Chapter 18
That was the first I had heard of it.
“He put in money?”
“Some. Mostly labor. I had more experience. He had more charm.”
“What happened?”
“We disagreed about everything.”
“Normal partnership.”
“Then our father got sick.”
Eddie’s voice softened.
“I wanted to keep the gym. Michael wanted to sell his share and help Dad.”
“Which did you do?”
“Both, badly.”
He explained.
Michael gave Eddie his portion of the business at almost no cost. Eddie kept the gym alive. Michael moved away to care for their father during the last year of his life.
Afterward, the brothers rarely spoke.
Not because of one terrible event.
Because of ten small resentments neither of them knew how to discuss.
Eddie believed Michael thought he had stolen the gym.
Michael believed Eddie resented him for leaving.
Years became easier than one uncomfortable conversation.
“So why did he come back?” I asked.
“Because he needed money.”
I glanced at the security image.
“He came at one in the morning to ask?”
“No.”
Eddie looked embarrassed.
“He came at one in the morning because he didn’t want anyone to know.”
“That family trait?”
“Apparently.”
Michael had contacted Eddie secretly.
His marriage had ended several years earlier. He had changed careers twice. Recently, he had been trying to open a physical therapy clinic and needed records showing his original investment in the gym.
He believed an old partnership agreement was stored in Eddie’s office.
“Why use the old access code?”
“He remembered it.”
“And he never told you he came in?”
“He called the next morning.”
“Did he find what he wanted?”
“No.”
“Did he touch the computer?”
“No.”
“How do you know?”
“Because Michael barely knows how to send an attachment.”
That wasn’t evidence, but the bank investigation later confirmed it.
Michael Ramirez had nothing to do with the missing money.
His appearance in the access logs was another coincidence created by years of family silence.
For all the mystery we had uncovered, the final truth was almost disappointingly human.
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Cal Hollis had manipulated business records to conceal money he had taken over time.
Raymond Reed had worsened the situation by protecting his reputation instead of reporting suspicious activity.
