Chapter 5: The Seven Hundred Dollars Were Never Missing
Melissa spent the next ten minutes denying everything.
She denied stealing from the trust. She denied helping Richard enter our house. She even denied knowing that my mother had left me money, despite the message glowing on Dad's phone.
"Richard is trying to frame me," she insisted, pacing between the sofa and the fireplace.
"You know what he's like. He's always been jealous of you.""
Dad stood with his arms folded.
"Then why did he ask whether you found the trust papers?""
"Because he wanted to know what Daniel was doing!""
"Why would my brother care what my attorney is doing?""
"I don't know!""
Her voice rose so sharply that I flinched.
Dad noticed.
"Lower your voice.""
Melissa stared at him in disbelief.
"You're treating me like a criminal!""
"You haven't explained anything.""
"Because you won't listen!""
She snatched her handbag from the floor and pulled out a tissue. Her eyes glistened, but no tears fell.
Then she looked at me.
"Sophia, tell your father the truth.""
I shrank against the sofa.
"What truth?""
"You went into my bedroom this morning.""
"To get my sweater.""
"And you were alone upstairs.""
"Yes.""
"So you had the opportunity to take the money.""
Dad stepped forward.
"That's enough.""
Melissa threw the tissue onto the coffee table.
"Of course. Protect the child. Blame the wife. That's all you've done since the day we married.""
Dad's expression changed.
"No. I've trusted you. That's different.""
She stared at him.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Dad picked up his phone and called the police.
Melissa's face went white.
"Michael, don't you dare.""
"I'm reporting an assault on my daughter and suspected theft. They can decide what needs investigating.""
"You would call the police on your own wife?""
"If that's what it takes to protect my child.""
She reached for his phone, but he turned away.
"You can't do this!""
He finished the call and gave the dispatcher our address.
Melissa began pacing faster.
"This is insane. You have a video of a man in a hallway. You don't know what happened. You don't know anything!""
Dad glanced toward the television.
"Actually, there's something I haven't checked yet.""
He opened the security application and returned to the morning's recording.
This time, he moved the footage forward to 11:14.
The hallway was empty.
At 11:18, Melissa appeared carrying a small white envelope.
She looked around, then entered the bedroom.
Thirty seconds later, she came out without the envelope.
Dad paused the recording.
"What did you put in the bedroom?""
"Nothing.""
"Then where did the envelope go?""
"I don't remember.""
He zoomed in on her hands.
The envelope was clearly visible.
Dad replayed the footage several times, then opened a second camera view that covered the staircase and the entrance to the kitchen.
At 11:22, Melissa appeared downstairs.
She went directly to the kitchen drawer where we kept batteries, spare keys, and miscellaneous household items.
She opened it, placed something inside, and closed it.
Then she left.
Dad turned toward her.
"What's in that drawer?""
Melissa's lips parted.
"Nothing.""
He walked into the kitchen.
She followed, suddenly moving much faster.
"Michael, wait!""
Dad pulled open the drawer.
Beneath a stack of batteries lay a white envelope.
He removed it and set it on the counter.
Melissa lunged toward him.
"Don't open that!""
Dad held it out of reach.
"Why?""
"Because it's private!""
He opened it.
Inside were seven hundred dollars in cash, folded into two neat bundles.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
I stared at the money.
The exact money Melissa had accused me of stealing.
Dad slowly counted the bills.
Seven hundred dollars.
He looked at his wife.
"You hid it here.""
Melissa shook her head.
"No.""
"I watched you put something in the drawer.""
"That doesn't prove it was money!""
Dad placed the bills beside the envelope.
"Then explain why you told me Sophia stole it.""
Melissa's face twisted.
"Because she was upstairs!""
"That isn't an answer.""
"She could have taken it and put it back!""
I stared at her.
"Why would I do that?""
"Because you're a manipulative little—"
"Finish that sentence," Dad warned.
Melissa stopped.
The room felt smaller with every passing second.
Dad picked up the envelope and examined the front.
There was a faint pencil mark in one corner.
A handwritten letter.
The letter R.
"Richard," Dad murmured.
Melissa looked toward the back door.
Dad saw her glance.
"Don't even think about leaving.""
She sank into a chair, breathing hard.
For the first time, I understood that the seven hundred dollars had never been the real issue.
Melissa had needed a reason to accuse me.
A reason to search my belongings.
A reason to convince Dad that I was dishonest.
And if she could make him believe I was a thief, perhaps she could persuade him that I shouldn't be trusted with the inheritance my mother had left me.
But why had she hidden the money in our own kitchen?
Dad seemed to be asking himself the same question.
He turned the envelope over again.
Something was written on the inside flap, almost invisible beneath the adhesive.
He tilted it toward the light.
Then he read the words aloud.
"First payment.""
Melissa covered her mouth.
Dad looked up sharply.
"First payment for what?""
She shook her head, but her eyes had already betrayed her.
A car door slammed outside.
Through the window, I saw Richard climbing out of a black sedan.
He hurried toward our front door, carrying a leather briefcase.
Dad walked to the window and stared at him.
Then the doorbell rang.
Melissa stood so quickly that her chair scraped across the floor.
"Don't let him in," she whispered.
Dad turned around.
"Why?""
She gripped the edge of the counter.
"Because if Richard is here, it means he knows you found the money.""
Dad opened the door.
His brother stood on the porch, breathing heavily.
"Michael," Richard said, looking past him toward Melissa.
"We need to leave. Right now.""
Dad didn't move.
"Why?""
Richard glanced at me.
May you like
Then he opened his briefcase and pulled out a document.
"Because the trust has already been emptied.""
