Chapter 5 - An Old Friend in Uniform
I called Colonel Samuel Reyes because he was one of the few people who understood how carefully I separated suspicion from proof.
He had supervised me during difficult years in uniform and had once corrected an affidavit I thought was flawless.
Now he listened without interrupting as I explained the signature and the lender's demand.
"You need qualified local counsel for any specialized issues," he said.
"I know."
"And you need to stop acting as though you must carry this alone."
I almost laughed.
The remark sounded painfully familiar.
My habit of standing alone had not begun with Preston.
Reyes put me in contact with a handwriting examiner and a former financial investigator named Dana Cho.
Neither promised a dramatic revelation.
They promised methodical work.
Dana reviewed the photocopy and noted that the guaranty referenced a board vote that did not appear in the corporate minute book.
"If the vote never happened, the signature may be only one part of the fabrication," she said.
I requested the underlying originals through formal channels and contacted the lender to dispute the signature in writing.
Three days later, Martin served notice that Preston intended to seek exclusive use of the marital home.
His affidavit said I had abandoned the property without explanation.
I sat at my kitchen table with Leah and read the line twice.
"He changed the locks," Leah said.
"We have the locksmith invoice."
"We also have my email asking for access to my belongings."
The next page accused me of threatening Preston with military contacts.
I had not done so.
But I could picture the spectacle he intended: an allegedly intimidating former officer against a frightened husband and his wealthy parents.
That evening, Nora Bell reported that the anonymous service-record photograph had been sent through an account linked to a private investigator.
His most recent billing client was Hale Strategic Partners.
I looked at the timestamp on the invoice.
It predated the divorce papers by eleven weeks.
May you like
Preston had been preparing for a war long before I learned one had begun.
