I answered on the fifth ring and said nothing. “Diane, what did you do?” Vanessa shrieked. “My cards are declined, and the yacht captain is demanding payment in front of everyone!” I stayed calm, as I had trained for decades. “Where is my son’s power of attorney?” I asked. She went silent. Then I heard glasses clinking and a man laughing behind her, and she hung up.

I plugged the USB drive into Ryan’s laptop. One folder was labeled “If I Don’t Wake Up.” My hands steadied as I opened the first video, and my son’s tired face appeared on the screen. “Mom, if you’re watching this, I’m sorry,” he said. “Vanessa has been moving money for a year, and I think she wants me gone.” Behind me, the front door creaked open slowly.