Page 73 of Jael

“But I don’t think keeping the house on hold is a good place to begin.” She’d milk their relationship for all it was worth. “I would feel more comfortable if we could get the house settled and start from there. With all the other responsibilities that will be taking up my time, I would really appreciate if you could help relieve that stress.”

“It bothers you that much?”

“It does.”

“Okay. I can hear it in your voice that this concerns you. Why don’t you give me a quick overview of what it’s being used for? It wouldn’t be fair to our shareholders if I didn’t at least do my duty of care just because I want to do my fiancée a favor.”

“Uh, yeah sure. Um, I’ve got a woman living there right now with her kids. Two of them. We’re still working at getting them all the help they need through the appropriate channels, but ittakes time. Everywhere is understaffed, so we keep Becca and the kids safe while we wait.”

“But the wheels are in motion?”

“Yes. Everything’s in progress.”

“Why does she have to wait in that house?”

“Because she has nowhere else to go.”

“She has no other home?”

“She’s left a domestic violence situation. She has no friends or family she can stay with, so the faster we get this sorted, the better. I want her to know she’s secure where she is.”

“Of course. And I want you to know that I am completely in favor of a fair outcome here.”

“Fair is a strange choice of words.”

“What I mean is, we want what’s best for everyone. There must be a lot of hurt. A lot of baggage.”

“There is.”

“And this woman, Becca, you said her name was?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me more about her. Her situation. I looked, but I can’t find anything here at the office.”

“I don’t keep any of that information there. As you can imagine, it’s highly confidential.”

“That’s fine. Can you have her file sent over to me as soon as possible? Like you said, time is of the essence. And I will keep the information confidential.”

“Why do you want to see that?”

“Is there a problem?”

“Her file will tell you exactly what I told you. We’re helping a woman and her children escape from a domestic violence situation.”

“And?”

“And what? What else do you need to know besides that?”

“Well, for one thing, what’s the evidence? How do we know she’s telling the truth?”

“The evidence is for the court system to sort through.” She gritted her teeth to keep her anger at bay.

“So, as of right now, she could be making the whole thing up?”

“No.”

“How do you know?”

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