Chapter 6: The Secret My Father Buried
My father's signature was at the bottom of a document supposedly signed by my mother three years after her death.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Detective James placed the paper beneath the light on the coffee table.
"Mr. Carter, is this your signature?""
Dad stared at it.
"Yes.""
Vanessa immediately stepped forward.
"Richard, don't say anything.""
The detective raised his eyes.
"Mrs. Carter, I wasn't speaking to you.""
Dad rubbed his forehead.
"I signed it.""
My stomach tightened.
"Why?""
He looked at me, but his eyes quickly dropped.
"Vanessa told me it was a correction to your mother's original will.""
"A correction?""
"She said there had been a mistake in the ownership documents. She told me the company couldn't legally operate without the amendment.""
Helena shook her head.
"Richard, Evelyn's estate was settled years ago. There was no reason to amend anything.""
Dad's voice became defensive.
"I didn't know that. Vanessa brought the papers to me. She said the attorney had prepared them.""
"Did you speak to the attorney?"" Detective James asked.
"No.""
"Did you verify his signature?""
"No.""
"Did you read the entire document?""
Dad hesitated.
"I read some of it.""
Vanessa let out an impatient breath.
"Richard, you're making this sound worse than it was.""
He turned toward her.
"Then explain why Evelyn's signature is on a document dated three years after she died.""
Vanessa's expression changed.
For the first time, she didn't have an immediate answer.
I stepped closer to my father.
"Did you know what she was doing with Mom's designs?""
"No.""
"Did you know she was taking money from the company?""
"No, Nia.""
"Did you know she planned to give my designs to Maya?""
He looked at me.
"I didn't know about that.""
I wanted to believe him.
But the truth was becoming harder to separate from all the things he had failed to tell me.
Detective James asked Vanessa to sit down.
She refused.
"I have nothing more to discuss.""
"Then you'll have no objection to answering questions at the station.""
Vanessa grabbed her purse.
"This is harassment.""
"Mrs. Carter, please remain seated.""
She ignored him.
Instead, she looked at me.
"You have no idea what your mother was really like.""
My fingers curled.
"Don't.""
"She wasn't the saint you imagine.""
"Stop talking about her.""
Vanessa smiled coldly.
"She left you a company, yes. But she also left debts. A failed business. Promises she couldn't keep.""
Helena stood.
"That's not true.""
Vanessa turned.
"How would you know? You disappeared when Evelyn became ill.""
Helena's face tightened.
"I never abandoned her.""
"You weren't here when she needed money.""
"I was here when she needed a friend.""
"Then perhaps you should have paid her bills.""
Helena took a breath.
"Your problem, Vanessa, is that you confuse money with worth. Evelyn had more talent in her little finger than you could ever purchase.""
Vanessa's hand slammed against the table.
"Enough!""
Detective James stepped between them.
"That's enough from everyone.""
He collected the documents and asked another officer to photograph the trunk's contents.
Then he turned to my father.
"Mr. Carter, we need you to come with us to provide a formal statement.""
Dad nodded.
As he walked toward the door, he stopped beside me.
"Nia.""
I didn't look at him.
"Please.""
I finally turned.
His eyes were wet.
"I know I've made mistakes.""
I swallowed.
"How many?""
He looked confused.
"How many things have you hidden from me?""
He couldn't answer.
I turned away.
The front door closed behind him.
Vanessa remained in the living room, guarded by the second officer.
Maya sat on the bottom stair, staring at her hands.
For the first time that evening, she looked frightened of her mother.
"Mom," she whispered.
Vanessa snapped her fingers.
"Go upstairs.""
"But—"
"I said go!""
Maya flinched.
Then she looked at me.
"I'm sorry.""
I didn't respond.
She slowly climbed the stairs.
Vanessa watched her disappear.
Then she turned toward me.
"Enjoy your little victory.""
I said nothing.
She leaned closer.
"Your father will come back to me. He always does.""
The officer interrupted.
"Mrs. Carter, we're leaving.""
She walked out without looking back.
When the door closed, I finally sat down.
Helena joined me.
"You need to hear something about your mother.""
I looked at her.
"What?""
"She didn't build that company alone.""
"I know you helped her.""
"Not just me. She had a business partner. A man named Thomas Reed.""
The name meant nothing to me.
Helena continued.
"Thomas handled the financial side. Evelyn handled the creative side. They were supposed to launch the company together, but he left shortly before Evelyn became ill.""
"Why?""
"Because he believed she was hiding something.""
"What?""
Helena looked toward the attic.
"An original collection.""
I frowned.
"Didn't we just find her sketches?""
"Those were early designs. The collection I'm talking about was her greatest work. She spent nearly two years creating it.""
"Where is it?""
Helena shook her head.
"I don't know. Evelyn told me she'd hidden the collection somewhere safe. She said it was the one thing she wanted you to have when you were ready.""
My heart began beating faster.
"Did Vanessa know?""
"I suspect she did.""
I looked toward the stairs.
The attic trunk was still open.
Something occurred to me.
"She kept saying Mom left a failed business.""
Helena nodded.
"Because she wanted you to believe there was nothing worth inheriting.""
I stood.
"Then why did she go to all this trouble?""
Helena didn't answer immediately.
She walked toward the coffee table and examined the amendment again.
Then she noticed something in the lower corner.
A reference number.
She pulled out her phone and photographed it.
"What's that?"" I asked.
"An account number.""
"Whose account?""
Helena looked at me.
"Thomas Reed's.""
My breath caught.
"Your mother's former business partner?""
"Yes.""
She enlarged the photograph.
Then her expression changed.
"This isn't a bank account.""
"What is it?""
"It's a storage facility registration.""
I stared at her.
"Where?""
Helena read the address.
Then she looked up.
May you like
"Atlanta.""
And suddenly, I wondered whether my mother's greatest collection had been waiting for me all these years.
