Chapter 6 - The Fall of the Husband
Two days after the family court hearing, Nancy was finally cleared to be discharged from the hospital. As I was packing her small overnight bag, my phone rang. It was Detective Elliott.
"Mrs. Simmons," his voice was uncharacteristically gentle. "I wanted to update you before you saw it on the evening news. We arrested your husband an hour ago at his corporate office."
I closed my eyes, letting out a breath I felt like I had been holding for a week. "On what charges?"
"Wire fraud, embezzlement, and conspiracy to commit murder," Detective Elliott stated.
A chill ran down my spine. "Conspiracy? You proved he knew about the magnets?"
"We didn't just prove he knew. We proved he orchestrated it," the detective explained. "When we raided his office following the financial tips your lawyer provided, we seized his private computer and a burner phone he kept in his safe. We recovered deleted text messages between him and his mother."
My stomach churned. "What did they say?"
"He was desperate, Mrs. Simmons. His creditors were threatening his life. Three weeks ago, he texted Evelyn: 'The trust is the only way out. She won't give me custody easily. We need a tragic accident. Something clean.' Evelyn replied a day later with a link to an article about the dangers of magnetic desk toys."
I leaned against the hospital bed, feeling physically sick. The man I had shared a bed with, the man who had helped me pick out Nancy's name, had coldly plotted to murder her for money.
"It gets worse for him," Detective Elliott continued. "When we presented the texts to Evelyn in county jail, she completely broke. She realized Brandon wasn't going to bail her out because his accounts were frozen. To save herself from a life sentence, she took a plea deal this morning. She gave a full, recorded confession implicating Brandon as the mastermind. She claims he bought the magnets and handed them to her."
"Will she go to prison?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"Yes. She pleaded guilty to aggravated battery and child endangerment. She'll serve at least ten to fifteen years. But Brandon... with the federal fraud charges combined with conspiracy to commit murder against a minor, he is looking at twenty-five years to life. He will never see you or your daughter again."
"Thank you, Detective," I whispered.
I hung up the phone just as Nancy stirred in her bed. She opened her big, beautiful brown eyes and looked at me. The color was finally returning to her cheeks.
"Mommy?" she asked softly. "Are we going home?"
I walked over, brushing the hair from her forehead, and kissed her gently. "We're going to a new home, sweetheart. A better one. Just you and me."
"Are the magic fish all gone?"
May you like
"They're all gone, baby. The bad magic is gone forever."
I carried her out of the hospital, stepping into the warm San Diego sunlight. For the first time in years, the shadows were entirely behind us.
