My Wife Explained The Missing Money Under Oath

The email had a drawing attached.

W-214. Steel hinge revision. My old approval.

Below it, Simone had written to Evan: Use this signature block. He won't read past the price.

Evan's answer came eleven minutes later.

Need this to clear Juniper and anything else before closing.

He'd known there was something to clear.

His declaration blamed Simone for the plan. The messages showed that he had helped carry it out. Nadia made copies for the next deposition.

"He thinks handing you the screwdriver proves he didn't turn it," she said.

We met in a plain conference room. There was a court reporter, a pitcher of water, and a clock loud enough to bother me. Simone's lawyer sat beside her. Evan's lawyer attended by video for questions involving his records.

I sat behind Nadia with my hands folded.

Simone gave her name and swore to tell the truth.

Nadia showed her the property agreement.

"You had separate legal advice before signing?"

"Yes."

"You understood the listed design royalties were reserved to Keoni personally?"

"At that time."

"What later agreement changed that?"

"We operated as a team."

Nadia waited.

The clock ticked seven times.

"A written agreement," Nadia said.

"I don't have another one."

They went through the Juniper license. Simone admitted she'd signed its rider and sent Juniper a complete copy.

Then came Silver Mesa.

"Did you tell Silver Mesa that Juniper already held the same exclusive territory?"

"I expected to work something out."

"Did you tell them?"

"No."

"Did Keoni authorize this license?"

"He trusted me to manage."

"That wasn't my question."

Her lawyer asked for a short break. When they returned, Simone said no.

I looked down at my hands. There was a line of black dust under one nail. I'd washed twice before coming.

Nadia put the bank instruction beside the two contracts. Simone had directed both clients to Harbor Basin while marking the workshop royalty accounts inactive.

"Why did you tell your husband the royalties were being held for repairs?"

"We needed breathing room."

"Which repairs?"

She couldn't name any.

The $35,400 in personal spending included travel, jewelry, and payments on her condo. Marta had traced it from the account records. None of it paid our aluminum supplier or our rent.

"The business owed me for years of management," Simone said.

Nadia showed her the payroll records. She'd received the salary we'd both approved. The separate $36,000 consulting invoice had no contract behind it.

"Did you perform thirty-six thousand dollars of services for Harbor Basin?"

"I was saving the company."

"Please identify the services."

By then, Simone had stopped taking off her glasses. She held them against the table with two fingers.

Finally, Nadia placed the consent on top of W-214 and asked about the email.

Simone looked at me.

"Could he step out?"

"He's a party to the case," Nadia said.

Her lawyer spoke quietly to her. Simone asked for another break. This one lasted twenty-three minutes.

When they returned, she admitted directing Evan to use my signature image. She said she'd believed I would approve once she explained the deal.

"Had you explained it before this document was created?" Nadia asked.

"No."

"Had he approved it?"

"No."

I felt no urge to stand up. I wanted the reporter to finish typing.

At Evan's deposition the next week, he admitted preparing the page. He also admitted that his $18,600 advance had gone to Simone's consulting company, despite a draft sale agreement naming Stageworks as the seller.

He'd wanted my designs cheaply. She'd wanted cash she could move without me. They had each planned to explain the missing steps later.

Nadia asked Evan what Copper Veil had done besides arrange this purchase. He named no employees, no completed jobs, and no other assets. The company had been formed a month before his advance. He had checked the mailbox every week. He hadn't asked me one question about the design he claimed to be buying.

"I relied on Simone," he said.

Nadia showed him his own message asking to clear Juniper. He read it aloud.

Afterward, Ikaika drove me back toward Henderson along the beltway. He kept both hands on the wheel.

"You can say it," I told him.

"What?"

"That you wanted to throw him out on Tuesday."

"Would've made a terrible transcript."

I laughed once. It surprised both of us.

That night, Simone called. I let it go to voicemail.

"I never thought you would make me sit there," she said. "You knew what those questions would do."

I saved the message. Then I washed my hands and ate the dinner my brother had left in the fridge.

The next day, Nadia sent a settlement proposal from their lawyers. The first condition required all parties to agree that no one had done anything wrong.

Under it, Simone had requested permanent control of the Stillwater name.