Chapter 9: The Brother Grandma Chose
I read Derek's name again.
Then a third time.
It didn't make sense.
My brother had taken money from the fraudulent home equity loan. He had helped Dad attempt to claim Grandma's house. He had even moved into my bedroom the morning after I was kicked out.
Yet Grandma had appointed him co-trustee.
"Margaret, there must be a mistake.""
She shook her head.
"There isn't. This amendment appears to be properly executed.""
"But Derek helped Dad steal the house.""
"That is something we need to understand. Being appointed co-trustee doesn't automatically mean he accepted the responsibility.""
Ivy looked confused.
"Why would Grandma trust Derek?""
Margaret turned the document around.
"Read the handwritten note attached to the amendment.""
I leaned forward.
Grandma's handwriting appeared beneath the legal text.
Derek has made mistakes, but I believe he can still choose to do what is right. I am giving him one final opportunity to stand beside his sister rather than behind his father.
I felt anger rising.
"She gave him another chance, and he used it to take three hundred and ten thousand dollars.""
"Possibly," Margaret replied.
"But we shouldn't assume we know everything yet.""
I looked at the recording device.
"Can we contact him?""
"I recommend doing it through counsel.""
I shook my head.
"I want to hear what he has to say.""
Margaret watched me carefully.
"Then don't discuss the documents or reveal everything we've found.""
I agreed.
An hour later, I called Derek.
He answered after the fourth ring.
"What?""
"It's Avery.""
"I know.""
"We need to talk.""
"About what?""
"Grandma's trust.""
There was a pause.
Then he said, "Where did you find that?""
My stomach tightened.
"So you know about it.""
Derek exhaled.
"Of course I know.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because Dad said the trust was invalid.""
"Did you believe him?""
"I didn't know what to believe.""
"Grandma appointed you co-trustee.""
"I know.""
"Did you ever accept the appointment?""
"No.""
"Why?""
His voice became strained.
"Because Dad told me I would lose everything if I helped you.""
I closed my eyes.
"Everything you had was funded with money taken from Grandma's property.""
"That's not entirely true.""
"Then explain the $310,000.""
He went silent.
I waited.
Finally, he said, "I didn't know the loan was in your name until afterward.""
"But you knew where the money came from.""
"Yes.""
"Did you know it was secured against Grandma's house?""
Another pause.
"Yes.""
I felt tears burning behind my eyes.
"Why, Derek?""
His voice dropped.
"Because Dad told me he was going to give me the house.""
I leaned against the desk.
"He promised you my inheritance?""
"He said Grandma had changed her mind. He said there was another will.""
"Did you ever see it?""
"No.""
"Then why did you believe him?""
Derek gave a bitter laugh.
"Because I wanted to believe him.""
For once, my brother sounded ashamed.
I wasn't ready to forgive him.
"Grandma left you something else, too.""
"What?""
"She left you the opportunity to do the right thing.""
He didn't answer.
I ended the call.
Margaret arranged for a formal notice to be sent to Derek, informing him that he needed to cooperate with the trust investigation and preserve any relevant records.
Meanwhile, she arranged for the original property records to be submitted to the county recorder's office.
By early afternoon, we had confirmation that the disputed deed was under formal review.
The attempted sale of the property remained blocked.
But the most important development came at 4:20.
Margaret received a call from Elaine Foster, the former bank employee named in Grandma's documents.
Elaine was willing to meet us.
We arranged to meet at a quiet restaurant near her home.
When Elaine arrived, she carried an old leather handbag and a thick envelope.
She looked directly at me.
"You must be Avery.""
"Yes.""
She reached across the table and squeezed my hand.
"Your grandmother talked about you every time she came into the bank.""
I swallowed.
"Did she tell you what happened?""
Elaine glanced toward Margaret.
"She told me someone had attempted to access her investments using a power of attorney she hadn't authorized.""
"Was that my father?""
Elaine nodded.
"Your father and your uncle came together.""
"Did Derek go with them?""
"No. He came alone several days later.""
I frowned.
"Why?""
Elaine opened the envelope.
"Because your brother came back to the bank after your grandmother was hospitalized.""
She removed a folded statement.
"He asked me whether there was any way to reverse an unauthorized transfer.""
I stared.
"Was there money transferred?""
"Not from your grandmother's protected investment account. But he told me your father had obtained funds from another source.""
"The home equity loan?""
Elaine nodded.
"He said the money had gone into an account controlled by a company registered in his name.""
I felt sick.
"Did he report it?""
"He was afraid.""
Elaine handed me the statement.
It was a handwritten declaration Derek had signed six years earlier.
The first line read:
I, Derek Bennett, acknowledge that the property at 418 Willow Creek Road belongs to Avery Bennett under the terms of June Bennett's will.
I read the date.
March 24.
The day Grandma died.
My eyes widened.
"Why would he sign this?""
Elaine looked at me sadly.
"Because your grandmother asked him to.""
I couldn't speak.
Elaine continued.
"She told him that if he ever wanted to make things right, he needed to tell the truth before it was too late.""
Margaret examined the statement.
"Did Derek ever follow through?""
Elaine shook her head.
"No. A few days later, he returned with his father. He asked me to destroy the document.""
I stared at the signature.
My brother had known the truth from the beginning.
He had known the house belonged to me.
And he had helped our father hide it.
I pushed the paper away.
"Why are you telling me this now?""
Elaine's eyes filled.
"Because I kept a copy. And because your grandmother made me promise that if you ever came looking, I would tell you everything.""
She reached into her handbag.
Then she placed a small envelope on the table.
"June gave me this before she died. She said it was for you.""
My name appeared across the front.
I opened it carefully.
Inside was a single photograph.
Grandma was sitting in her hospital bed.
Derek stood beside her, holding her hand.
The date printed on the back was March 24.
Her actual final day.
Underneath the photograph, Grandma had written:
He promised me he would protect you.
I stared at Derek's face.
He was crying in the photograph.
My phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number appeared.
I'm sorry. You deserve to know what really happened.
A second message followed.
I can prove Dad knew Grandma was still alive when he told you she had died.
Then came a third.
But Avery, you need to hear this from me in person.
I looked at Margaret.
She read the message over my shoulder.
"Who sent that?""
I stared at the screen.
Then another message appeared.
*Derek Bennett: I was the last person Grandma spoke to before she died. And I was supposed to deliver something to you that night.*
I typed one question.
What was it?
May you like
His reply came seconds later.
*The original will.*
