Chapter 7: The Second Set of Documents
Richard Reed stopped smiling.
For the first time since he had entered the bank, the powerful businessman looked like an ordinary old man who had just realized his secrets were no longer safe.
Vanessa placed the photograph on the table.
"Would you like to explain this, Richard?""
He didn't look at it.
"I have no idea what you're talking about.""
"Of course you don't.""
Vanessa pulled out her phone.
"I have the hospital security footage, the emergency call recording, and the statement from the truck driver who witnessed Lauren's car being forced off the road.""
Richard's expression hardened.
"You're making accusations you cannot prove.""
"Then why did you call me last night?""
The room went silent.
I looked at Vanessa.
"What?""
She turned toward me.
"Richard called me at eleven forty-seven last night. He offered me two hundred thousand dollars to disappear before your wedding.""
Marcus looked at his father.
"You did what?""
Richard raised his voice.
"She's lying!""
Vanessa opened her phone and played a recording.
Richard's voice filled the room.
You were promised a clean exit, Vanessa. Take the money and leave Nia alone.
Then Vanessa's recorded voice answered:
I'm not leaving until she knows what happened to Robert.
Richard's response was unmistakable.
Robert should have known when to stop asking questions.
The recording ended.
My mother began crying again.
I stared at Richard.
"Did you have my cousin attacked?""
He straightened his jacket.
"That woman has been involved in criminal activity. You should be careful about believing everything she says.""
Daniel stepped forward.
"Richard, I strongly advise you not to make another statement without legal representation.""
Richard ignored him.
Instead, he looked at Marcus.
"Get your fiancée under control.""
Marcus's face tightened.
"She's not my fiancée anymore.""
Richard blinked.
"What?""
Marcus looked at me.
"I know I have no right to ask you for anything. But I won't let him hurt you again.""
I almost laughed.
"You're six years too late.""
He lowered his eyes.
Richard slammed his cane against the floor.
"You ungrateful fool! Everything you have is because of me.""
Marcus finally faced his father.
"And everything I did wrong was because I was too afraid to disappoint you.""
Richard pointed at him.
"Don't forget who paid for your education. Who gave you your first job. Who made you a partner in the company.""
"You made me a partner because you needed someone younger to sign documents you didn't want your name attached to.""
Daniel immediately wrote something in his notebook.
Richard noticed.
"Put that away.""
"No.""
Richard turned toward Mrs. Collins.
"I want the box returned.""
She remained calm.
"Mr. Reed, the box belongs to the Carter estate. You have no authority over its contents.""
His face reddened.
"That is not what the original agreement says.""
Mrs. Collins examined the paperwork.
"Actually, it is.""
She turned the document toward him.
"Your role was to witness the opening, not control the contents.""
Daniel looked at me.
"Nia, there's something important here. We should examine the second folder before we leave.""
I nodded.
He opened the sealed plastic folder.
Inside were three documents.
The first was the original trust agreement.
The second was a handwritten statement from my father.
The third was a photograph of a bank transfer.
Daniel studied the documents for several minutes.
Then he looked at my mother.
"Mrs. Carter, did you know your husband had created a second trust?""
She shook her head.
"No.""
Daniel placed the original agreement beside the transfer record.
"This explains why the property transfer never became legally effective.""
I leaned closer.
"What does that mean?""
"Your father anticipated that someone might attempt to transfer the property without your consent. He created a separate legal structure that preserved your ownership regardless of what happened to the original company.""
I looked at the paperwork.
"So Reed Holdings never owned the property?""
"Not legally.""
Richard suddenly sat down.
For six years, he had believed he controlled the Mercer Street building.
He had collected rent from its commercial tenants, borrowed against its estimated value, and used it as collateral in several business transactions.
But according to Daniel, the underlying ownership had never left my father's trust.
I looked at Richard.
"How much money did you borrow against my property?""
He didn't answer.
Daniel did.
"Based on these records, approximately four million dollars.""
My stomach turned.
"Four million?""
"Possibly more. We'll need to examine the complete accounts.""
Richard stood abruptly.
"Those transactions were legitimate.""
"Then you won't mind explaining them to investigators," Daniel replied.
Richard reached for his phone.
Before he could make a call, Vanessa spoke.
"There's one more thing.""
She pulled a small memory card from her wallet.
"Lauren gave me this before the accident.""
My mother looked up.
"Why would Lauren give you anything?""
"Because she discovered that Richard had been paying someone inside the bank to alter the trust records.""
Daniel immediately took the memory card.
"What's on it?""
"Copies of the original digital files. Including the access logs.""
He looked toward Mrs. Collins.
"Can we verify these records?""
She nodded.
"We can request an internal audit.""
I looked at Vanessa.
"How did you and Lauren become involved?""
Vanessa hesitated.
Then she told us.
After Marcus ended their engagement, Vanessa had discovered several suspicious transfers connected to Reed Holdings.
At first, she believed Marcus had been hiding company debts.
But when she confronted him, he admitted that his father had been moving money through businesses connected to Carter Development.
She had tried to leave.
Marcus had asked her to stay quiet.
Then he met me.
Vanessa discovered that I was the daughter of the man whose company had been used in the transactions.
She contacted Lauren, who had been helping manage some of my father's remaining estate paperwork.
Together, they began collecting evidence.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"" I asked.
"Because I was afraid you wouldn't believe me.""
I looked at her.
"You could have tried.""
"I know.""
She lowered her eyes.
"I was also afraid Marcus would find out.""
I glanced at him.
He looked exhausted.
For once, he didn't defend himself.
My phone vibrated.
A message appeared from an unknown number.
*YOU HAVE THE WRONG MAN. ASK YOUR MOTHER WHO WAS IN THE AMBULANCE WITH YOUR FATHER.*
I read it twice.
Then I turned toward my mother.
"Mom, was someone in the ambulance with Dad?""
Her face changed.
She slowly shook her head.
"I don't know.""
"But you were at the office.""
"Yes.""
"Did you see him after the ambulance arrived?""
She nodded.
"I went to the hospital with him.""
"Was Marcus there?""
My mother looked at Marcus.
Then at Richard.
Finally, she whispered:
"Yes.""
Marcus stood.
"Mom, what are you doing?""
My mother began crying.
"There's something I never told Nia.""
I felt my chest tighten.
"What?""
She looked directly at me.
"Your father was conscious when they took him away.""
I stared at her.
"How do you know?""
She pressed a trembling hand against her mouth.
"Because he spoke to me.""
"What did he say?""
My mother closed her eyes.
"He told me that the person who hurt him wasn't the person I thought.""
She opened her eyes.
Then she looked at Marcus.
"He said his own son-in-law would eventually finish what Richard started.""
The room fell silent.
I slowly turned toward Marcus.
"Son-in-law?""
Marcus looked as confused as I felt.
My mother shook her head.
"Your father was talking about someone else.""
Then she reached into her handbag and removed a folded hospital document.
The name printed at the top belonged to a man none of us had mentioned that day.
*Daniel Price.*
May you like
The attorney.
And suddenly, the man who had been helping us uncover the truth became the person we needed to question.
