Chapter 9 - The Mercer ConnectionThe Woman Who Knew Too Much
I called Elaine at 7:05 the next morning.
She answered immediately.
"Madison?"
"Do you know Daniel Mercer?"
Silence.
It lasted exactly three seconds.
But three seconds was enough.
"Why?"
I sent her the photograph.
She didn't respond.
Then she said:
"Where did you get that?"
"Answer me."
"Daniel Mercer is my father."
I sat down.
"Was he involved with Carter Holdings?"
Another pause.
"Yes."
My throat tightened.
"Was he Kevin's father?"
Silence.
Then:
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"My father died eleven years ago."
"Then how would his name be on Kevin's hospital record?"
"I've never seen that record."
"Could he have been Kevin's father?"
Elaine exhaled.
"My father was involved with your grandmother's company."
"My grandmother?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"He was her business partner."
I closed my eyes.
There it was.
The missing piece.
"My grandmother didn't build Carter Holdings alone."
"No."
"She built it with Daniel."
"Yes."
"And Dad took over."
"After Daniel died."
"How did Daniel die?"
Elaine went quiet.
"Car accident."
"Was it investigated?"
"Yes."
"Was anything unusual?"
"Officially?"
She emphasized the word.
My pulse rose.
"And unofficially?"
"My father had been receiving threats."
"From who?"
"I don't know."
"You do."
"I know what my father believed."
"What?"
"He believed Paul Carter wanted him out."
My stomach turned.
"Because of the company?"
"Because of everything."
I looked at the forged document on my desk.
"Elaine, why did my father create a financing statement against my house?"
"I don't know."
"You're investigating it."
"Yes."
"Then investigate faster."
She was silent.
Then she said:
"Madison, I need to tell you something."
"What?"
"I found another filing."
My pulse jumped.
"What filing?"
"A transfer agreement."
"For my house?"
"Not exactly."
"For the company."
"What company?"
"Carter Holdings."
I sat forward.
"What about it?"
"The company was transferred after your grandmother died."
"To Dad?"
"No."
"Then who?"
Elaine hesitated.
"To a trust."
"What trust?"
"Madison Carter Family Trust."
I stopped breathing.
"That's impossible."
"The trust was created eighteen years ago."
"My father would have told me."
"He didn't."
"Who was the trustee?"
Elaine said:
"You."
I stared at the screen.
"What?"
"Madison, according to the document, you were appointed trustee when you turned twenty-five."
"I never knew."
"That's because the documents were never delivered to you."
"Who had them?"
"Your father."
I stood.
"Then why did he sell the property?"
"That's what we're trying to establish."
"Can he legally do that?"
Elaine hesitated.
"I'm not your lawyer."
"I know."
"But I can tell you one thing."
"What?"
"The transfer was made six years after the trust became active."
"So?"
"So someone acted as trustee who wasn't the trustee."
I felt cold.
"Who?"
Elaine didn't answer.
She didn't need to.
I already knew.
My father.
The man in the SUV.
The fake signature.
The shell companies.
The missing inheritance.
And a trust that was supposed to belong to me.
I looked at the front window.
A vehicle had stopped across the street.
Black SUV.
Same one.
I grabbed my keys.
Then my phone rang.
Dad.
I answered.
He didn't say hello.
He said:
"Stop digging."
I looked at the SUV.
"Or what?"
His voice was quiet.
May you like
"Or you'll learn why your grandmother was afraid of me."
Then he hung up.
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