Her face turned pale, the makeup suddenly looking too bright against her skin.

“I have nothing to do with Gregory’s business dealings,” she said, backing toward the hallway.

“The assistant you sent to the warehouse says otherwise,” the lead agent said, stepping in front of her.

“That is a lie,” Denise whispered, her voice cracking.

“We have the text messages on her phone, ma’am,” the agent said.

Eleanor stood up from her chair and walked toward her.

“You married him for the money, Denise,” Eleanor said. “Now you can share the debt.”

Denise looked at Eleanor, her eyes wide with anger.

“You think you’re better than me?” Denise spat. “You lived on this blood money for thirty years.”

“And I am giving every cent of it back,” Eleanor said quietly.

The agent took Denise’s arm, guiding her toward the front door where Gregory was already being escorted.

Outside, the red and blue lights of the police cruisers swept across the dark glass of the library windows.

I watched the cars pull down the long, winding driveway, their sirens silent but their lights flashing against the oak trees.