Chapter 15 - The Price Residence
Lauren Price opened the door before Nia finished knocking.
Ms. Bennett stood beside her.
Mr. Greene had advised them not to accuse anyone, but neither woman was good at pretending nothing was wrong.
Lauren looked between them.
“What happened?”
Ms. Bennett said, “We need to talk.”
They sat in the Price living room.
Jasmine remained at the clinic with her aunt.
Nia placed the printed technical report on the coffee table.
“The emails pretending to be me came from this internet connection.”
Lauren stared at the page.
“What?”
“Your Wi-Fi.”
“That doesn’t mean Jasmine sent them.”
“No.”
Nia watched her carefully.
“It could mean Malik sent them while he was here.”
Lauren looked relieved too quickly.
“Then that must be it.”
Ms. Bennett noticed.
“Lauren.”
“What?”
“Was Malik here without Jasmine?”
Lauren’s silence changed everything.
Nia leaned forward.
“When?”
Lauren stood.
“I need water.”
“Sit down,” Ms. Bennett said.
Lauren looked offended.
“Don’t order me around in my house.”
“Then stop avoiding the question.”
Lauren sat.
Her hands shook.
“Malik came by a few times.”
Nia’s stomach tightened.
“Why?”
“He said he was helping Jasmine with the gym project.”
“You knew about the business?”
“A little.”
“Did you know it involved my money?”
Lauren looked away.
Ms. Bennett whispered, “Oh my God.”
Lauren quickly said, “Not like that.”
“What did you know?”
“That Malik wanted investors.”
“And?”
“That Nia had a trust.”
Nia stared.
“How did you know the amount?”
“I didn’t.”
“Did Jasmine tell you?”
“She mentioned your father left education money.”
Ms. Bennett’s expression hardened.
“That was private.”
“Jasmine and Nia have been family since kindergarten.”
“Family doesn’t mean entitled to financial information.”
Lauren snapped, “I know that.”
Nia asked, “Did Malik use your computer?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“I don’t remember.”
“March?”
“Probably.”
“Did he send emails from it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you ever help him draft anything?”
Lauren’s face changed.
Ms. Bennett saw it.
“Lauren.”
Lauren closed her eyes.
“He asked me about trusts.”
Nia felt cold.
“What did you tell him?”
“That Nia probably couldn’t touch principal freely.”
“You knew that?”
Lauren looked at Ms. Bennett.
“You told me years ago.”
Ms. Bennett seemed stunned.
“When?”
“After Nathan died.”
Nia’s father’s name entered the room like a ghost.
Lauren continued.
“You were worried about protecting Nia’s future. We talked about attorneys.”
Ms. Bennett slowly nodded.
Old grief surfaced.
“I remember.”
“He asked whether eighteen meant she controlled everything. I said probably not if it was structured.”
Nia asked, “Why was a nineteen-year-old asking you about my father’s trust?”
“I thought you two were planning something together.”
“Did he say that?”
“He implied it.”
“What words?”
Lauren struggled.
“He said you wanted to help with the gym but your mother and attorney were controlling the money.”
Ms. Bennett laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
“And you believed him.”
Lauren’s defensiveness returned.
“You’ve always controlled Nia.”
Nia stared.
Ms. Bennett went still.
“What does that mean?”
“You know exactly what it means.”
“No. Explain.”
Lauren looked at Nia, then back to Monica Bennett.
“You planned everything. Schools. Activities. Applications. Scholarships.”
“I parented my daughter.”
“You managed her.”
Nia interrupted.
“Stop.”
Both women looked at her.
“This is my money and my life. Don’t turn this into some argument you’ve been having in your heads for fifteen years.”
Lauren looked ashamed.
Nia continued.
“Did you help Malik write the email claiming my mother financially abused me?”
Lauren immediately said, “No.”
Nia watched her.
“I didn’t.”
“Did you suggest language?”
“No.”
“Did you tell him my mother was controlling?”
Lauren’s silence was answer enough.
Ms. Bennett leaned back.
The betrayal on her face looked different from Nia’s.
Older.
“I called you when Nathan died.”
Lauren’s eyes filled.
“I know.”
“You slept at my house for two weeks.”
“I know.”
“You held Nia while I met with funeral directors.”
“I know.”
“And this is what you told Malik?”
“I never said you abused her.”
“You planted the idea that protection was control.”
Lauren began crying.
“I was angry.”
“At what?”
Lauren’s voice cracked.
“At always needing help from you.”
Ms. Bennett stared.
“What?”
“You loaned me money when Marcus left. You paid Jasmine’s summer program fee. You helped with rent.”
“I thought we were friends.”
“We were.”
“Then why resent it?”
“Because you never needed me the way I needed you.”
Nia closed her eyes.
There it was again.
Resentment disguised as closeness.
Lauren whispered, “Malik listened.”
Ms. Bennett looked sick.
“He listened because he wanted ammunition.”
“I know that now.”
Nia asked the most important question.
“Did you know he was sleeping with Jasmine?”
Lauren shook her head violently.
“No.”
Nia believed her.
“Did you know he accessed my college portal?”
“No.”
“The loan application?”
“No.”
“The trust emails?”
“No.”
Lauren covered her mouth.
“I gave him ideas without realizing what he was building.”
Ms. Bennett stood.
“Then you will tell Detective Reed exactly that.”
Lauren nodded through tears.
“Yes.”
As Nia reached the door, Lauren called her name.
“Nia.”
She turned.
“I am sorry.”
Nia stared at her.
Lauren looked smaller than she ever had.
Then she said something that changed the investigation again.
“There’s one more place Malik used our Wi-Fi.”
“Where?”
“My old laptop.”
“Do you still have it?”
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Lauren nodded.
“It’s in Jasmine’s closet.”
