Because she wanted quiet, she went into her room from the outside entrance, peeled off her outer gear.
She wandered into her sitting room, intending to put on music and spend some time sketching just to wind down from the day. But she saw the neat piles of mail on her desk. David, as was his habit, had separated the personal correspondence - not much these days as she and most everyone she knew had slid into e-mail posts - business, and bills.
Because she believed in handling the bad news first, she sat and began to open the bills. The utilities on the house made her wince a bit, but that was the price to be paid for having so much space, and so many people using it.
She got out her checkbook, promising herself that soon - before next month - she would master the bill-paying business on-line. Of course, she promised the same every month. But this time she meant it. She'd have Stella show her the ropes, first chance.
She paid the electric, the gas, the phone, a credit card bill. Then frowned at another envelope from another credit card company. She nearly tossed it, assuming it was a solicitation, then opened it, just to check.
Her eyes widened as she looked at the charges, the total. Over eight thousand dollars. Eightthousand ? It was ridiculous, absurd.
She didn't have a card with this company, and certainly hadn't charged eight thousand dollars. Restaurants, electronics, the men's department at Dillard's.
Baffled, she picked up the phone to report the mistake, then spent the next half hour winding her way through tangled and sticky red tape.
The next call she made was to her lawyer.
Once the wheels were set in motion, she sat back, the sinking sensation in her stomach making her queasy. The card had been taken out in her name, with all her information - her address, her Social Security number, even her mother's maiden name. The other user on the card was listed as Ashby Harper.
Clever, she thought. Very clever.
He hadn't used his own name, and hadn't accumulated charges at his most usual haunts. By now, she had no doubt the card was destroyed. The last charge had been made three days before the end of the billing cycle.
Covered all the bases as usual - that bastard Bryce.
The money wouldn't have been the main thrust, she thought now. Not that he wouldn't enjoy the benefits of eight thousand and change. But the point would have been the trouble for her, the irritation, and most of all thereminder that he was still in her face. And there was little she could do about it.
It was doubtful the charges could be traced back to him, that it could be proved he'd defrauded the credit card company. It was she who would be forced to untangle the knots, spending the time, the effort, and paying any legal fees.
It was mean and small of him, and suited him perfectly.
And Harper, poor Harper, worried she'd make that kind of mistake again. Not in a million years.
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To give herself more time to settle, she skipped dinner, then wrote long, detailed posts to her two younger sons before calling Harper.
Once she knew the children were in bed for the night, she asked Harper, David, along with Stella and Hayley to join her in the front parlor.
"I'm sorry," she began. "I know some of you might have plans for the night. I don't think this will take long. "
"It's all right," Stella told her. "Something's the matter. Just tell us what it is. "
"I've already taken steps to deal with it, but it's likely all of you will be asked, at least, to answer some questions. In going through my bills this evening, I came upon a credit card bill - a card I don't have, charges I didn't make. However, it was applied for and taken out with considerable personal information. The credit card company will, of course, follow this through. But as I was obliged to list all those who live in this house, I wanted you to be aware. I've no doubt the card was taken out by Bryce. He'd know the information, and it's just his style. "
"You don't have to pay it," Hayley said quickly. "This kind of thing happened in the bookstore once where I used to work. You don't have to pay it. "
"No, I won't pay it. It simply costs me time and energy, and upsets me - which would have been the motive. It also upsets the household, which he'd enjoy, I'm sure. I'm sorry for that. " She looked at Harper. "I'm sorry. "
"Don't say that again. " He spoke very softly. "I don't want to hear you say you're sorry again, Mama. What about the police?"
"They may very well be involved. But I'm going to tell you what my lawyer told me. While the credit card company will follow through, it'll be very difficult to prove he's the one who used the card. He didn't use his name, and he didn't charge so much at any given time or place to raise an eyebrow. No one's going to remember he breezed into Dillard's and bought some shirts or a pair of shoes. This is the sort of thing he knows how to do quite well. "
She had to get up, to move, so rose to add a log to the fire. "The best we can do is step back from it, as much as we can, and let it play out. Sooner or later, and I believe this, he'll do one of three things. He'll get bored with it, he'll find someone else to harass, or he'll go just a little too far and hang himself. "
"I vote for Door Number Three," David put in.
"Your mouth, God's ear," Roz assured him, and made herself sit again. "I've written both Austin and Mason, because I want them, and all of you, to be on guard. He may very well choose to amuse himself by doing this same sort of thing to one or more of you. "