Chapter 6 - THE STORIES GREG BUILT
Greg had explanations for everything.
My wrist?
Basketball.
Cheek?
Bike accident.
Mom’s bruised shoulder?
Kitchen cabinet.
Missing money?
Bad investments.
Missing laptop?
Misplaced.
Locked garage?
Tools.
He didn’t need one perfect lie.
He needed dozens of believable small ones.
That was how he survived.
Until they were placed side by side.
Sarah helped Mom create a timeline.
December.
January.
February.
March.
April.
May.
June.
Patterns emerged.
Greg became more violent whenever Melissa questioned money.
He targeted me whenever I interrupted.
Then Mom remembered something.
Every time she scheduled an appointment with her financial adviser, Greg created a crisis.
Flat tire.
Leo sick.
Work emergency.
Missing paperwork.
Coincidence?
Once, maybe.
Seven times?
No.
Then financial adviser produced emails supposedly from Melissa canceling appointments.
Wrong punctuation.
Wrong phrases.
Sent from home IP while Mom was at work.
Greg.
Again.
Digital evidence.
Then his employer called.
Greg had not been scheduled to work the morning he dragged me into the ER.
Remember his first words?
Give the kid his meds so I can get to work.
Lie.
Why was he rushing?
Because he had a meeting.
Bank records showed an appointment that morning concerning another loan application using Melissa’s information.
My swollen face threatened his schedule.
That was why he was furious.
Not worried.
Not scared.
Inconvenienced.
Then the bank supplied surveillance from a previous meeting.
Greg had brought a woman claiming to be Melissa.
It wasn’t Mom.
Who was she?
We didn’t know.
But Greg did.
And when Mom saw the still image, she whispered:
“I know her.”
May you like
Her name was Jennifer Walker.
Greg’s sister.
