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Chapter 5 The Texts

I froze in place, expressionless, while Chris erupted, standing up so quickly that his chair tipped over backward. Placing his palms flat on the table, he leaned over and glared daggers at Detective Horton.

"You had better hope you have absolute proof of this, or I'll file a complaint against you for treating a grieving widow with such completely callous disregard," he snarled.

"I do, actually. Mr. Montgomery's cellphone was a wealth of information, I'm afraid."

"No," I croaked, shaking my head. "The man I loved wouldn't do that. There's no way he would do that."

He looked at me and gave me a surprisingly compassionate smile. "I know this may be hard to hear, ma'am, but they were having an affair. The last round of texts between your husband and Ms. Caldwell had not been deleted yet, and they leave absolutely no doubt. I have print-outs of the screenshots, plus a transcription of the dialogue itself because the text on the screenshots is small and a little difficult to read." He gestured to one of the file folders under his notepad.

"Let me see that," Chris demanded, holding his hand out for the folder. He opened it and flipped through the pages, pausing to look at a few of them more closely, then closed the folder and smacked it down on the table. He turned to look at me, and it was clear that he did not want to have to tell me about whatever he saw on those pages.

"Lila," he began gently, "Honey, I'm sorry, but it looks like David was - "

"No!" I yelled, standing up to pace around the room. "He wouldn't do that to me. Not David. Not my David." Sherry stood up to grab my arm, shooting a look of disbelief toward Chris. He nodded and looked down at the folder again.

Sherry wrapped her arms around me as I started shaking. The familiar pain of heartbreak hit again, feeling like a living breathing monster trying to claw its way out of me. I could hear my heartbeat pounding in my head and felt like I had ice forming in my veins.

"I want to see it," I said hoarsely, pointing to the folder.

Chris shook his head, "Lila, I don't think that's a good idea, not right now. You're already on edge, and this will be too much, believe me."

"I want to see it," I repeated firmly.He slowly slid the folder across the table, and I sank back down in my chair before opening it.

I glanced at the screenshots between Vanessa and David, and then focused on the transcription. There were a dozen or so texts that Vanessa had sent throughout the day on Saturday. She was clearly not happy. Well, that makes two of us now doesn't it, whore?

The last time David had responded to her was right about the time I had picked her up that morning. They went back as far as the previous evening, and those included pictures and apparently a forty-three second video that David had sent her. The image captured on the screenshot showed the very happy ending of a self-love session. Good to know that the hard-on he'd had for me earlier that evening was put to good use.

Transcription of Text Dialogue Between Vanessa Caldwell and David Montgomery

Friday, September 24, 2021

11:04 pm - David: "I just got in bed and I'm missing you like hell, baby. She's staying up to watch one of her stupid chick flicks for the 100th time, so I have some privacy up here. Send me a pic tomake me have sweet dreams?"

11:13 pm - Vanessa: *Image attachment*

11:15 pm - David: " Y ou look so fucking sexy like that!"

11:18 pm - Vanessa: *Image attachment*

11:24 pm - David: "Damn, baby, I want to lick you all over. Spread those thighs a little wider, I'm sending a present just for you."

11:27 pm - David: *Video attachment, 43 seconds*

11:36 pm - Vanessa: "Oh my God, that's so hot! I want you so fucking much. I wish you were here.I would have taken care of that hard cock for you just the way you like it. I'll talk to you in the morning, babe. Sweet dreams."

11:49 pm - David: "I wish you were here, too.Dream of me tonight, baby."

Saturday, September 25, 2021

7:42 am - David: "Good morning, baby.I missed you last night. I woke up just now with my cock hard enough to pound nails. I wish you were here so I could pound you instead!"

7:56 am - Vanessa: "I wish I was there too. I need you so much.It's been 2 whole days since you bent me over your desk and fucked me. My pussy misses you"

8:44 am - Vanessa: "I just finished getting ready for this shitshow. God, I fucking hate the idea of spending the day with that whiny bitch. You owe me bigtime for this, babe. Think diamonds if you really wanna make it up to me."

8:49 am - David: "I know, baby, but just try to get through it. I don't want her to get suspicious before everything is in place for me to file for divorce. She won't worry about you if she likes you and thinks you're friends. I just heard the garage door open so she's leaving now. Just ignore her and enjoy the spa. Buy something sexy to wear for me!"

9:05 am - Vanessa: " S eriously. Diamond earrings to match the tennis bracelet you bought me will be fine. 1 carat studs, pretty please"

9:21 am - David: "Send me a pic to tide me over til tonight and I'll think about it."

9:29 am - David: "No pic, baby? I guess I'll just have to get off on the ones you sent last night then."

9:35 am - Vanessa: "Sorry, she just pulled up. You'll just have to wait until tonight, babe ."

9:36 am - David: "Can't wait. I'm going to head out now, but I get service on the lake. Text me later to let me know how it's going. See you tonight, baby."

10:22 am - Vanessa: " Y ou told me you weren't having sex with your wife!So explain why the fuck she just told us how "attentive to her needs you've been lately" and that she needs to buy new panties because you keep ripping hers off. Explain that, David! You told me I'm the only one who's ever driven you wild enough to rip panties, so explain why I'm stuck helping that fucking bitch pick out new ones!!!"

10:51 am - Vanessa: "What do you think David, should the bitch buy the red teddy or the navy blue one?"

10:56 am- Vanessa: "Do you think this is funny? She's planning to get a full Brazilian at the spa this afternoon because you just LOVE her bare pussy. Fuck you, David!!!"

1:07 pm - Vanessa: "I just spent 15 damned minutes listening to that bitch go on about how you fucked her for 2 straight weeks on your honeymoon. By the way, she's rented the same fucking place to surprise you for your anniversary! Surprise! Do you have any idea how much this hurts??? I'm hiding in a goddamned bathroom crying over this shit, and you still aren't answering your phone!"

1:09 pm - Vanessa: "I just tried to call you again. Please call me back. We need to talk."

1:12 pm - Vanessa: "I need to get back out there before one of those bitches comes looking for me.Text me as soon as you get my messages.Please!"

1:56 pm - Vanessa: "I'm sorry I got upset earlier.Please stop ignoring me. I need to talk to you."

2:37 pm - Vanessa: "I just tried calling you AGAIN. Pick up the fucking phone! I just got in the room for my massage and I can talk. I'm alone in here except for the masseuse, and believe me, her English isn't that good. She won't have a fucking clue what I'm saying"

2:59 pm - Vanessa: "CALL ME!!!!"

3:23 pm - Vanessa: "I've been trying to reach you all fucking day, and I'm losing my shit here. Pick up the phone. I'm tired of you avoiding me.I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!!!"

3:41 pm - Vanessa: "Are you gonna fucking answer me???"

3:52 pm - Vanessa: "That's it, I'm fucking done with this. You think you can just ignore me??? I'm not coming to the goddamned cookout after putting up with that bitch all day and then you ignoring me. You'll just have to fuck your wife instead of me tonight! After all, she brought such pretty lingerie for you!!!"

END OF TRANSCRIPTION

I dragged in a shuddering breath. Each word I read felt like jagged shards of glass piercing my lungs. My stomach rolled and I dashed for the half-bath in the hallway, barely making it before I lost my lunch. As she had done Saturday night at my house, Sherry helped me to my feet and guided me to the sink. As I was rinsing my mouth with water, Chris appeared in the doorway holding out a bottle of mouthwash for me. I used it liberally, and after a final splash of cold water on my face I felt almost human again.

When Sherry and I returned to the dining room, Detective Horton and Chris were talking quietly at the table. There were several bottles of water sitting there, presumably Chris's doing. I took one gratefully and took several long swallows.

"Lila, he needs to ask you some more questions. Are you up for that?"

I closed my eyes and nodded, opening them to find the detective looking at me with sympathy, and probably a little pity.

"Mrs. Montgomery, I truly am sorry to upset you even more at a time like this. Can you tell me what the relationship was like between Mr. Montgomery and his brother Scott?"

"Oh, for God's sake, you've apparently seen a video of my husband jacking off for his girlfriend, so I think you can drop the goddamned formalities, detective!" My voice cracked as I yelled at him and I dropped my head back and stared at the ceiling, willing myself to calm down. Sherry reached and rubbed my arm, trying to soothe me.

He cleared his throat. "Can you tell me about their relationship?"

I rolled my eyes and gave a little shrug. "Yes, they were very close. They spoke at least once a day and hung out together all the time. Should I even ask why you want to know?" Clearly, my give-a-damn was busted at this point, because I really didn't care about making nice with the detective any longer.

His lips quirked up a tiny bit at my smart-ass response before he schooled his expression. "Lila, why did you pay Scott $57,000.00 Saturday evening?"

I jolted and my mouth dropped open, truly shocked. "What are you talking about? I've never paid Scott anything, ever !"

"An online transaction was initiated Saturday evening on David's account at Indy Regional Bank, transferring $57,000.00 to an account in his brother's name at the same bank. It brought the balance in that account down to less than $500.00. So, you're saying you didn't authorize that transfer?"

"We don't bank at Indy Regional. Our bank accounts are with Midwest Financial."

"Were you not aware that David opened an account in only his name at Indy Regional three years ago?"

"No, I wasn't aware of that," I said softly.

"Lila, did your husband owe Scott money for anything that you can think of? Anything at all?"

I shook my head, very confused. "No, not that I know of. Of course, it seems like there was a lot I didn't fucking know," I added with a bitter chuckle.

He slid a piece of paper out from the other folder he had with him and passed it to me. "This is a screenshot of messages between David and Scott on Friday evening, along with the transcription. As you can see, Scott is demanding money, although it isn't terribly clear for what."

Transcription of Text Dialogue Between David Montgomery and Scott Montgomery

Friday, September 24, 2021

11:34 pm - Scott: "It's payday, little brother. Where's my money? I just checked my account and it's not there"

11:41 pm - David: "Sorry, I got caught up in something at work today and forgot to transfer it over. I'll do it tomorrow"

11:42 pm - Scott: "Why can't you do it now?"

11:43 pm - David: "Because I'm already in bed and I don't have access to that account on my phone, only my laptop which is downstairs in the office. Lila is downstairs watching TV, and I don't exactly have a good reason to go back downstairs to my office at this time of night."

11:44 pm - Scott: "Fine, tomorrow then, but I think I need a raise. Another 10 grand a month should do it."

11:47 pm - David: "Dammit, I can't keep doing this. If I'm caught, the cash stops for both of us, asshole."

11:48 pm - Scott: "Then I suggest you don't fucking get caught. You're a smart man. I'm sure you can figure out some way to get more gravy out of that train of yours."

11:50 pm - Scott: "I told you, you need to get her pregnant again, you'd be set for life."

11:53 pm - David: "And I told you she can't have kids. It's not safe, even if we could make it happen. The last time almost killed her, remember?"

11:54 pm - Scott: "You've got life insurance on her, right?"

11:55 pm - David: "Go to hell! I'll get you your fucking money"

11:58 pm - Scott: "Take it easy, I was just kidding. Even I'm not that heartless"

END OF TRANSCRIPTION

I passed the paper to Chris with shaking hands, and waited while he read through it quickly.

"Lila, what was David referring to when he said 'the last time almost killed her'?"

"I...um, I had a miscarriage seven months ago. I was in a car accident years ago, it shouldn't have been possible to get pregnant, but I did somehow. But, I started hemorrhaging and it could have been really bad if Sherry hadn't insisted on calling an ambulance for me."

"I am truly sorry for your loss." The sympathy on Detective Horton's face seemed real, and he changed the subject back to the money transfer. "So, you don't know why David was paying Scott such a large amount of money?"

"Clearly my client knew nothing about this arrangement, or any transfer of funds to Scott," Chris answered for me, handing the paper back to the detective.

"I didn't think so, but I needed to ask since obviously David wasn't able to complete an online transaction Saturday evening. The coroner puts David's time of death between 9:00 am to 10:00 am. on Saturday. Based on his last text with Ms. Caldwell, we can narrow that down to 9:36 am to 10:00 am." Turning back to me, he asked "Lila, Scott was in your home Saturday evening while the search was being conducted. Do you know if he had access to David's laptop during that time?"

I gave a half-hearted shrug. "I never saw him with it, but David kept it in his home office. I suppose he could have gone in there at some point, but I didn't see it."

Sherry piped up at that point. "Um, Scott left the room several times. I know he went outside a couple of those times because I saw him through the windows, but I'm not sure where he went the other times."

Chris nodded. "I remember that."

Detective Horton said "So it is possible that Scott had access to the laptop during one of his absences from the room, but no one actually saw him enter the office, correct."

We all nodded, and he made more notes on his damned notepad. "I assume David had a password on that laptop?" I nodded. "Would Scott have known it?"

"I have no idea if David would have given it to him. If it was something easy like his birthday or his favorite place, then I'm sure he could have guessed it."

"Do you know David's password for the laptop?"

"No, it was his work-issued laptop, so I had no reason to have it. I have my own laptop plus a desktop computer."

I reached for another bottle of water and sipped it, rolling my head on my shoulders to relieve some of my tension.

Chris eyed me with concern. "Detective, you've thrown a lot of very disturbing information at my client, and I think she needs a break to process this. Could we pick this up in the morning? I know Lila is as anxious as you are to get to the bottom of this, but she needs a break."

Detective Horton hesitated. "Yes, I understand, and I think we can do that. I would like to ask for something which will help us keep moving forward with our investigation in the meantime though. Would you sign an authorization for us to obtain David's phone records, including any information he may have stored on iCloud? I can get a judge to sign a court order based on what we have, but your signature would make the process much quicker."

I looked at Chris, "I don't see a problem with that, do you?"

"No, I think that's fine," he agreed, sighing heavily.

"Thank you. Would you also be willing to give us access to your financial records, both joint and individual accounts? Again, it will just speed up the process but we can subpoena them if necessary."

I frowned, not sure I wanted them to have all of that information. Chris picked up on my facial expression.

"I agree that this situation needs closer inspection, but given the number of accounts and investments, and the level of wealth involved, I'm not sure I'm entirely comfortable with allowing such a broad search. I would like a few minutes to speak with Lila privately."

Without waiting for a reply, Chris took my elbow and guided me out of the room. We ended up out on back deck, to be sure we were out of earshot.

"First of all...are you OK? That's a lot of shit you've been hit with."

"No, I'm not but I can't even think about that right now. What kinds of things are they looking for with the financial stuff? Why do they need all of the accounts?"

"They want their forensic accounting people to follow the money trail to try to find out why David was paying Scott, where the money was coming from, what it was being used for. I've got to be honest, Lila, it sounds like David was paying Scott off for something. Maybe he found about the affair and threatened to tell you?"

"I just don't know what to think. Why would they have gotten along so well if Scott was blackmailing him?"

"I don't know what to think about any of this, Lila. I would never have thought...I'm just so damned sorry, honey. If Sherry and I had even the slightest inkling that David was cheating on you, we would have told you."

I nodded. "I know. He had us all fooled, obviously."

"So, how do you want to handle the request for financial records?"

"Well, I'm concerned about letting them poke around in all of my accounts. David's accounts or our joint accounts? Yes, by all means, they can look all they want. But I don't like the idea of them having access to my trust fund information or the inheritance from my mom. That's all in separate investment accounts that David didn't have access to."

"That sounds reasonable and I'm fine with offering that for now, but if they find any serious discrepancies, or anything to indicate that David and Scott got to those accounts as well, they will be able to get a judge to sign off on a court order allowing them access ."

I grimaced, and Chris noticed, of course. His career relied on him reading body language. "If there is something you haven't told me, I need you to tell me now."

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