Chapter 7: The Woman Who Thought She Owned Everything
Patricia Reed arrived at the bank's private wealth office the following morning wearing a cream-colored suit and oversized sunglasses.
She walked through the lobby as though she owned the building.
Derrick followed her.
Behind them came Lauren Whitmore, carrying a leather portfolio.
Camille was already waiting inside a conference room with Thomas and Rebecca.
When Patricia entered, she stopped.
Her sunglasses slid down her nose.
“What is she doing here?””
Thomas stood.
“Good morning, Mrs. Reed.””
“Don't good morning me. Why have I been summoned?””
Rebecca gestured toward the empty chairs.
“Please sit down.””
Patricia remained standing.
“I have a very busy schedule.””
Thomas opened a folder.
“Then we'll be brief.””
Derrick looked at Camille.
“You didn't have to bring lawyers into this.””
Camille met his eyes.
“You brought them in when you used my name to request money.””
Patricia laughed.
“Your name? Oh, please. That money belongs to the family.””
Thomas raised one hand.
“Mrs. Reed, the trust documents are quite clear. The assets belong to the trust. You are not authorized to transfer them.””
Patricia dropped her handbag onto the table.
“Raymond wanted his family taken care of.””
“He did,” Thomas replied.
“And he established a legal structure to ensure that happened.””
“Exactly. So why is this woman controlling everything?””
“Because Raymond appointed her successor trustee.””
Patricia's face tightened.
“That's impossible.””
Thomas slid a certified copy of the trust instrument toward her.
“Please review page fourteen.””
Patricia snatched the document.
She scanned the page.
Then she looked at Derrick.
He said nothing.
“Why didn't you tell me?”” she demanded.
Derrick's jaw tightened.
“I didn't know.””
“You told me you were handling everything!””
“I said I was trying to find out.””
Camille watched them.
For the first time, she saw cracks in the united front they had maintained for years.
Patricia turned back to Thomas.
“This appointment is invalid.””
“On what grounds?””
“Raymond wasn't thinking clearly when he signed it.””
Thomas calmly placed another document on the table.
“A medical assessment completed three weeks before the trust amendment confirms that Mr. Reed was mentally competent.””
Patricia pushed the document away.
“He was old.””
“Age does not establish incapacity.””
“He was sick!””
“His physician documented that he understood the nature and consequences of the amendment.””
Patricia's mouth opened.
Then closed.
Rebecca took over.
“Now, let's discuss the two attempted transfers.””
She placed printed bank records in front of Patricia.
“The first request attempted to move $750,000 to Reed Family Holdings LLC.””
Derrick shifted in his chair.
“The second attempted to move $1.2 million to Sterling Events and Hospitality.””
Lauren finally spoke.
“That transaction was a business payment.””
Rebecca turned toward her.
“Under what agreement?””
Lauren opened her portfolio.
“We provided management services.””
“Can you produce invoices and contracts supporting $1.2 million in payments?””
Lauren hesitated.
“The records are being compiled.””
“Then you don't have them?””
“We have records.””
“Are they available today?””
Lauren looked at Derrick.
He stared at the table.
Rebecca continued.
“The transfer was requested from a trust account. Your company is not a beneficiary of that trust.””
Patricia slammed her palm against the table.
“This is ridiculous! Raymond intended those properties to support his family!””
Thomas looked at her.
“Mrs. Reed, your late husband left you a separate financial distribution. He did not authorize you to withdraw money from the trust.””
Patricia's face reddened.
“How much did he leave me?””
Thomas answered.
“Your estate distribution was approximately $140,000, separate from any trust benefits.””
“And what about the properties?””
“They remain in the trust.””
Patricia leaned forward.
“Then I want my money.””
Camille spoke for the first time.
“You already received it.””
Patricia turned toward her.
“Excuse me?””
“Your $140,000 distribution was paid months ago.””
Patricia stared.
Then she looked at Derrick.
He shifted.
Camille continued.
“And my $280,000 was redirected into a company you both controlled.””
Patricia's expression hardened.
“Don't accuse me of stealing.””
“Then explain where the money went.””
Patricia stood.
“I don't owe you an explanation.””
Rebecca closed her folder.
“Actually, if the funds were obtained through an unauthorized beneficiary change, an explanation may be required.””
Derrick rubbed his face.
“Can we stop making this sound criminal?””
Thomas looked at him.
“Then perhaps you should explain why the authorization contains a signature your wife denies making.””
Derrick stared at Camille.
“Are you really going to do this to me?””
Camille felt an old instinct rise.
The instinct to reassure him.
To soften her words.
To remind him that she loved him.
She let the instinct pass.
“You did this to yourself.””
He looked away.
Patricia pointed at Camille.
“She has been waiting for an opportunity to turn this family against us.””
Camille shook her head.
“No, Patricia. I spent six years trying to make this family accept me. I'm finished trying.””
Lauren closed her portfolio.
“This meeting is becoming unproductive.””
Rebecca looked at her.
“Ms. Whitmore, before you leave, I have a question.””
Lauren stopped.
“Go ahead.””
“Are you aware that Sterling Events and Hospitality received approximately $46,000 from an account funded by Camille Reed's beneficiary distribution?””
Lauren's face changed.
“That's a business transaction.””
“Was Camille aware of it?””
“I don't know.””
“Did she authorize it?””
Lauren glanced at Derrick.
“I don't handle their personal finances.””
Rebecca nodded.
“Then you'll have no objection to providing your company's financial records.””
Lauren said nothing.
Thomas looked toward the bank representative seated at the end of the table.
“Please confirm the status of the transfer requests.””
The representative adjusted his glasses.
“Both transactions are frozen pending legal review. The bank has also suspended the credentials used in the second verification request.””
Patricia suddenly turned to Camille.
“You've done enough.””
Camille remained still.
“No. I haven't.””
Patricia narrowed her eyes.
“What does that mean?””
“It means I want my inheritance restored. I want the fraudulent documents investigated. And I want every unauthorized transaction involving the trust reviewed.””
Derrick leaned forward.
“Camille, please. We can settle this privately.””
“Privately?””
“Yes.””
“Like the dinner?””
He looked confused.
She continued.
“You wanted me to disappear quietly when your mother humiliated me. You wanted me to stay quiet when you took my money. Now you want me to settle everything privately because the bank is asking questions.””
Derrick lowered his voice.
“We're married.””
Camille looked directly at him.
“That used to mean something.””
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Patricia picked up her handbag.
“This meeting is over.””
Thomas remained seated.
“Mrs. Reed, you may leave. But the investigation will continue.””
Patricia walked toward the door.
Derrick followed.
Lauren lingered for a moment.
She looked at Camille.
“I'm sorry things became complicated.””
Camille almost laughed.
“Complicated?””
Lauren lowered her eyes.
Then she left.
After the door closed, Rebecca exhaled.
“That went better than expected.””
Camille looked at Thomas.
“Why?””
“Because Patricia admitted she believed she had authority over the trust.””
“Does that help?””
“It may establish what she understood about the arrangement. But we'll need more evidence.””
Thomas gathered the documents.
“There's something else you should know.””
Camille waited.
“Raymond's letter to Jason contains a reference to a second trust beneficiary.””
Camille frowned.
“I thought I was the trustee.””
“You are. But the beneficiaries include you, Derrick, and a charitable foundation Raymond established.””
“What does Derrick receive?””
“Limited distributions, provided certain conditions are met.””
“Such as?””
Thomas looked at her.
“Maintaining financial transparency and not attempting to misuse trust property.””
Camille stared.
“So if he misused the trust—”
“His distributions could be suspended.””
She looked down at the folder.
Raymond had anticipated more than she realized.
And he had built safeguards into the trust.
But there was one thing Camille still didn't understand.
“Why did Patricia think she was a trustee?””
Thomas paused.
“Because she may have been shown a different document.””
“What different document?””
He opened a final folder.
Inside was a photocopy of a trust amendment dated two months before Raymond died.
The document appeared to appoint Patricia as co-trustee.
Camille leaned forward.
“Is this real?””
Thomas examined the signature.
“No.””
“Are you sure?””
“Raymond never signed this version.””
Camille stared at him.
“Then who did?””
Thomas turned the document over.
On the back was a handwritten note.
Three words.
*Prepared by Lauren Whitmore.*
Camille looked up.
“Lauren was forging documents too?””
Thomas shook his head.
“We don't know that she forged this. But we know she prepared it.””
Then he showed Camille the signature at the bottom.
It belonged to someone else.
May you like
Someone whose name made Camille's blood turn cold.
*Jason Reed.*
