Colin refused. She told him she only needed to “move a deposit before an audit.”
Colin had thought she was joking.
“She asked you to interfere with the investigation?” I asked.
“Not directly,” James said. “She threatened to accuse me of misconduct if I didn’t lend her money.”
“What does the dental office say?”
“They’re still investigating.”
We called the lawyer who had sent the letter. She confirmed that several cash deposits had gone missing while Lauren was closing the office.
Lauren had been responsible for preparing the nightly deposits.
“We’re not accusing her of a crime in this conversation,” the lawyer said. “We’re asking for the missing funds to be returned or accounted for.”
“Did she admit taking them?” I asked.
“She told us she was holding the money temporarily because the office owed her overtime.”
“Did it?”
“The owner says no.”
I looked at James.
The “other money” could be the missing deposits.
My mother had borrowed against the house and emptied savings to cover whatever Lauren had lost.
A loan that might have become a cover-up.
I asked my father to come over.
He arrived with Mom. She seemed frightened, but this time she sat beside him instead of leaving the room.
We explained what we knew.
My mother closed her eyes.
“She said the dental office was trying to ruin her.”
“Did she ask you for exactly the amount in the letter?” I asked.
“No.”
“How much did she ask for?”
“She said she needed enough to pay off a debt.”
“How much?”
“Thirty thousand.”
Dad looked at her.
“You told me it was eighteen.”
“Because that was all I could transfer at the time.”
“Where did the rest come from?”
“Lauren said a friend had helped.”
“Colin?” I asked.
“I don’t know.”
My mother’s voice shook.
“She said if the office reported her, she would lose everything. She was terrified.”
“So you paid her.”
“I was trying to keep her from going to jail.”
“That isn’t your decision.”
“I know.”
“Did she tell you she took the money?”
“She said she had borrowed it.”
“From the office?”
“She said it was a misunderstanding.”
“Did you believe her?”
My mother cried.
“I wanted to.”
I wanted to be angry.
I was angry.
But I also saw how fear had trapped her. Lauren had found the softest place in every person who loved her and pressed until they paid.
Dad looked at the letter.
“We can’t cover this up.”
My mother nodded.
“I know.”
She took out her phone.
“I’m going to call her.”
She put the call on speaker.
Lauren answered after several rings.
“Mom?”
“We need to talk about the money from the dental office.”
Silence.
“Who told you?”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“Did Claire tell you?”
“Lauren, did you take the deposits?”
“I borrowed them.”
“You don’t borrow from your employer without permission.”
“I was going to put it back.”
“With what?”
“I had a plan.”
“What plan?” I asked.
Lauren heard me.
“Why are you there?”
“Because the money involves our family.”
“It does not involve you.”
“Mom borrowed against her house to help you.”
A sharp inhale came through the phone.
“I never asked her to do that.”
“You asked for money.”
“I told her I had a debt.”
“Where did it go?”
“I don’t know.”
“Lauren.”
“I owe it.”
“How much?”
“Fourteen thousand six hundred.”
“Is that all?”
Another silence.
Mom clutched the phone.
“Tell me the truth.”
“I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“Did you take more than that?”
“I’m not talking about this with Claire.”
“You’re talking about it with Mom,” I said. “I’m just here.”
“Get out of my family’s business.”
I felt something snap inside me.
“Emma is my family. You made this my business when you put your hand on her.”
“I said I was sorry.”
“Then act like it. Tell us the truth.”
Lauren hung up.
My mother lowered the phone.
Dad stood and walked to the window.
“I should have stopped giving her money.”
“Why didn’t you?” I asked.
“She said she was scared.”
“So was I.”
He turned.
“What do you mean?”
“I was scared every time she made one of her comments. I was scared to tell you because I didn’t want to make Christmas harder. I was scared she’d hate me more.”
Dad’s face softened.
“I’m sorry.”
My mother looked at me.
“I’m sorry too.”
“I believe you’re sorry. I still need space.”
She nodded.
They left after that.
The next morning, Lauren came to our house.
James opened the door but didn’t let her inside.
“I want to see Claire.”
“She doesn’t want to speak with you alone,” he said.
“Of course she doesn’t.”
I came to the doorway.
“What do you want?”
“To apologize.”
“Then say it.”
She looked at James.
“Can we have privacy?”
“No.”
“Fine.” She looked at me. “I’m sorry I hit Emma.”
“Why?”
“Because I was frustrated.”
“Why did you think you had the right?”
“I don’t.”
“Why did you keep lying?”
“I was ashamed.”
“Of the money?”
“Yes.”
“Did you take the deposits?”
She looked down.
“I borrowed them.”
“Did the office give you permission?”
“No.”
“How much?”
“Fourteen thousand six hundred.”
“Is that the other money?”
She shook her head.
“Then what is?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I turned away.
“Wait.”
“What?”
“I didn’t take anything from you.”
“I didn’t say you did.”
“You look at me like I’m a criminal.”
“I look at you like someone who hit my child and stole money from her job.”
“I’m not a thief.”
“You took money without permission.”
“I was going to repay it.”
“You keep saying that like wanting to repay something changes what you did.”
Lauren’s face crumpled.
For a moment, I saw the little girl who used to sit beside me in the dark during thunderstorms.
Then she looked at James.
“You’ve changed her.”
“No,” I said. “You did.”
She walked away.
That afternoon, the dental office’s lawyer called. A second employee had found evidence that the missing deposits were larger than reported.
The new amount was $27,400.
My mother closed her eyes when I told her.
The money had not all gone to the dental office.
Some had gone to Colin.
Some had gone to a company named Walker Family Outreach.
James went still.
“What company?” he asked.
The lawyer read the registration.
It had been created six months earlier.
May you like
The name was close to James’s unit support fund, but it was not connected to the military.
Someone had used his name to collect donations.
