Chapter 13 - Beneath the StoneWe drove to the cemetery at midnight.
Rain had started.
Cold, hard rain.
Daniel carried an umbrella.
Claire carried the documents.
I carried a flashlight.
My grandfather's grave stood beneath an oak tree.
There was nothing unusual about it.
Except the stone had been moved slightly.
Daniel noticed it first.
“That's wrong.”
He knelt.
The soil was disturbed.
Fresh.
Someone had been there recently.
I crouched beside him.
Under the edge of the stone was a small metal tube.
Inside was a key.
And another letter.
I opened it.
The money was never in the account you were shown.
I stared.
Claire leaned closer.
The letter continued.
Your father knew about the visible account. He did not know about the protected account.
My heart jumped.
“There was another account.”
Daniel nodded.
He knew too.
The letter gave an account number.
A bank.
A city.
And a final instruction.
The trustee is not Richard.
I looked up.
“Then who?”
Daniel answered.
“Your grandfather's oldest friend.”
“Name?”
“Samuel Price.”
“Where is he?”
Daniel pointed to the phone.
“Call.”
I did.
A man's voice answered on the second ring.
“Nora?”
“Yes.”
“My God.”
“You've been waiting for me?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you contact me?”
“Because your father was monitoring everything.”
I closed my eyes.
“What happened to the money?”
“Safe.”
“All of it?”
“Most.”
“How much?”
“Two point one million.”
My knees nearly gave out.
Claire grabbed my arm.
“What?”
I whispered:
“Two point one million.”
Samuel continued.
“Your grandfather knew your father would eventually try to destroy the visible accounts.”
“Then why leave money there?”
“To make your father confident.”
“What about the protected account?”
“Untouchable.”
“Until?”
“Until you were ready.”
I looked at the date.
The trust conditions had been triggered by the fraud.
The money could be released.
But Samuel warned me.
“Don't move anything yet.”
“Why?”
“Because once you access it, your father will know.”
I looked at the phone.
“Does he already know?”
Samuel went quiet.
Then said:
“He suspects.”
I suddenly understood the message.
Find the money.
My father wanted to know whether I had discovered the hidden account.
So I did something reckless.
I called him.
He answered immediately.
“Nora.”
“Dad.”
“You found something.”
“What makes you think that?”
“You called me at midnight.”
I smiled.
“I found the money.”
Silence.
“How much?”
I said nothing.
He whispered:
“Where is it?”
“Safe.”
His voice changed.
“You don't understand what you're dealing with.”
“No?”
“You're threatening people you can't protect yourself from.”
“You mean you.”
“I mean the people around me.”
I stared into the rain.
“That's a threat.”
“No.”
“Then what is it?”
“A warning.”
I heard something in the background.
A door opening.
Then Mom's voice.
“Where are you?”
Dad muttered something.
I ended the call.
Claire looked at me.
“What did you hear?”
“Mom.”
“What about her?”
“She sounded afraid.”
We drove back to the house.
Police surrounded it.
My father was inside.
He surrendered without resistance.
Mom was taken outside separately.
Tyler was waiting on the porch.
He walked toward me.
“I did one thing right.”
“What?”
“I kept a copy.”
“A copy of what?”
“The original messages.”
He handed me his phone.
Hundreds of texts.
My father instructing him.
My mother telling him what to say.
Richard sending document requests.
The notary confirming appointments.
Everything.
I looked at Tyler.
“Why?”
He shrugged.
“Because Grandpa told me I'd have to choose eventually.”
“You chose badly.”
“I know.”
A police officer approached.
“Nora?”
“Yes.”
“We found something in your parents' house.”
“What?”
“A room.”
“What room?”
“Your grandfather's basement.”
My stomach tightened.
“What about it?”
The officer looked at Tyler.
“Tell her.”
Tyler closed his eyes.
“They kept people there.”
The world seemed to stop.
“What do you mean?”
May you like
He whispered.
“People who knew too much.”
