Chapter 4 - THE SECOND WILL
Nobody moved.
Sarah stared at Mark.
“The first will?”
Mark’s chest rose and fell.
Evelyn looked pleased with herself.
The officer said, “We need everyone to calm down.”
Sarah ignored him.
“What first will?”
Evelyn tapped the blue envelope against her palm.
“Your father changed things near the end.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“My attorney would know.”
“Maybe your attorney does.”
Sarah’s pulse jumped.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying Mark wasn’t the only person keeping secrets.”
Mark looked furious.
“Give me that envelope.”
Evelyn laughed.
“You really think I trust you now?”
“You stole it.”
“You gave it to me.”
Sarah’s head snapped toward Mark.
“You had my father’s letter?”
Mark said nothing.
That was answer enough.
Sarah whispered, “How long?”
“Sarah—”
“How long have you had it?”
Mark looked away.
Evelyn answered for him.
“Since the week your father died.”
Sarah suddenly understood.
Her father had asked for Mark near the end.
Sarah had thought he wanted peace.
Maybe he had given Mark the letter.
Maybe he had trusted him to deliver it.
“Open it,” Sarah said.
Evelyn raised an eyebrow.
“No.”
The police officer stepped in.
“Mrs. Bennett, if you believe that document may be related to financial fraud, it may be important evidence. We can document its existence.”
Evelyn hugged her purse.
“This is private property.”
Sarah laughed.
“My name is literally written on it.”
Mark spoke fast.
“Officer, this is becoming ridiculous.”
Sarah turned toward him.
“You look terrified.”
“I’m trying to protect this family.”
“You’re sleeping with her.”
“That doesn’t erase twenty years.”
“Eleven.”
Mark frowned.
“What?”
“We’ve been married eleven years. But I guess lying makes time move differently.”
Lily tugged Sarah’s hand.
“Mommy, can we go?”
Sarah looked down.
Lily’s face was exhausted.
This had gone far enough.
Sarah kissed her forehead.
“Yes.”
Mark stepped forward.
“No.”
Sarah’s eyes hardened.
“You want to explain to a judge why you’re stopping a frightened six-year-old from leaving after your girlfriend shoved her?”
Evelyn shouted, “I barely touched her!”
Lily flinched.
Sarah pointed at Evelyn.
“Stay away from her.”
Then Sarah faced the officer.
“I’m taking my daughter to my sister’s house.”
The officer nodded.
“We’ll need your statement.”
“You’ll have it.”
Mark lowered his voice.
“If you walk out, don’t come back.”
Sarah almost smiled.
“You still think that scares me?”
“You have no idea what you’re doing.”
“No, Mark. I finally do.”
She walked upstairs with Lily.
Ten minutes later, Sarah came down carrying one suitcase.
Mark stood near the front door.
Evelyn was gone.
Sarah stopped.
“Where is she?”
Mark shrugged.
“She left.”
“With the letter?”
No answer.
Sarah’s stomach tightened.
“You let her leave with evidence?”
“You don’t even know what’s in it.”
“I’m going to.”
Mark leaned close.
“You need to be careful.”
“Is that a threat?”
“It’s advice.”
Sarah stared into his eyes.
For years, those eyes had been home.
Now they looked like locked doors.
She left.
Her sister Rachel lived twenty minutes away.
Lily fell asleep before they reached the highway.
Sarah drove in silence until her phone rang.
Unknown number.
She almost ignored it.
Then answered.
“Hello?”
A man’s voice said, “Sarah Bennett?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Daniel Price. I handled some private legal work for your father.”
Sarah tightened her grip on the steering wheel.
“What kind of legal work?”
There was a pause.
“The kind your husband was never supposed to know about.”
Sarah pulled onto the shoulder.
“What did my father do?”
Daniel exhaled.
“He created a trust.”
Sarah’s heart pounded.
“For Lily?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
Another pause.
“Not three hundred eighty thousand.”
Sarah closed her eyes.
“Then how much?”
“Sarah…”
“Tell me.”
“Your father’s estate was worth just over four million dollars.”
Sarah forgot how to breathe.
May you like
Daniel continued.
“And according to the documents I have, Mark has been trying to find that money for seven months.”
