Chapter 6 - Mason’s Confession
Mason arrived forty minutes late.
He wore a baseball cap pulled low over his face.
He kept checking the parking lot.
I had expected Detective Cole to join us, but she stayed in an unmarked car nearby.
She wanted Mason to speak naturally.
Amy sat beside me in the booth.
Mason looked surprised to see her.
“She knows everything,” I said.
His eyes dropped.
“About time.”
Amy stiffened.
I leaned forward.
“Start talking.”
Mason rubbed his hands together.
“Teresa started asking me for help last winter.”
“What kind of help?”
“Printing things.”
“What things?”
“Forms.”
“What forms?”
He looked at Amy.
“Property forms.”
I felt rage rise in my chest.
“You knew?”
“I didn’t understand what she was doing.”
“You were carrying my deed.”
“I knew by then.”
“Then why were you helping her?”
He swallowed.
“Because she paid me.”
Amy looked disgusted.
“How much?”
“Five thousand.”
I stared at him.
“You helped someone steal my house for five thousand dollars?”
“No.”
His voice cracked.
“I didn’t think she could actually take it.”
“What did you think she was doing?”
“She said you wanted to restructure ownership because Amy might divorce you.”
Amy went still.
I almost stood.
Mason quickly raised his hands.
“I know it was a lie now.”
“When did you realize?”
“The birthday party.”
“Why?”
“Because Teresa started talking about witnesses.”
Exactly what Detective Cole suspected.
Mason leaned closer.
“She told Betsy to make sure everyone heard that she paid for household expenses.”
I clenched my jaw.
“She didn’t.”
“I know.”
“She used my money.”
“I know.”
“What else?”
“She wanted pictures.”
“What pictures?”
“Her buying food.”
Amy whispered.
“She made me pose beside the groceries.”
Mason nodded.
My wife looked sick.
“She said Connor wanted photos for Frederick’s birthday album.”
Mason closed his eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
I wanted to hate him.
Part of me did.
But I needed answers more than anger.
“What was supposed to happen after the party?”
Mason looked toward the window.
“There was going to be a meeting Monday.”
“With who?”
“A man named Gerald Pike.”
“Who is he?”
“I don’t know.”
Detective Cole would.
I continued.
“What meeting?”
“Teresa said he knew how to fix the paperwork.”
“What paperwork?”
“The ownership.”
My fists tightened.
“She was transferring my house.”
“She said she was protecting it.”
“From me?”
“From Amy.”
Amy’s face hardened.
Mason looked ashamed.
“Teresa told everyone Amy was planning to leave you and take Frederick.”
Amy laughed once.
It was sharp and humorless.
“I barely had enough money for groceries.”
Mason nodded.
“I know that now.”
He reached into his jacket.
For a moment, I tensed.
Then he pulled out a flash drive.
“What’s that?”
“Teresa’s backup.”
My heart jumped.
“Backup of what?”
“Documents.”
“Where did you get it?”
“She gave it to me.”
“Why?”
“She doesn’t trust computers.”
Despite everything, that sounded exactly like my mother.
Mason pushed it across the table.
“I made a copy before the party.”
“Why?”
“Because something felt wrong.”
I stared at him.
“You felt wrong enough to make a copy, but not wrong enough to stop helping?”
He lowered his eyes.
“I was scared.”
“Of Teresa?”
“No.”
He looked directly at me.
“Of Betsy.”
Amy and I exchanged a glance.
I had considered Aunt Betsy cruel.
Maybe greedy.
But frightening?
Not once.
“What does Betsy have to do with this?”
Mason leaned back.
“You think Teresa came up with the plan?”
He shook his head.
“She didn’t.”
My skin went cold.
“Then who did?”
Mason answered without hesitation.
May you like
“Betsy.”
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