Page 35 of Drowning in Lies

"I have a service that I normally use. I would be happy to arrange that for you," she offered.

We discussed the details regarding the asking price, and she warned me that David's recent death on site would affect the sale price.

"I understand, and that's fine. I'll be happy if I can get enough out of it to cover the mortgage he took out."

After signing the listing contract, I headed out to grab a quick bite for lunch before going to meet Randall. Over lunch at a nearby deli, I scrolled through my phone, deleting voice mails and emails from local news reporters, asking for an interview, or at least a statement from me. Apparently, the salacious details revealed at the arraignment were too juicy to ignore and given my - as one reporter called it -high profilewithin the community, they wanted to get my account of things. Yeah, that would be a hard pass. My account of things would includewaytoo much information.

My meeting with Randall went well. He ushered me straight into his office when I arrived, which meant I could avoid the awkward and inquisitive stares of David's and Vanessa's colleagues.

"How are you, dear?" Randall asked as we sat down in his office.

"It's been incredibly rough, but I'll be OK," I assured him. "I'm so sorry, Randall. I hate that David and Vanessa dragged you and the firm into their web of lies. I've instructed my accountant to write you a check to cover the amount of the missing funds."

He looked surprised. "Lila, you don't have to do that. This doesn't fall on you. Besides, David was a part owner, so technically, some of that could have been considered his."

"I want to do it Randall. I'm selling David's cars and his boat, so that will easily cover the amount, I think. As soon as David's will goes through probate, I will sign over his partial ownership back to you. I don't want it. The firm is yours. You founded it. You built it. I have no interest in keeping it."

His surprise gave way to a stunned incredulity. "Are you sure? You can certainly remain as a silent partner, and I can-"

"No," I interrupted him. "No offense, Randall, but this place is associated with nothing but bad memories for me now. I really want nothing more to do with it. It's all yours. I'll have the papers drawn up for you."

"Lila, I need to confess something to you. It's weighed on my mind for months, but David told me how worried he was about you, how fragile you were, and I didn't want to cause you more pain, so I kept it to myself. I deeply regret that now," he sighed. I braced myself, unsure of what was coming.

"I knew he had cheated on you the night of your miscarriage. He came to me two days later, appearing wracked with guilt. He told me that he'd had too much to drink and had met a woman in a bar. He promised me that it had been a one-time thing, and that he'd regretted it even before he found out you'd been rushed to the hospital. He said he'd told you he had been taking a new client out to dinner and begged me to cover for him if you ever mentioned it," he told me, the guilt and sorrow clear in his voice. "I am so sorry I believed him."

I just gave him a sad smile as I said "It's OK, Randall. He was very good at fooling people, especially me, and I was supposed to know him better than anyone."

After a brief discussion of my future plans and oohing and aahing over the latest pictures of his new grandson, I hugged him and thanked him for his kindness over the years.

"I'm not sure what went wrong with David, but I do know that his excitement when he first started working under you was real and genuine.I don't know what changed for him, and I'm not sure what to believe about a lot of my life with him, but I do believe that much at least. I'm sorry he betrayed you so badly," I told him tearfully.

His own eyes welled up, and he gave me a tight hug, telling me that he wished nothing but the best for me from here on out. I left a few minutes later, after declining to collect any of David's personal things from his office.

"Give it away, throw it in the dumpster, I don't care. I don't want any of it," I told him as I walked out the door.

My next stop was the rental condo, where I quickly unloaded the things that Sherry and I had purchased yesterday. I sat on the floor and placed a grocery order to be delivered the next afternoon. I needed absolutely everything since I was planning to follow James's advice to dispose of everything from my house. Even though I knew the GHB had only been planted in the one bottle, I didn't want to arouse suspicion.

I leaned back against the wall and contemplated my next steps. I checked off the items on my mental to-do list, trying to decide what I still needed to do.

I checked my emails, responding to a few, before spotting one from the attorney handling my mother's estate in Chicago. He needed my signature on some things to remove her name from the deed to her house. Since Mom had added me on when she first bought it, it didn't need to go through probate. I had just needed to present her death certificate to have her name removed, paving the way for me to sell the place.

I could take care of this via email, but I really could use a break from everything for a few days, and Chicago was as good a place as any. I responded back that I would travel to Chicago on Wednesday and could meet him then. I decided I would stay for a day or two and finish packing up Mom's house. I couldn't keep putting it off.

On my drive back to Chris and Sherry's, Melissa called to give me the good news that the judge had granted the eviction order.

"Already?" I asked in surprise.

"I interned for him back in law school, so he pushed it through right away as a favor. He was appalled when I filled him in. He told me to tell you - off the record - that he hopes Scott and Vanessa get the book thrown at them."

I chuckled. "That makes two of us. I'm hoping they're both in prison until they're old and gray."

She laughed and agreed before telling me I could get access to the condo in twenty-four hours. "She has to be notified, via her attorney, that she has twenty-four hours to vacate. The place is yours as of 4:00 pm tomorrow."

"So, she has to arrange for family or someone to pack her things and remove them by 4:00 pm?"

"Exactly," she confirmed. "Anything left at that time must be placed in storage for one month, which would be billed to her. If unclaimed or unpaid at the end of that month, the storage company will auction off the contents, and that's how they get paid. Any proceeds over and above the storage rental and their removal fees would revert to you as restitution."

My mental to-do list kept growing, as I added on a visit to the condo at 4:00 pm tomorrow.

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