Chapter 6
Wesley admitted knowing about the baby collar.
He denied knowing about the adult one.
Investigators pulled his texts with Margaret.
Margaret:
Sunday needs to prove something.
Wesley:
No drama around June.
Margaret:
It’s a stupid collar. She’ll yell. Everyone sees it. Done.
Wesley:
I don’t like this.
Margaret:
Then tell your wife to stop threatening to disappear with your child.
Wesley:
She said she’d stay with her sister.
Margaret:
Exactly.
Another exchange:
Wesley:
Porter said no staged incidents.
Margaret:
A joke is not staged violence.
Wesley:
Don’t touch Nora. Don’t touch June.
Margaret:
Relax.
That helped Wesley.
A little.
It showed he explicitly told Margaret not to touch them.
It also hurt him.
A lot.
Because it showed he knew the “joke” was intended to provoke Nora in front of people.
He stayed at the party anyway.
Did not warn his wife.
Did not cancel the gag.
Did not remove June.
Then another message:
Margaret:
If she loses control around the baby, Reeve says trust protector can review her.
Wesley:
I’m not removing her as trustee over a joke.
Margaret:
You may not have a choice if she proves unsafe.
Wesley did not answer.
Elena looked at Nora.
“He knew the trust issue had been discussed.”
“Yes.”
“Maybe not the whole plan.”
Nora was tired of maybe.
Then a third thread appeared.
Wesley to Margaret, two nights later:
If Nora still says no Thursday, Harbor Crest is done unless we find another ten.
Margaret:
Then stop worrying about appearances and let me solve it.
Wesley:
Not through Nora.
Margaret:
Everything is through Nora now. That’s the problem.
Wesley responded with one sentence:
Just get us through Friday.
Nothing else.
Nora stared.
“What did he mean?”
Wesley claimed he meant:
Find financing.
Negotiate with the lender.
Extend the deadline.
Anything lawful.
Maybe.
May you like
But Margaret received it as permission to solve the obstacle.
And Nora was the obstacle.
