Chapter 20 - The Unopened Truth
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Julian’s head snapped toward the window, panic flashing across his face as red and blue lights began strobing through the velvet drapes.
“You called the police?” Julian stammered, backing toward the hallway door.
“I notified federal fraud investigators three hours ago, Julian,” I said, holding up my second phone. “And my security app transmitted our location and audio the moment you kicked that door open.”
Heavy boots echoed down the mahogany hallway. Four armed police officers burst into the study, firearms drawn and pointed directly at Julian.
“Police! Drop the weapon! On the ground now!” the lead officer bellowed.
Julian looked at the officers, then at his trembling mother, and finally at me. The arrogant, controlling man who had thrown a makeup bag at my face four mornings ago collapsed to his knees, dropping the tire iron onto the oriental rug with a dull thud.
The officers tackled him, pulling his arms behind his back and snapping heavy steel handcuffs around his wrists.
As they dragged a hysterical Julian out of the house, Eleanor followed them into the hallway, weeping uncontrollably for the son she had lost to greed.
An hour later, the quiet returned.
Dad and I sat in the front seat of his dark blue sedan, parked at the edge of the estate near the wooded driveway. The rain had finally started to fall, soft drops tapping rhythmically against the windshield.
On the dashboard between us sat the black leather briefcase, the manila folder, and the singlecream sheet of paper from my mother’s sealed envelope.
Dad reached over and picked up the paper, staring at the cursive handwriting one last time before folding it neatly back into his pocket.
“We did it, Audrey,” Dad said softly, looking over at me with a tired, gentle smile. “Your mother’s trust is restored. You are free.”
I smiled, feeling a profound sense of peace wash over me. But as I reached into my handbag to turn off my second phone, a new, unexpected notification popped up on the encrypted screen.
It was an automated alert from the Delaware bank holding my mother's trust.
ALERT: Secondary deposit authorization detected. An incoming international wire transfer of $500,000.00 has been initiated from an encrypted account registered under the name: MARGARET BENNETT (TRUSTEE).
My breath caught in my throat. I stared at the screen in complete disbelief.
My mother had died seven years ago.
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I turned to look at my father, whose eyes were fixed on the rainy woods outside, entirely unaware of the notification flashing on my screen.
I held the phone in my trembling hands, my thumb hovering over the accept button as the mysterious transfer waited in the dark.
