Tried to say he'd never been to Nashville."
"Did they have enough?"
"Mason's statement, the phone records, the second deed, and — this is the part you'll want to hear — Richard's email account.
He kept drafts.
Detailed ones.
Laying out the entire plan, step by step, including the name of the notary and how much he paid her." Dennis paused.
"He wrote it all down, Connor.
In his own words."
I looked out at the job site.
My crew was pouring a foundation.
Ordinary work.
Solid, honest, unglamorous work that had paid for my house and my son's birthday cake and the blue dress still sitting in the back of my car.
"What are the charges?" I said.
"Deed fraud.
Forgery.
Conspiracy to commit property theft.
The notary is cooperating, so she'll likely get a reduced charge.
Richard is looking at felony counts on all three." Dennis let that settle.
"Teresa is being charged with conspiracy as well.
Her attorney is already pushing for a plea.
She'll argue she was manipulated by Richard."
"Was she?"
Dennis was quiet for a moment.
"Partially.
Richard gave her the idea and the framework.
But she chose to go along with it.
She chose to use your money.
She chose to treat your wife the way she did." Another pause.
"That part was entirely her."
I didn't say anything.
"Connor.
What do you want to do about the civil side?
We can pursue recovery of the funds she received."
Thirty-six thousand dollars.
Twelve months of trust.
"Yes," I said.
"Pursue it."
---
Teresa called me from her attorney's office three weeks later.
I answered because I had decided I would answer once.
Just once.
"Connor." Her voice was different.
Smaller.
"I need you to understand — Richard told me I had a right to that house.
He told me your father wanted me to have it.
I believed him."
"You treated my wife like a servant in her own home," I said.
"You held parties with my money while she was caring for a sick baby alone.
You put documents in front of her and tried to get her to sign away our house.
Did Richard tell you to do all of that too?"
Silence.
"You had a choice at every step," I said.
"You made the same choice every time."
"She was never good enough for you," Teresa said.
The smallness was gone.