Chapter 8: The Man My Mother Trusted
Martin closed his laptop.
“David, I can explain that transfer.””
Dad stared at him.
“You'd better.””
“Sarah's firm received the money as part of an emergency legal hold. It was supposed to be returned after the trust review.””
“Who authorized it?””
Martin hesitated.
“I did.””
Dad's jaw tightened.
“Without telling me?””
“The transfer was made to protect the assets from an attempted seizure.””
“Then why did Sarah just accuse you of altering the trust?””
Martin looked at the floor.
“Because she has been investigating me.””
I felt my stomach twist.
“Are you working with Rebecca?””
Martin looked at me.
“No, Lily.””
“Then why should we believe you?””
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he removed a small envelope from his briefcase.
It contained a photocopy of a document bearing my mother's signature.
“Claire gave me this shortly before she died.””
Dad took it.
At the top was a declaration.
Independent Trustee Appointment.
Dad read the first paragraph.
Then he looked up.
“Martin, what is this?””
“Your wife appointed me as the temporary independent trustee of the family trust.””
“You told me the institution held the shares.””
“It holds them. I oversee the legal administration.””
Dad continued reading.
“Why wasn't I informed?””
“Because Claire specifically requested that you not be given the details until the trust became active.””
“Why?””
Martin looked at him.
“Because she believed you might eventually face pressure from someone close to you.””
Dad's expression hardened.
“You mean Rebecca?””
“Claire didn't name anyone.””
I looked at the document.
There was another signature beneath my mother's.
A witness.
Thomas Reed.
The same man in the school photograph.
Martin nodded.
“Thomas was present when Claire signed the final documents.””
“Then why did he leave?”” I asked.
“Because he discovered that someone had been moving company funds.””
Dad sat down.
“Was it Rebecca?””
Martin shook his head.
“We don't know.””
I looked at him.
“But the money went to companies Rebecca created.””
“Some of it did.””
“Then who was involved?””
Martin opened his laptop again.
He brought up a scanned ledger.
“Your mother traced several transactions to a company called Northbridge Consulting.””
Dad frowned.
“That's Jonathan Price's company.””
“Yes.””
“And RB Holdings?””
“Received payments from Northbridge.””
I looked at the screen.
The amounts were different.
Some were small.
Others were enormous.
“Why would they send money through two companies?””
“To disguise the original source.””
Dad stared at the figures.
“Someone was stealing from Bennett Construction.””
Martin nodded.
“Claire believed the scheme had been operating for at least two years.””
Dad covered his face.
“Two years.””
I thought about my mother.
About the nights she'd stayed in the office.
About the way she'd sometimes stopped talking when I entered the room.
Had she known?
Had she been frightened?
Martin opened another file.
“This is the most important document.””
It was a list of property transactions.
Three properties had been targeted.
The same three Rebecca had attempted to transfer.
But beneath them was a fourth address.
Dad read it.
Then he stood.
“That building belongs to the foundation.””
Martin nodded.
“Claire purchased it personally before the company expanded.””
“Why is it included?””
“Because the ownership records are unusual.””
Dad looked at me.
“Your mother left that building to you.””
I blinked.
“What?””
“Not through the company. Through a separate estate provision.””
Martin opened the original deed.
“Claire placed the building in Lily's name through a protected trust.””
Dad stared at the page.
“Why would she do that?””
Martin looked at me.
“Because the building contains the original records of Bennett Construction's founding transactions.””
I thought about the wooden archive box.
The USB drive.
The letter.
There was more.
Much more.
At 8:15 p.m., a knock came at the front door.
Dad opened it.
A man stood outside.
He was in his late forties, with tired eyes and a worn leather jacket.
I recognized him immediately.
Thomas Reed.
Dad didn't move.
“Thomas?””
The man nodded.
“David.””
Dad stepped back.
“You've got a lot of explaining to do.””
Thomas looked past him.
“I'm not here for you.””
His eyes found me.
“I'm here for Lily.””
Dad immediately stepped between us.
“Absolutely not.””
Thomas raised both hands.
“I understand.””
“Then explain why you were outside my daughter's school.””
Thomas looked ashamed.
“I was making sure she was safe.””
“By photographing her?””
“I needed to confirm that Rebecca hadn't moved her somewhere else.””
Dad's expression darkened.
“You've been following my family?””
Thomas shook his head.
“Not your family. Rebecca.””
Martin approached the door.
“Thomas, you shouldn't be here.””
“I know.””
“Then why did you come?””
Thomas pulled a small flash drive from his pocket.
“Because I finally found the original transaction records.””
Dad looked at it.
“What records?””
“The ones Claire couldn't get before she died.””
Thomas explained that he had spent three years collecting evidence.
He had left Richmond after receiving threats.
He had changed jobs, moved apartments, and avoided contacting anyone connected to Bennett Construction.
But when he learned that Rebecca had attempted to transfer the properties, he returned.
“Why didn't you contact the police?”” Dad demanded.
“I tried.””
“And?””
“The original records disappeared. Every time I submitted evidence, someone inside the company made it disappear.””
Martin looked uncomfortable.
Thomas turned toward him.
“You know what I'm talking about.””
Martin didn't respond.
Thomas placed the flash drive on the table.
“Claire knew the money wasn't just being stolen. Someone was preparing to use the company to secure a much larger loan.””
Dad stared.
“Against which assets?””
Thomas looked at him.
“All four properties.””
My stomach tightened.
“Why?””
“Because once the properties were transferred into private ownership, they could be used as collateral without the company's shareholders knowing.””
Dad looked at the flash drive.
“Who was behind it?””
Thomas took a breath.
“Rebecca wasn't the mastermind.””
Silence.
“Then who was?””
Thomas looked directly at Martin.
“The person who helped her create the entire arrangement.””
Martin's face went white.
Thomas continued.
“Martin knew about the original transfers. He knew Claire had discovered them. And he knew exactly where she kept the backup records.””
Dad slowly turned toward his attorney.
“Tell me he's lying.””
Martin closed his eyes.
Thomas reached into his jacket.
He removed a folded document.
“There's one more thing.””
He placed it beside the flash drive.
It was a copy of an old company agreement.
And at the bottom were two signatures.
One belonged to Martin.
The other belonged to my mother.
Thomas pointed to a handwritten paragraph.
“Claire discovered the scheme before she died. But she didn't know how far it went.””
I looked at the page.
Then I read the final sentence.
If anything happens to me, the person who arranged the original transfers must not be allowed to control Lily's trust.
Dad looked at Martin.
“Did you betray my wife?””
Martin said nothing.
Then the front door opened behind us.
Rebecca walked inside.
She looked at Thomas.
Then at the document.
And smiled.
May you like
“Finally,” she said.
“Everyone's here.””
