Chapter 7: The Recording That Changed Everything
Victoria came downstairs twenty minutes later.
She had changed into a black dress and put on sunglasses.
A suitcase stood beside her.
My father was sitting in the living room with Rachel.
Brandon was standing near the staircase.
"Daniel," Victoria said, "I'm going to stay with my sister for a few days.""
My father didn't look up.
"That's fine.""
She seemed surprised.
"You're not going to stop me?""
"No.""
Victoria adjusted her handbag.
"Good. I need some space from all this hostility.""
Rachel closed her notebook.
"Mrs. Carter, before you leave, we need to discuss the original estate documents.""
Victoria sighed.
"I've already told you everything.""
"No, you haven't.""
Victoria looked at my father.
"Are you really allowing this woman to interrogate me in my own home?""
My father finally looked up.
"Victoria, this house belongs to me.""
Her face tightened.
"After everything I've done for you?""
He didn't answer.
She turned toward Brandon.
"Get your things.""
Brandon looked uncertain.
"Mom, where are we going?""
"To your aunt's.""
"But what about school?""
"We'll figure it out.""
My father stood.
"Brandon can stay here if he wants.""
Victoria laughed.
"Absolutely not.""
Brandon looked at me.
For the first time, he didn't smile.
Then Rachel's phone rang.
She answered.
"Hello?""
Her expression changed.
"Yes. He's here.""
She walked toward my father.
"Daniel, it's the investigator.""
He took the phone.
"Go ahead.""
I watched his face.
At first, he listened quietly.
Then his eyebrows drew together.
"What do you mean?""
A pause.
"Are you certain?""
He looked toward Victoria.
"Send it to Rachel immediately.""
He ended the call.
Rachel opened an email attachment on her laptop.
It contained a scanned recording transcript and a list of dates.
"What is it?"" my father asked.
Rachel looked up.
"The investigator found an additional account linked to the company Victoria established.""
"How much?""
"Another $63,000.""
My father sat down.
"And where did it come from?""
Rachel enlarged the document.
"Several transfers originated from the insurance proceeds following Sarah's death.""
My father's face went pale.
I remembered my mother.
Her smile.
Her perfume.
The way she used to tuck me into bed.
I remembered her telling me that no matter what happened, I would always be loved.
I had never known she had left me so much.
Now I was discovering that someone had taken almost everything.
Victoria stepped forward.
"That's enough. I want a lawyer.""
Rachel nodded.
"That's entirely your right.""
Victoria turned toward my father.
"You know what? Fine. I'll get one. And when this is over, you'll regret humiliating me.""
My father looked at her.
"You humiliated yourself.""
She grabbed the suitcase.
Then Brandon spoke.
"Mom, what about the recording?""
Victoria froze.
My father turned.
"What recording?""
Brandon looked at the floor.
Victoria's face became frighteningly still.
"Brandon. Don't.""
But he continued.
"The one you made when you were talking to Uncle Michael.""
Rachel slowly closed her laptop.
"Who's Uncle Michael?""
Brandon swallowed.
"My mom's brother.""
Victoria grabbed his shoulder.
"That's enough!""
He pulled away.
"You said he was going to help move the money.""
My father stepped forward.
"Move it where?""
Brandon looked at me.
Then he looked at my father.
"Mom said she was going to sell the house after you signed the papers.""
My father stared at him.
"Sell the house?""
Brandon nodded.
"She said the house was worth a lot. She wanted to buy another one somewhere else.""
I looked at Victoria.
"But Dad owns this house.""
Brandon shrugged helplessly.
"She said she could get him to sign it over.""
Rachel immediately wrote something down.
"Do you know where this recording is?""
Brandon nodded.
"On Mom's old laptop.""
Victoria turned toward him.
"You ungrateful little liar!""
She grabbed his arm.
My father stepped between them.
"Don't touch him.""
Victoria released Brandon.
Her face twisted.
"Daniel, you have no idea what I've sacrificed for this family.""
My father replied quietly.
"And you have no idea what you've taken from my daughter.""
Victoria stormed out.
The front door slammed.
Brandon stood motionless.
I watched him.
He had laughed when I was hungry.
He had threatened me.
He had helped his mother hide the financial records.
But now he looked like a frightened child.
My father approached him.
"Brandon, did you know what your mother was doing?""
Brandon shook his head.
"Not everything.""
"Did you know Emily was being punished?""
He looked at me.
"Yes.""
My father waited.
Brandon's eyes filled.
"I didn't know she made her eat dog food.""
I felt something cold settle in my chest.
"You knew I wasn't getting dinner.""
He looked down.
"I thought Mom was just being strict.""
"You watched me cry.""
He didn't answer.
"You laughed.""
Brandon started crying.
"I'm sorry.""
I looked away.
I wasn't ready to forgive him.
Rachel arranged for Brandon to speak with the investigator through his own legal representative.
Meanwhile, my father and I went upstairs.
He opened my bedroom door.
He looked around.
The bare walls.
The tiny bed.
The broken lamp.
The empty shelves.
Then he noticed the pillow on the bed.
"Is that where you keep your mother's picture?""
I nodded.
He carefully removed the photograph.
His fingers trembled.
"I remember this day.""
I looked at him.
"You do?""
He smiled sadly.
"Your mother made me take almost two hundred pictures because she didn't like her hair in the first hundred and ninety-nine.""
I laughed for the first time in months.
Dad sat beside me.
"Emily, I need you to know something.""
"What?""
"Your mother planned for you to be protected. She made sure you would always have something of your own.""
He kissed my forehead.
"And I'm going to make sure nobody takes that away again.""
Later that evening, Rachel returned with the investigator.
They had recovered Victoria's old laptop from a locked cabinet in the study.
The investigator connected it to a small monitor.
Several files appeared.
One was labeled:
*MICHAEL — TRANSFER PLAN.*
Rachel looked at my father.
"Are you ready?""
He nodded.
The recording began.
Victoria's voice filled the room.
"Michael, the money needs to be moved before Daniel gets suspicious.""
A man's voice answered.
"Then you should have taken care of the girl earlier.""
My blood ran cold.
Victoria laughed.
"She's twelve. She doesn't understand anything.""
Michael replied:
"What if she tells him?""
"Daniel won't believe her. He never notices anything.""
Then came another sentence.
A sentence that made my father grip the armrest.
"If necessary, I'll use the original will.""
Michael asked:
"Are you sure you still have it?""
Victoria answered:
"Of course. And once Daniel signs the new documents, nobody will ever question who controls the estate.""
Rachel stopped the recording.
My father looked stunned.
"She still has the original will?""
The investigator nodded.
"That's what it appears to indicate.""
Rachel asked:
"Can we determine where it is?""
The investigator opened another file.
It was a photograph of a small safe.
I recognized it.
It was in Victoria's bedroom.
The investigator enlarged the image.
A label was visible on the inside of the safe door.
*SARAH CARTER — ORIGINAL ESTATE DOCUMENTS.*
My father stood.
"She's been keeping my wife's will in her bedroom this entire time.""
Rachel nodded.
"And there's another problem.""
She opened the final recording.
Victoria's voice came through again.
"If Daniel ever discovers the truth about Sarah's death, everything could fall apart.""
My father went completely still.
"What did she say?""
Rachel replayed the sentence.
Then a man's voice answered.
"Nobody can prove anything after all these years.""
My father turned toward the investigator.
"Find out what they're talking about.""
The investigator nodded.
Then he looked at my father.
"Mr. Carter, there's something else. The original will contains a handwritten amendment dated three days before Sarah died.""
My father swallowed.
"What amendment?""
The investigator looked at the screen.
"Your wife changed the person she wanted to act as Emily's emergency guardian.""
I stared at him.
"Who did Mom choose?""
May you like
He looked directly at me.
"Not Victoria.""
