He nodded.
Bethany Foster entered, in her 50s, perfectly dressed and carefully composed. Her gaze settled on Chloe's necklace.
"So," Bethany said, "you have it."
"Apparently, everyone in this family is more interested in my necklace than in introducing themselves."
Bethany removed her sunglasses. "You look like Megan."
"I have heard."
"Your mother could be difficult."
"So can I."
Arthur stepped between them. "Tell Chloe what happened."
"I assume you already told your version."
"I told what I knew, which has always been your problem, Dad. You mistake the part you know for the whole truth."
Chloe studied her. "Good. Then give me the other half."
Bethany opened her bag and removed a thin folder. Inside was a statement bearing Megan's signature. It said she had accepted a large sum of money and agreed not to contact the Foster family again.
Arthur paled. "I have never seen this."
"My mother kept it," Bethany said.
Chloe read it. The handwriting looked like Megan's. "So your argument is that she stole from you, then accepted money to disappear."
"I am showing you a document."
"Documents can lie," Henry said. "People can make them lie."
Bethany turned to him. "Stay out of this."
"No." Chloe handed him the paper. "Can you find where the money came from?"
"If the records still exist."
Bethany sighed. "You are feeding a fantasy."
Chloe moved toward the door. "I do not need an entire family conspiracy. One person protecting a lie can do enough damage."
Henry followed her outside. "Give me until tonight."
"I did not give you an assignment."
"I know."
"Then why are you doing it?"
"Because if that document is true, my grandfather spent decades blaming himself for someone who chose to leave. If it is false, then my family helped ruin your mother's life."
Henry wanted the truth, but she could also see that some part of him was still hoping the truth would not cost his family too much.
Henry spent the afternoon inside an office storing decades of family records. At first, the records supported Bethany: money had been transferred, and the amount matched Megan's supposed statement, but the dates did not. The document claimed Megan received the money after leaving. The transfer had happened several days earlier—before the accusation, before Arthur ordered her out, before anyone supposedly needed to pay her to disappear.
Henry checked again: the transfer passed through Evelyn Foster's account and ended under a reference marked "personal debt settlement."