Chapter 12: The Man Who Knew Too Much
Andrew didn't move.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then he laughed softly.
Not nervously.
Almost sadly.
"That's clever.""
Linda smiled.
"Is it?""
Andrew looked at me.
"Emily, I had never met your mother.""
Thomas shook his head.
"Not you personally.""
Andrew's eyes moved toward him.
"What?""
"You weren't the attorney Susan used fifteen years ago.""
"No. I told everyone that.""
Dad frowned.
"Then why did Linda say—"
Thomas interrupted.
"Andrew's father.""
Andrew went completely still.
My stomach dropped.
"Your father?""
Andrew slowly removed his glasses.
"My father founded my firm.""
"What was his name?"" Daniel asked.
"Charles Walsh.""
Thomas nodded.
"He handled Susan's estate planning.""
Andrew stared at him.
"I know.""
"Did you know he also advised Linda?""
Andrew's face changed.
"No.""
Linda smiled.
"Now we're getting somewhere.""
Andrew turned toward her.
"You were my father's client?""
"Briefly.""
"You never disclosed that.""
"You never asked.""
"Why would I?""
"Exactly.""
Andrew looked sick.
I suddenly remembered the intake note.
Linda had called my mother's attorney before Mom's death.
That attorney hadn't been Andrew.
It had been Andrew's father.
"Could Charles have given Linda information about my trust?""
Andrew's answer came immediately.
"Not legally.""
"That's not what I asked.""
He looked at me.
"Yes. He could have had access.""
Dad cursed.
Daniel picked up the damaged recorder.
"The cassette is intact. We need another player.""
Nathan raised his phone.
"I can get one.""
"How fast?""
"Twenty minutes.""
Linda reached for her purse again.
Nobody stopped her this time.
She walked toward the front door.
Madison called after her.
"Mom.""
Linda stopped.
Madison's voice shook.
"If you leave, don't come back for me.""
Linda slowly turned.
"You don't mean that.""
"I do.""
"I am the only person in this room who has ever put you first.""
Madison looked at the scattered bank statements.
"With Emily's money.""
Linda flinched.
Then she left.
The door closed.
Dad whispered, "Should we call the police?""
Andrew answered carefully.
"Yes.""
Everyone looked at him.
"We have evidence of suspected forgery, financial misconduct, unauthorized access to Daniel's residence, and potentially identity theft. Those matters can be reported without making unsupported accusations about Susan's accident.""
Dad nodded.
"Do it.""
Daniel made the call.
While we waited, Thomas sat at the kitchen table.
I stood across from him.
"Why did you tell Mom someone else was involved?""
He rubbed his hands together.
"Because I found payments.""
"From whom?""
"Charles Walsh.""
Andrew's jaw tightened.
"To Linda?""
"No. From Linda.""
Andrew frowned.
"My father took money from her?""
"Several payments.""
"For legal work?""
"I didn't know.""
"Then why did you think he was involved?""
"Because one payment happened the day after Susan's accident.""
Andrew looked away.
Thomas continued.
"Another happened after Susan died.""
"How much?""
"Twenty-five thousand.""
Andrew's face went pale.
"My father retired suddenly that year.""
"Why?""
"He said his health was failing.""
"Was it?""
"Yes.""
Andrew rubbed his forehead.
"He died three years later.""
I almost felt sorry for him.
Almost.
Then Nathan returned carrying a small cassette recorder he'd borrowed from someone nearby.
He placed it on the table.
"Let's hear the rest.""
Andrew hesitated.
"If my father is on that tape—"
I looked at him.
"I need to know.""
He nodded.
Nathan carefully inserted the cassette.
The tape resumed with static.
Mom's voice.
"Then who?""
Thomas's younger voice answered.
"Charles Walsh.""
Andrew closed his eyes.
Mom sounded shocked.
"My attorney?""
"I found payments from Linda to Charles.""
"For what?""
"I don't know.""
"Have you confronted him?""
"No.""
"Why not?""
"Because I think he gave Linda information about Emily's trust.""
Dad sat down heavily.
Mom's voice became quieter.
"That means Linda knew exactly what Emily would inherit.""
"Yes.""
"And she knew Robert couldn't touch it.""
"Yes.""
Then Mom said something that made my blood run cold.
"Thomas, Linda asked me yesterday whether Emily still rides her bicycle to school.""
Dad stood.
"No.""
On the recording, Thomas said, "You need to take Emily somewhere safe.""
"I am.""
"Where?""
"I'm sending her to my sister's for a few weeks.""
I remembered.
Aunt Claire.
Mom had planned for me to stay with her.
But the trip never happened.
Mom crashed the next evening.
The tape continued.
Thomas asked, "And you?""
"I'm meeting federal investigators Friday morning.""
That would have been the morning after the accident.
Thomas said, "Don't drive alone.""
Mom laughed softly.
"I'll be fine.""
I started crying before I could stop myself.
Daniel wrapped an arm around me.
Then Mom's voice changed.
"There is one more thing.""
"What?""
"If something happens to me, don't trust Charles with the original documents.""
"Where are they?""
"I put them somewhere only Emily can claim them.""
My breath caught.
Thomas on the tape asked, "Where?""
Mom answered.
But static swallowed the next few words.
Nathan leaned closer.
"Can we clean that up?""
"Maybe.""
The recording cleared.
Mom continued.
"...when she gets engaged.""
I stared at the machine.
"What?""
Dad looked at me.
"Engaged?""
The tape crackled again.
Mom said:
"I created a sealed deposit arrangement. Emily won't even know it exists until there's a formal notice of engagement or marriage.""
Daniel stared at me.
"Your engagement triggered something.""
Andrew's expression changed.
"That may explain why Linda became desperate now.""
Of course.
Fifteen years.
Linda had controlled the money.
The house.
The lies.
Then Daniel and I announced our engagement.
Some legal mechanism Mom created had awakened.
I thought about the destroyed dress.
The fake affair evidence.
Linda trying to cancel the party.
She hadn't cared about embarrassing me.
She needed to stop my engagement from becoming formal.
"Where is the deposit?"" I asked.
Thomas shook his head.
"I never knew.""
Andrew suddenly stood.
"I might.""
Everyone looked at him.
"My father maintained private client safe-deposit arrangements through three banks.""
"Which banks?""
"One was Westbridge.""
The same bank where an account had been opened using Dad's identity.
Nathan was already typing.
Then Dad's phone buzzed.
He looked down.
His face drained of color.
"What?"" I asked.
He turned the screen toward us.
A security alert from our home camera.
BACK DOOR — MOTION DETECTED.
Daniel frowned.
"We're all here.""
Dad opened the live feed.
The back door was open.
Someone had entered the house.
We heard a crash upstairs.
Madison whispered, "Mom.""
Daniel immediately moved toward the stairs.
"Stay here.""
I ignored him.
This was my house too.
My mother's house.
We climbed the stairs together.
My bedroom door stood open.
Inside, drawers had been ripped out.
My jewelry box lay smashed on the floor.
The ruined ivory dress was gone.
Then Madison pointed toward my closet.
"Emily.""
A section of carpet had been pulled back.
Beneath it was a small wooden panel I'd never seen before.
It was open.
Empty.
Dad stared at it.
"What was in there?""
I shook my head.
"I didn't know it existed.""
Then Daniel spotted something on the floor.
A photograph.
He picked it up.
Mom and me.
I was maybe six.
On the back, in Mom's handwriting, were seven words:
WHEN YOU SAY YES, LOOK BENEATH THE IVORY.
I stared at the empty hiding place.
"The dress.""
Daniel's eyes widened.
"Linda didn't cut your engagement dress because she wanted to ruin it.""
Madison covered her mouth.
I suddenly understood.
Three months earlier, I'd bought that ivory dress from a small vintage boutique.
The owner had told me it came from a local estate collection.
I hadn't thought anything of it.
But Linda had recognized it.
My mother had hidden something connected to "ivory.""
And Linda had spent the entire night trying to destroy the evidence before I could find it.
Dad whispered, "Where's the dress now?""
A car engine roared outside.
We rushed to the window.
Linda's car shot backward out of the driveway.
Something white lay across the passenger seat.
My ruined ivory dress.
And as she sped away, Daniel's phone rang.
He answered.
Catherine's terrified voice came through.
"Daniel, someone just broke into our house.""
His face changed.
"What did they take?""
"Nothing.""
A pause.
"Except the envelope your father planned to give you and Emily today.""
Daniel looked at me.
"What was inside?""
May you like
Catherine's next words made every person in the room go silent.
"The original key to Susan Carter's safe-deposit box.""
