Chapter 14 - The AccountThe smile disappeared almost immediately.
But I had seen it.
“What did you do?” I asked.
My mother said nothing.
Royce explained that the payment had been authorized digitally.
The funds came from an education account tied to Sage's Social Security number.
My mother had accessed it using an old custodial authorization.
I looked at the document.
My name was there.
So was hers.
The account had been created when Sage was born.
My father had warned me about it.
But I had never controlled it directly because my mother had convinced me it was a ceremonial account.
Apparently, it was worth $87,000.
Gone.
All of it.
Sage stared at the floor.
“That was my college money.”
“Yes.”
“I didn't even know it existed.”
“That was the point.”
My mother finally spoke.
“I was going to put it back.”
“With what?”
“I had investments.”
“Where?”
Silence.
“Gone?”
She nodded.
Pike had taken them.
Everything suddenly made sense.
She had been robbing the trust to stay afloat.
Brin's Jeep wasn't about favoritism.
It was about maintaining a lie.
A lie that required more money every time it cracked.
Dana appeared behind us.
“Mom.”
My mother turned.
Dana looked devastated.
“I checked.”
“Checked what?”
“The property records.”
She held up her phone.
“The house isn't ours.”
My mother closed her eyes.
“Nothing is.”
Dana's voice broke.
“Then what did you do with Grandma's inheritance?”
My mother whispered:
“I lost it.”
Michael asked:
“To Pike?”
“Yes.”
Noah stepped closer.
“That still doesn't explain why you tried to move the trust.”
My mother looked at him.
“Because Pike gave me an ultimatum.”
“What ultimatum?”
“If I didn't get control of Sage's trust, he would expose Robert.”
I looked at her.
“Expose what?”
She looked at me.
“Your father didn't die naturally.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“He was poisoned.”
The words landed like a gunshot.
Evelyn moved closer.
“When did you know?”
“After the funeral.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because Pike had proof.”
“Proof of what?”
“That Robert had planned to disappear.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
My mother pulled a folded page from her pocket.
“Read it.”
It was a handwritten note.
My father's.
I recognized the writing immediately.
I HAVE TO GO BEFORE THEY FIND ME.
The date was two days before his death.
My knees weakened.
“He knew,” I whispered.
My mother nodded.
“He knew someone wanted him dead.”
“Why didn't he tell me?”
“Because he thought you would be targeted.”
I looked at Sage.
My daughter was crying.
“No.”
Noah stared at the note.
“That wasn't Robert's final note.”
“What?”
“I saw the original.”
He took a photograph from his pocket.
The handwriting was almost identical.
But there was one difference.
At the bottom of Noah’s photograph, my father had written:
IF I DIE, TRUST SAGE.
Not me.
Not my mother.
Sage.
Noah looked at her.
“Your grandfather knew you would become the key.”
“The key to what?”
He pointed at her birthday bracelet.
“The trust.”
Sage looked at the cheap bracelet.
“What does this have to do with it?”
May you like
Noah smiled grimly.
“Take it apart.”
