“So you never reported anything about what you witnessed to the police even after you spoke to your wife and suspected Phillips was behind both of our accidents?”

“No. I told them I must have fallen asleep at the wheel and lost control of the car. They never made any association between the two accidents and I never mentioned it. I figured you were dead. I didn’t want Phillips coming after me to finish the job, especially once I found out that he’d been in touch with my wife. I feared for myself and my family so I just kept my mouth shut.”

“So I trusted you; put mine and my baby’s life in your hands yet you didn’t keep your promises to me. You said that we agreed to use the evidence to put Phillips away in case something happened to either of us. Nothing ever came of the investigation Jeffrey, instead you kept all this so-called incriminating evidence locked up in a safety deposit box for thirty five years rendering it useless.”

“I know I was a coward. I’m sorry.”

“Jeffrey do you realize that you could have saved me 35 years of living in darkness not knowing who the hell I was, losing my daughter to my scum bag of a husband, and keeping my children apart had you just come forward sooner? If for no other reason but to identify my body if you thought I was dead.”

“Maxine I don’t know what to say. I can’t make up for what I did. I’m in this chair for the rest of my life. I’ve lived with the guilt. I don’t know what else to say except I’m sorry.”

Maxine was angry but realized it was pointless to keep harping on Jeffrey’s cowardice. There really was nothing more that could be done now. It was over. They stood in silence for a while then Peter spoke.

“Rains why do you think Phillips’ faked his death? You thought Maxine was dead. You didn’t reveal the evidence and you weren’t talking. The S.E.C. didn’t have a case. There was no threat, so why would he run away and pull this disappearing act?”

“I told you he was a creature of habit. It wasn’t too many years later when he found himself being investigated again. This time they had enough to put him away, but he supposedly had the ‘boating accident’ before they could arrest him.”

Peter looked through the contents of the satchel. The files dated back over three decades. Chances are even if they could bring charges against Phillips the majority of the people he swindled would be dead, retired, or out of business. There was a slim chance that maybe they could track down a descendant, business partner or relative of one of his victims but at best they would be opening a cold case file.

If Jeffrey was to be believed, Maxine had been in more danger from Phillips than they suspected. His threat to expose her to Melvin evolved into a motive to have her killed. The sequence of events as described by Jeffrey raised even more unanswered questions. Maxine may or may not ever get back full recollection but at least she could try to get some closure. Maybe they should just let sleeping dogs lie, and not go after Phillips.