Chapter 5
I stopped being a betrayed husband.
I became a soldier again.
"Everybody away from the windows."
My voice changed so quickly that even Andre reacted automatically.
Mom stepped back.
Charles closed the curtains.
Rachel stood frozen.
"Move."
She obeyed.
I called the police.
This time nobody stopped me.
Within twenty minutes, two patrol cars were outside.
Within an hour, detectives were sitting in the living room.
Rachel hated every second of it.
"This is unnecessary."
I stared at her.
"A man sent me a photograph of my mother."
"We can handle Curtis."
Evan laughed.
"You've been saying that for three months."
Detective Lena Brooks looked between them.
"Nobody is handling anyone."
She was calm, sharp, and clearly unimpressed.
"From this moment forward, you do not contact Curtis Vale."
Rachel crossed her arms.
"He'll get angry."
Detective Brooks leaned forward.
"Mrs. Carter, he is already photographing your mother-in-law."
Rachel went quiet.
The detective collected my phone.
Copies of the threatening messages.
The forged documents.
Bank records.
Everything.
Then she asked the question I'd been avoiding.
"Sergeant Carter, do you want to file a formal complaint regarding the identity theft?"
Rachel looked at me.
"Marcus."
I stared at her.
That one word used to soften me.
Now it made me angry.
"Yes."
Her face collapsed.
"You're going to have me arrested?"
Detective Brooks answered.
"Potentially."
Rachel ignored her.
"Marcus, I'm your wife."
I looked at the fake signatures scattered across the table.
"You should've remembered that."
She began crying.
Mom left the room.
I almost followed her.
Almost.
Then Rachel whispered,
"I can fix this."
"No."
"I can repay the money."
"With what?"
She didn't answer.
I looked at Charles.
"Are you going to give her more?"
He shook his head.
"No."
Rachel stared at him.
"Dad."
"No."
"Dad!"
"I said no."
She stood.
"You always fix things."
Charles' face hardened.
"That's the problem."
Rachel froze.
He continued.
"I fixed every consequence you should have faced."
"When you wrecked your first car, I blamed the road."
"When you stole from your college roommate, I paid her back."
"When you maxed out credit cards, I cleared them."
Rachel's face turned red.
"Stop."
"When you lied to Marcus about debt before the wedding, I helped you hide it."
I looked at him.
"What?"
Rachel shouted,
"Dad!"
I slowly stood.
"What debt?"
Charles closed his eyes.
"Thirty-two thousand."
I stared at Rachel.
"You told me you had no debt."
She looked away.
Charles continued.
"I paid it."
My chest tightened.
"So my marriage started with a lie."
Rachel shook her head.
"That was before us."
"No."
I looked at her.
"You lied while we were engaged."
"It wasn't important."
I actually laughed.
"Thirty-two thousand dollars wasn't important?"
"It was handled."
"That is exactly how you think."
She stared at me.
"If someone cleans up the mess, then the mess never happened."
Rachel's expression hardened.
"I made mistakes."
"You committed crimes."
Her eyes flashed.
"So now I'm a criminal?"
Detective Brooks spoke.
"Using another person's identity to obtain credit may constitute multiple felonies."
Rachel looked like she'd been slapped.
Evan suddenly sat down.
"Can I get a lawyer?"
The detective nodded.
"You should."
That changed the room.
Reality had finally arrived.
This wasn't family drama anymore.
There were consequences.
Andre walked into the kitchen with Mom.
She looked exhausted.
I immediately went to her.
"You okay?"
She nodded.
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"I should've told you sooner."
I hugged her.
"No."
"But—"
"You were threatened."
"I still should've protected you."
I pulled back.
"You did."
She looked toward the documents.
"Not enough."
"Mom."
I squeezed her hands.
"I'm home now."
Her face crumpled.
She hugged me again.
Behind us, Rachel started crying.
I didn't turn around.
That night, the police recommended none of us stay at the house until they understood Curtis Vale's involvement.
Charles booked hotel rooms.
I refused his offer.
Andre had a friend with a secure apartment building.
Mom and I stayed there.
Rachel was told to make her own arrangements.
She stood in the driveway beside her SUV.
"Marcus."
I kept walking.
"Please."
I stopped.
She hurried toward me.
"I know you hate me."
I faced her.
"I don't know what I feel."
"I love you."
"Don't."
"It's true."
"Then explain Evan."
Her lips trembled.
"I was lonely."
"So was I."
"I made a terrible decision."
"You made hundreds."
She looked confused.
I pointed toward the house.
"The first text."
"The first kiss."
"The apartment."
"The company."
"Every fake signature."
"Every time you answered my call and pretended you were sleeping in our bed."
"Every insurance form."
I shook my head.
"Those aren't one mistake."
She cried harder.
"I never wanted you hurt."
I remembered the phone call.
"Then what did you mean when you said I wouldn't be a problem?"
She froze.
Finally.
A question she couldn't dodge.
"Rachel."
She wiped her face.
"The insurance money wasn't for killing you."
"I didn't say killing."
Her eyes widened.
I stepped closer.
"You just did."
"Marcus—"
"What were you planning?"
"Nothing."
"Rachel."
She looked over my shoulder.
Evan was watching from the porch.
Something passed between them.
Then she whispered,
"We thought if you divorced me after learning about everything, we'd lose access to the policies."
My stomach turned.
"So?"
She began trembling.
"It was Evan's idea."
Evan shouted,
"Don't!"
Rachel started crying uncontrollably.
I stared at her.
"What was his idea?"
She covered her mouth.
I grabbed my phone.
"I'm recording."
Evan ran toward us.
Andre stepped between us.
Rachel looked completely broken.
Then she whispered the sentence that changed the entire case.
"Evan wanted to stage an accident."
Silence.
My blood went cold.
"What kind of accident?"
Rachel shook her head.
"I never agreed."
"What kind?"
She closed her eyes.
"Your motorcycle."
I stared at her.
"My motorcycle has been in the garage since deployment."
She nodded.
"Evan said he could damage the brakes."
Andre turned toward the house.
My motorcycle was still inside.
Rachel grabbed my sleeve.
"I stopped him."
I ripped my arm away.
"Did you?"
"Yes."
"How do I know?"
Her answer never came.
Three police officers suddenly ran toward the garage.
One of them shouted for nobody to move.
Minutes later Detective Brooks returned.
Her expression told me everything.
"We checked the motorcycle."
I swallowed.
"And?"
"The front brake line has been cut."
Rachel collapsed against the SUV.
Evan started backing away.
Detective Brooks looked at him.
"Mr. Brooks."
Two officers moved behind him.
May you like
"Put your hands where we can see them."
He ran.
