Chapter 11 - THE SECOND TRUSTJosh hung up.
I stared at my phone.
“There is no second trust,” Elena said.
“How do you know?”
“Because I searched for it for years.”
“Then why would Josh say that?”
“Because he may believe there is.”
We left the storage unit through the rear exit.
At Martin's office, we searched the legal databases.
Nothing.
No trust in Josh's name.
No trust connected to Northstar.
No Charles Vane.
Nothing.
Then Bella noticed something.
“Luke.”
“What?”
She pointed at the old photograph.
The one of Dad and David.
There was a building behind them.
A sign.
VANE & MERCER LEGAL SERVICES.
Elena stared at it.
“That's his old office.”
“Charles Vane.”
“Yes.”
“Let's find him.”
We did.
His office had been closed for eleven years.
But the building still existed.
An elderly receptionist let us into the archives.
And there it was.
A corporate file.
NORTHSTAR MARITIME HOLDINGS.
Inside were original formation documents.
I turned the pages.
Then froze.
There were two trustees listed.
My father.
And Charles Vane.
Not my mother.
Not Josh.
Not anyone else.
I flipped to the beneficiary page.
Primary beneficiary:
Luke Bennett.
Secondary beneficiary:
Josh Mercer.
I stared at the name.
Not Bennett.
Mercer.
Josh had always thought he was a Bennett.
He wasn't.
Legally, apparently, he had another name.
The next page contained a handwritten amendment.
My father's signature.
It read:
In the event of my death, Luke shall retain controlling interest.
Josh Mercer shall receive a conditional inheritance only if he provides evidence of the truth regarding David Mercer.
I sat down.
“Dad gave Josh a reward for exposing the truth.”
Elena nodded.
“But why would Josh hide it?”
“Because he was afraid of losing Mom.”
We kept reading.
The conditional inheritance was enormous.
Nearly twelve million dollars.
Josh had a choice.
Protect Mom.
Or expose her.
I finally understood his behavior.
He wasn't fighting me for my money.
He was trapped between two inheritances.
Then I noticed one more document.
A trust review from three weeks ago.
The activation date.
My thirtieth birthday.
But beneath my name was another note.
Secondary beneficiary has been contacted.
I looked up.
“Josh knew.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did he need Ashley?”
“To create pressure.”
I shook my head.
“Something still doesn't fit.”
“What?”
“The forged signature.”
Elena looked at the document.
“Maybe Ashley forged it.”
“But Josh said he didn't.”
“He could be lying.”
“Maybe.”
Then the door opened.
A man stepped inside.
Gray suit.
Silver hair.
Cold eyes.
He carried a leather briefcase.
Charles Vane.
Elena stood.
“You.”
He looked at her.
“Hello, Elena.”
Then he looked at me.
“Luke Bennett.”
I stood.
“You've been following me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you are in danger.”
“You sent the anonymous messages.”
“Yes.”
“Why threaten me?”
“To make you stop.”
“It didn't work.”
“I know.”
He placed the briefcase on the table.
Inside were files.
Photographs.
Bank records.
Court documents.
And one passport.
He slid it toward me.
I looked down.
The name on it was:
Ashley Reynolds.
Then I noticed the date.
It had been issued fourteen years ago.
But the photograph was clearly Ashley.
That was impossible.
Because Ashley would have been too young.
I looked at Charles.
“What is this?”
He said:
“Ashley Reynolds doesn't exist.”
Bella stared at him.
“What?”
He tapped the passport.
“Your brother didn't marry Ashley Reynolds.”
“Then who did he marry?”
Charles looked at me.
“Her real name is Sophia Mercer.”
Elena's face went white.
“No.”
Charles nodded.
“Yes.”
“She died.”
“Her death was staged.”
I looked at the photograph.
Then at Elena.
And suddenly the pieces shifted again.
Ashley wasn't just Josh's wife.
She was David Mercer's daughter.
May you like
Elena's sister.
And she had married Josh to get inside my family.
