Chapter 10: The Attorney Who Betrayed My Mother
I had trusted Samuel Price for fourteen years.
He had handled my father's estate, helped my mother settle the insurance paperwork, and later managed her will. He had stood beside me at her funeral and promised that if I ever needed anything, he would be there.
Now he was standing at my father's grave with Ethan Cole.
I couldn't understand it.
“Elizabeth, call the police,” I said.
She immediately reached for her phone.
Vanessa grabbed her grandmother's hand.
“Why would Samuel do this?””
Eleanor looked devastated.
“Because he knows where the second copy is.””
I turned toward her.
“You said my mother hid it inside the grave marker.””
“Yes.””
“Then why would the attorney know?””
Eleanor hesitated.
“Samuel helped your mother prepare the documents. He knew there was a second copy, but he never knew where she placed it.””
I looked at the clock.
The cemetery was forty minutes away.
“Let's go.””
Elizabeth shook her head.
“Marcus, wait for security. If Ethan and Samuel are there, we don't know what we're walking into.””
“I won't let them destroy the only evidence my father left behind.””
“Then we're going with a proper team.””
Twenty minutes later, two security vehicles followed us toward the cemetery.
The afternoon sky had turned gray.
A cold wind moved through the trees as we entered the grounds.
My father's grave was near the back, beneath an old oak tree.
I saw the damaged stone immediately.
A section near the base had been broken away.
Beside it stood Samuel Price.
He was holding a leather briefcase.
Ethan was standing several feet away, speaking on his phone.
Neither man noticed us at first.
Then Samuel turned.
His face went pale.
“Marcus.””
I walked toward him.
“Mr. Price.””
He closed the briefcase.
“I can explain.””
“Then explain why you're digging through my father's grave.””
Ethan ended his call.
“Relax, Marcus. Nobody is stealing anything.””
I looked at the broken stone.
“Then what happened?””
Samuel adjusted his glasses.
“Your mother left instructions regarding certain documents. I was simply attempting to recover them.””
“Without telling me?””
“It was a complicated matter.””
I laughed bitterly.
“You people seem to use that expression whenever you get caught.””
Ethan stepped forward.
“Marcus, this doesn't need to become ugly.””
I turned toward him.
“You have five seconds to tell me what you're doing here.””
Ethan looked at Samuel.
Then he smiled.
“Your mother was smarter than you think.””
I said nothing.
“She knew Richard would eventually come looking for the original agreement. So she hid it somewhere no one would expect.””
“Inside the grave marker.””
Ethan nodded.
“Exactly.””
Samuel suddenly spoke.
“Marcus, I never wanted things to happen this way.””
I looked at him.
“Did you know my mother was threatened?””
He lowered his eyes.
“Yes.””
The answer hit harder than I expected.
“By Richard?””
Samuel nodded.
“He came to my office shortly after your mother's diagnosis. He told me that if I helped her challenge the original patent, he would make sure she lost everything.””
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because he had documents suggesting your mother's trust was improperly funded.””
“That was a lie.””
Samuel looked at me.
“Yes.””
The wind moved through the trees.
I felt something inside me harden.
“You allowed my mother to believe she was alone.””
Samuel's voice broke.
“I was afraid.””
“So was she.””
He looked down.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Ethan reached for the briefcase.
One of our security officers immediately stepped between him and the vehicle.
“Don't move.””
Ethan raised both hands.
“I'm not doing anything.””
Elizabeth arrived behind us.
She looked at the broken grave marker, then at Samuel.
“Mr. Price, you're going to need to preserve everything in that briefcase.””
Samuel nodded.
“Of course.””
But when he opened it, the compartment was empty.
I stared at him.
“Where is the document?””
Samuel's expression changed.
“I don't know.””
Ethan suddenly laughed.
“That's interesting.””
I turned toward him.
“What?””
He looked at Samuel.
“Tell him.””
Samuel's face became white.
“Ethan, don't.””
“Tell him who took the document.””
Samuel closed his eyes.
Then he whispered, “I gave it to Richard.””
Vanessa gasped.
I stepped forward.
“When?””
“Yesterday.””
“Why?””
Samuel's voice trembled.
“He threatened to expose my involvement in the original insurance settlement. He said he had proof that I falsified part of your mother's estate records.””
Elizabeth's expression hardened.
“Did you actually falsify them?””
Samuel looked at her.
“I changed the beneficiary documentation after your mother asked me to protect the trust.””
I frowned.
“What?””
He swallowed.
“Your mother had discovered that the insurance payment made after your father's death was connected to a fraudulent beneficiary amendment. She wanted the money recovered.””
“Then why did you change the records?””
“Because Richard had already obtained a court order restricting access to the estate. Your mother believed that if she challenged him immediately, he would destroy the remaining evidence.””
I stared at him.
“So you helped her?””
Samuel nodded.
“Initially.””
“And then?””
His eyes filled.
“Richard found out. He threatened to have me disbarred and charged with fraud. I gave him the document to protect myself.””
Ethan smiled.
“There's your answer.””
I looked at him.
“You're enjoying this.””
“Not particularly. But you should understand something, Marcus. Richard has been planning this for a long time.””
Elizabeth stepped closer.
“Where is he now?””
Ethan shrugged.
“Probably somewhere celebrating.””
I studied him.
“Why did you come here?””
He hesitated.
Then he looked directly at me.
“Because I wanted to see if the original certificate was still here.””
“Why?””
“Because I need something from you.””
I almost laughed.
“You need something from me?””
Ethan nodded.
“Richard is preparing to eliminate everyone who knows what happened. Samuel. Me. Even Daniel.””
Samuel looked horrified.
“What are you talking about?””
Ethan removed his phone.
“Look.””
He showed us a message from an unknown number.
The archive must be cleared tonight. No witnesses. No loose ends.
The message had been sent twenty minutes earlier.
I read it twice.
“Who sent this?””
Ethan looked at me.
“Richard.””
Samuel sat down heavily on the grass.
Elizabeth immediately photographed the message.
Then Ethan spoke again.
“There's another reason you should listen to me.””
“What?””
He lowered his voice.
“Your father didn't just invent the technology. He created a security mechanism that could prove who stole it.””
My heart began pounding.
“What mechanism?””
Ethan looked toward the damaged grave marker.
“The original source code contains a hidden ownership key. And Richard has spent six years trying to find it.””
He paused.
“Your mother gave me a copy of the key before she died.””
I stared at him.
“You said you stole my files.””
“I did.””
“Then why would my mother give you anything?””
Ethan's expression became strange.
“Because I wasn't the only one who betrayed you, Marcus.””
He looked at Vanessa.
“Your mother wasn't the only person Richard threatened.””
Then he said something I never expected.
“Your father knew Richard would try to steal the technology. He also knew someone inside your family would eventually help him.””
Vanessa stepped backward.
“Who?””
Ethan looked at her.
“Your grandmother wasn't the only Reed who signed the original agreement.””
He turned toward me.
May you like
“Your father had a second partner.””
And when he told us the name, I finally understood why my mother had spent the rest of her life protecting that secret.
