My thumb hovered over the send button while Alexander Sterling stood beside me on the sidewalk outside the Manhattan municipal building.
The marriage certificate lay on the hood of his black Maybach, its official details catching the morning light.
Ten years of marriage to Kevin had ended with paperwork I had not understood until it was too late.
My new marriage had begun with paperwork I understood perfectly.
That difference mattered.
Alexander glanced at the message on my phone.
I had attached the photograph and written only one sentence beneath it.
You were right, Kevin.
The paperwork changed everything.
Alexander said quietly, “Once he sees that, they’ll know someone has started looking at the money.”
I pressed send.
For twelve seconds, nothing happened.
Then the message changed to read.
A few seconds later, Kevin called.
I stared at his name until the ringing stopped.
He called again immediately.
Then a third time.
“Answer it,” Alexander said.
I did.
Kevin didn’t say hello.
“What the hell is that?”
His voice had the same hard edge he used when a subcontractor challenged him, but underneath it I heard something I had never heard when he spoke to me.
Fear.
“A marriage certificate,” I said.
“I can see that.
What are you doing with Sterling?”
The question almost made me smile.
Not how could you remarry so quickly.
Not are you all right.
Not Ava, can we talk about us.
His first concern was Alexander.
“That’s an interesting question from a man who has been sleeping with Alexander’s former wife.”
Silence.
Then Kevin recovered.
“You don’t understand what you’re getting involved in.”
“I understand more every hour.”
“Ava, listen to me.
Sterling is using you.”
I looked at Alexander.
He could hear Kevin through the phone, but his face remained unreadable.
“Maybe,” I said.
“The difference is that he told me the terms before I signed.”
Kevin inhaled sharply.
“That divorce agreement is final.
You can’t come after my company because you’re angry.”
There it was.
Not grief.
Not guilt.
The company.
“I didn’t mention your company.”
Another silence.
Longer this time.
Kevin hung up.
Alexander held out his hand for my phone.
I gave it to him, and he looked at the call log rather than the message.
“He told you not to investigate before you said you were investigating,” he said.
