Ruth followed me, her footsteps soft on the linoleum.

The rain was tapping heavily against the glass pane.

“Your father did not act alone,” Ruth said, her voice dropping to a whisper. “He brought Mr. Vance to the estate.”

“My father’s personal attorney,” I said.

“Yes,” Ruth said. “They cornered Claire in the library. It was the day after Evelyn’s funeral.”

“You were at the cemetery, dealing with the arrangements.”

“They showed her a thick stack of legal documents,” Ruth continued. “They told her they were official court orders signed by you.”

“But I never signed anything,” I said, my chest tightening.

“She didn’t know that, Daniel,” Ruth said, looking up at me. “The papers had your signature at the bottom.”

“It looked exactly like yours.”

“They told her you had discovered she was trying to claim the boys as her own.”

“They said you were going to have her arrested for fraud and kidnapping.”

“She was twenty years old,” I said, my voice rising slightly. “She didn’t have a lawyer.”

“She was terrified,” Ruth said. “She begged them to let her see you. She wanted to explain.”