Chapter 15 - Ryan’s Choice
Nathan contacted Ryan in detention.
That should have been impossible.
The call came through an attorney-access line using forged credentials.
Nathan said.
“Your mother is finished.”
Ryan listened.
“The only question is whether you want to be.”
Then instructions.
Recant.
Blame Lisa.
Claim coercion.
Claim Michael manipulated investigators.
In return, Nathan promised money.
A new identity.
Escape after bail.
Ryan immediately told Marcus.
Lisa was surprised.
Marcus was not.
“Fear makes people honest when lying stops working.”
Ryan asked to see Lisa.
She almost refused.
Then agreed.
He looked worse.
Tired.
Unshaven.
Smaller.
“Nathan wants me to run.”
Lisa said nothing.
“I’m not.”
“Good.”
“I’m going to testify.”
“Good.”
Ryan looked at her.
“Is that all you have?”
“What do you want?”
“I don’t know.”
“Forgiveness?”
He looked away.
“No.”
“At least I don’t think I deserve it.”
Lisa appreciated the first honest sentence he had given her.
Ryan continued.
“I knew Mother was using your money.”
“I told myself it was veterans’ support.”
“Then I knew it wasn’t.”
“I still stayed quiet.”
“Why?”
Ryan struggled.
“Because everything about my life came from that story.”
“My father the hero.”
“My mother the widow who kept serving.”
“My medals.”
“My career.”
“My name.”
“If Mother was corrupt, then I thought everything about me became fake.”
Lisa looked at him.
“So you protected the lie.”
“Yes.”
“And married me because she told you to.”
“At first.”
“Yes.”
He looked at her.
“But the years with you were real.”
Lisa almost laughed.
“You don’t get to decide which parts were real for me.”
Ryan closed his eyes.
“You’re right.”
Then he gave her one more thing.
Nathan had visited their house three times.
Once while Lisa was traveling.
Twice while she slept upstairs.
Ryan had allowed it.
Nathan searched the home office for Michael’s evidence.
He never found it.
“Where was it?”
Lisa asked.
Ryan shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
Michael did.
Their father had hidden one final drive inside Lisa’s childhood home.
The house had been sold years ago.
Current owner.
Claire Donovan.
Lisa stared.
May you like
Claire had bought the house through an LLC six months earlier.
She had never told Lisa.
