Chapter 10 - The Second Secret in Mama's LetterNobody moved.
Wayne stood beside the desk, his expression caught between anger and something that looked disturbingly like satisfaction.
He had spent years making people afraid of what he might reveal. Now he was holding another secret over us, and he knew it.
“What else did you take?” I asked.
He glanced at Grace.
“Ask your mother.”
“My mother is dead.”
“Exactly.”
I stepped forward.
“You don't get to hide behind her death.”
Wayne studied me for several seconds, then turned to the ledger.
“Your mother took the wrong page.”
“What does that mean?”
He laughed softly.
“There were two accounts involved in the original investment. One belonged to Parrish Development. The other was opened in your name. Your mother believed the second account was empty.”
I felt the blood drain from my face.
“An account in my name?”
“Yes.”
Grace opened the ledger again, turning to the section at the back.
There it was.
A reference to a custodial account established the year of my accident. The account had received a small portion of the settlement before the money was transferred into Parrish Development.
The balance shown beside it was not zero.
It was $27,400.
I stared at the number.
“What happened to that account?”
Wayne smiled.
“Ask Russell.”
My brother looked as if someone had struck him.
“What are you talking about?”
“You know exactly what I'm talking about.”
“No.”
Wayne leaned against the desk.
“You asked me to help you buy the first house after your divorce. You couldn't qualify for a loan. I transferred money to you from the custodial account.”
Russell shook his head.
“You told me the money came from the business.”
“Which was founded with the family investment.”
“Stop calling it that!”
Wayne's voice cracked like a whip.
“You got the money. You got the house. You got the company. You stood by while your mother accused me of stealing from your sister, and now you want to pretend you knew nothing?”
Russell looked at me.
“I didn't know it was her account.”
“Did you ever ask?”
He opened his mouth, then closed it.
Grace raised her hand.
“Wayne, we have no intention of resolving this argument in an office without independently verifying the records.”
Wayne snorted.
“The records are right there.”
“Some are incomplete. We will need bank statements and supporting documents.”
“Good luck getting them.”
His smile returned.
“Those accounts were closed years ago.”
I felt a strange calm settle over me.
He was right about one thing: old records could be difficult to obtain. Memories could be disputed. Documents could be challenged. An accusation alone would not restore anything.
But Mama had prepared for that.
I remembered the final paragraph of her letter.
There is another envelope. I gave it to someone I trust. You will know where to look when you see the name on the photograph.
I turned toward the old photographs pinned to the wall.
There were five.
Wayne with the delivery truck.
Russell beside the warehouse doors.
Mama holding a paper cup.
And two others showing a group of people gathered around a long table.
I recognized none of the faces until I looked closely at the woman standing beside Mama.
She was wearing a First County Bank employee badge.
The name beneath her photograph was faint but readable.
Evelyn Mercer.
I turned to Mr. Price, who had arrived just outside the office with a security guard.
“Do you know an Evelyn Mercer?”
His eyebrows lifted.
“She was our head accounts clerk in 1991. She retired nearly twenty years ago.”
“Is she still alive?”
Mr. Price took out his phone.
“I believe she is.”
Wayne's expression changed.
For the first time, he looked genuinely alarmed.
“Why would you want to speak to Evelyn?”
I stared at him.
“Because Mama knew where to find her.”
Wayne stepped forward.
“You leave that woman alone.”
That was all I needed to hear.
The secret in the flour tin had led me to the bank. The bank had led me to the ledger. The ledger had led me to the hidden account.
And now Wayne had revealed the existence of a witness he desperately wanted me to avoid.
I turned to Grace.
“Find her.”
Wayne grabbed the edge of the desk.
“You have no idea what she did.”
I looked him straight in the eyes.
“Then tell me.”
May you like
His answer was almost a whisper.
“She helped me take the money.”
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