Chapter 4: The Man at the Door
The doorbell rang again.
My father stood in Vanessa's bedroom, holding my mother's letter in one hand and a stack of financial documents in the other. Vanessa looked as if someone had pulled the floor out from beneath her.
"Don't answer that," she said.
Daddy stared at her.
"Why?""
"It's probably a salesperson.""
"At three o'clock on a Saturday afternoon?""
"Daniel, please. We need to talk privately.""
He slipped the documents into the box and locked it.
"We've been talking privately for two years, Vanessa. Look where that's gotten us.""
He walked downstairs.
I followed him, keeping one hand against the banister. My cheek still hurt, but I barely noticed it anymore. I couldn't stop thinking about the two million dollars.
I didn't know what a trust was. I only knew that my mother had left me something, and Vanessa had apparently hidden it.
When Daddy opened the front door, a tall man in a gray suit stood on the porch, holding a leather briefcase.
"Mr. Carter?"" the man asked.
"Yes.""
"My name is Robert Hayes. I'm an attorney representing the estate of your late wife, Emily Carter.""
Daddy's expression changed.
"Emily's estate?""
Robert glanced past him and noticed me on the stairs.
His face softened.
"Is that Lily?""
"Yes," Daddy replied.
"What's going on?""
Robert opened his briefcase.
"I've been trying to reach you for three weeks. I sent letters to your home and called your office. I received no response.""
Vanessa appeared behind Daddy.
"That's because we've been extremely busy.""
Robert looked at her.
"Mrs. Carter, I addressed those letters to your husband.""
She stiffened.
Daddy stepped aside.
"Come in. I think you need to tell us everything.""
Robert entered the living room and placed several folders on the coffee table. His eyes briefly landed on the shopping bags, then on my bare feet.
He said nothing about them.
Instead, he opened the first folder.
"Before your wife passed away, she established a trust for Lily. The initial assets included investments, savings, and a property portfolio inherited from her parents. The total value at the time of her death was approximately 1.9 million dollars.""
Daddy gripped the back of a chair.
"And the trust was supposed to be managed by whom?""
"Initially, by you, Mr. Carter, as Lily's surviving parent. However, Emily included specific protections in the trust documents. Certain withdrawals required independent approval, and the principal was intended to remain untouched until Lily reached adulthood, except for clearly defined expenses benefiting her.""
Robert paused.
"Six months after Emily's death, someone petitioned to replace the original trustee.""
Daddy turned toward Vanessa.
She immediately shook her head.
"I don't know anything about that.""
Robert removed another document.
"Your signature appears here, Mrs. Carter. The petition claimed Mr. Carter was too occupied with his business to oversee Lily's financial interests.""
Daddy looked at the signature.
"Vanessa, did you file this?""
"I was trying to help!""
"Help yourself to my daughter's money?""
"Don't be ridiculous. I was her stepmother. Someone had to manage everything!""
Robert cleared his throat.
"Mrs. Carter was appointed co-administrator for certain routine expenses. She was not authorized to transfer the trust's principal into personal accounts.""
Daddy slowly sat down.
"How much is left?""
Robert hesitated.
"According to the most recent statement I obtained, approximately four hundred and thirty thousand dollars remains in the trust.""
I watched Daddy's face.
He looked as though he'd been punched.
"Where did the rest go?""
"That's what my office has been investigating.""
Vanessa crossed her arms.
"You're making this sound criminal. I used some money for household expenses. Lily lived in the house, didn't she? She ate our food and used our electricity.""
"Did you charge my daughter's trust for your personal jewelry?"" Daddy asked.
"Some of those purchases were gifts!""
"For whom?""
She said nothing.
Robert opened a smaller folder.
"There is another matter. Two years ago, Emily instructed me to deliver a sealed letter to Lily on her eighteenth birthday. I was also instructed to contact her father immediately if there was evidence of unauthorized interference with the trust.""
He looked directly at Vanessa.
"That letter was never delivered because the registered address on file was changed without my office's authorization.""
Daddy's voice became dangerously quiet.
"Who changed it?""
Robert slid a form across the table.
The signature at the bottom was unmistakable.
Vanessa Carter.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Daddy stood.
"Get your things.""
Vanessa blinked.
"What?""
"You heard me.""
"You can't throw me out over an accounting mistake!""
"An accounting mistake doesn't explain why my seven-year-old daughter has holes in her shoes.""
"Daniel, I am your wife!""
"And Lily is my daughter.""
Vanessa looked toward me, her expression suddenly hard.
"You ungrateful little—"
"Don't."" Daddy stepped between us.
"You will not speak to her again.""
Robert closed his folder.
"Mr. Carter, before anyone makes further decisions, I strongly recommend securing all relevant records and arranging an independent forensic accounting review.""
Daddy nodded.
Then Robert looked at the black box resting beside the couch.
"There's something else you should know. The trust was originally funded by the sale of a property Emily inherited from her grandmother. That property was sold under unusual circumstances last year.""
Vanessa went completely still.
Robert pulled one final paper from his briefcase.
"The buyer was a company called V.C. Luxury Holdings.""
Daddy looked at Vanessa.
May you like
She backed away.
And when Robert revealed who owned that company, my father finally understood that the missing money wasn't the only thing she had planned to take from me.
