Chapter 7: My Stepsister Knew More Than She Admitted
Brittany sat on the living room sofa the next morning, staring at her phone.
She hadn't spoken to anyone since Vanessa left.
Dad had arranged for her to stay temporarily with her aunt, but Brittany refused to go.
"She's my mother," she said when Dad brought it up.
"I understand," he replied.
"But we need some space while everything is investigated.""
Brittany crossed her arms.
"So Emily gets to stay and I get kicked out?""
Dad looked exhausted.
"Nobody is kicking you out.""
"That's exactly what it feels like.""
I stood near the staircase.
Part of me wanted to feel sorry for her.
But every time I remembered her laughing while I slept in the garage, my sympathy disappeared.
Dad sat opposite her.
"Brittany, Robert found something in the financial records.""
She immediately looked up.
"What?""
"Your name appears on an authorization form connected to your mother's estate.""
Brittany went pale.
"Okay?""
"You signed as a witness.""
She shook her head.
"I don't know anything about that.""
Dad placed a printed copy on the coffee table.
"Look at it.""
Brittany glanced at the document.
Then she pushed it away.
"I didn't sign that.""
Robert, who had joined us, spoke calmly.
"Are you sure?""
"Yes!""
"Then someone may have used your name without permission.""
Brittany stood.
"Why are you questioning me like I'm a criminal?""
Dad didn't raise his voice.
"Because your name is on a document that appears to have been used to access Emily's inheritance.""
Brittany looked at me.
"You think I stole your money?""
"I didn't say that.""
"But you think it!""
I remained silent.
She started crying.
"You're unbelievable.""
Then she ran upstairs.
Dad sighed.
Robert gathered the paperwork.
"She may genuinely know nothing. But we need to establish where the document came from.""
Later that afternoon, I found Brittany in the kitchen.
She was making toast.
Her eyes were red.
I stood near the counter.
"Can I ask you something?""
She ignored me.
"Brittany.""
"What?""
"Did Mom ever show you any of the financial documents?""
She put the toast down.
"Why?""
"Because your name is on one.""
She laughed bitterly.
"My mom says you stole her jewelry.""
I stared at her.
"You watched the video. You know she planted it.""
Brittany looked away.
"She said there was another explanation.""
"What explanation?""
"That she was moving things.""
"Into my bedroom?""
Brittany didn't answer.
I took a breath.
"Did you know she was trying to sell Mom's necklace?""
Her face changed.
"She told me it was hers.""
"Then why did you say she wanted to sell it?""
Brittany's eyes filled with tears.
"Because I didn't know what else to do.""
I waited.
Finally, she sat down.
"Mom has been acting strange for months.""
"How?""
"She kept getting phone calls. Sometimes she'd leave the house and tell me she was going shopping, but she'd come back hours later.""
"Did she tell you where she went?""
"No.""
Brittany rubbed her forehead.
"She also started asking me questions about your father.""
"What questions?""
"Whether he kept important papers in the study. Whether you knew about your mother's money. Whether you had ever seen the blue cabinet.""
My heart began pounding.
"Did you tell her?""
"I said I didn't know.""
"Did she ask you to sign anything?""
Brittany looked down.
Then she whispered, "Yes.""
I sat opposite her.
"What?""
"She gave me a paper about a year ago. She said it was for a school financial application.""
"Did you read it?""
"No. She said I just needed to sign at the bottom.""
"Was it the same document?""
"I don't know.""
She covered her face.
"I didn't think it mattered.""
I stared at her.
"Brittany, you might have signed something important.""
She began crying.
"I know.""
For the first time, she didn't sound angry.
She sounded frightened.
"Mom said if I helped her, we'd finally have the life we deserved.""
"What does that mean?""
Brittany looked at me.
"She said your father had money that should have been ours.""
I felt a chill.
"Why would she say that?""
"She said he was spending everything on you. That you were going to inherit the house and the investment account, and I would get nothing.""
I looked at her.
"Did you believe her?""
Brittany shrugged.
"I wanted to.""
That answer hurt more than I expected.
She continued.
"Mom said once she got the money, she'd buy us a bigger house. She said I'd have my own bathroom, a new car, and a bedroom with a balcony.""
I looked toward the staircase.
"Was that why you wanted my room?""
Brittany nodded.
"Mom said the house would eventually be ours.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"She told you she could take it?""
"She said it was only a matter of time.""
We sat quietly.
Then Brittany reached into her pocket.
"I have something.""
She placed her phone on the table.
It was an audio recording.
"What's this?"" I asked.
"Mom and someone else.""
"When?""
"Last week. I started recording because she was talking about money again.""
She pressed play.
Vanessa's voice filled the kitchen.
"The girl has no idea what her mother left behind.""
A man's voice answered.
"Then why haven't you secured the account?""
"Because Michael keeps interfering.""
"You're running out of time, Vanessa.""
"I know. The house is the last piece.""
"What about the girl?""
Vanessa laughed.
"She's sixteen. She'll do whatever she's told.""
I felt my skin go cold.
The man spoke again.
"And if she finds the documents?""
Vanessa's voice dropped.
"Then we make sure nobody believes her.""
The recording ended.
Brittany stared at me.
"That's why I kept it.""
I couldn't speak.
"Who was the man?"" I finally asked.
"I don't know.""
"Did you recognize his voice?""
She shook her head.
"Mom called him Daniel.""
I immediately thought of Robert.
We took the recording to Dad.
When he heard it, his expression became unreadable.
Robert listened twice.
Then he asked Brittany to send him the original file.
"Daniel," Dad repeated.
He looked toward Robert.
"Do you know anyone named Daniel who worked with Laura?""
Robert frowned.
"Not personally.""
Then he opened his laptop.
"Let me check the estate correspondence.""
He searched through old emails.
After several minutes, he stopped.
"Michael.""
Dad leaned forward.
"What?""
Robert turned the screen around.
An email from three years earlier.
The sender's name was Daniel Mercer.
The subject line read:
Laura Harper Estate — Final Financial Review.
Dad stared at it.
"I thought this man worked for the bank.""
Robert nodded slowly.
"He did. He was an independent financial consultant.""
"Why was he emailing Laura's attorney?""
Robert opened the message.
The contents were brief.
I have identified irregularities in the investment account. I recommend that no further withdrawals be authorized until the beneficiary arrangements have been reviewed.
The date was two days before Mom died.
Dad stood.
"Did Laura know?""
Robert shook his head.
"I don't know.""
Brittany looked frightened.
"Is my mom in trouble?""
Nobody answered.
Then Robert noticed something else.
The email had an attachment.
He opened it.
A scanned copy of a report appeared.
The first page contained a list of suspicious transactions.
The second page contained a photograph of a bank visitor log.
And on the third page was a handwritten note.
Robert leaned closer.
"That's impossible.""
Dad looked at him.
"What?""
Robert turned the laptop toward us.
The visitor log showed the name of the person who had accessed Laura's account.
The signature was unmistakable.
Vanessa Harper.
But beneath it was another name.
Daniel Mercer.
May you like
And beside both names was a date.
The day before Laura died.
