Chapter 6 - The Family Meeting
Brenda denied breaking into the house.
She claimed she had spent the evening at home, though she refused to provide anyone who could confirm it.
Officer Brooks noticed a fresh scrape on her car’s rear bumper and dirt across the passenger-side floor. None of it proved she had entered Shirley’s house, but he wrote everything down.
After the officer left, Brenda called an emergency family meeting.
By seven that evening, eleven relatives had gathered in Shirley’s living room.
Brenda stood in front of the fireplace as though she were addressing a jury.
“Nora is trying to take control of this family’s property,” she said. “She has convinced a bank employee and an attorney to support her.”
Jonathan Hale sat beside Nora.
“I was hired by Shirley Bennett more than a year ago,” he said. “Nora did not know me until today.”
Brenda ignored him.
“She lived with Mother as a child. Mother already spent thousands raising her. Now she wants the house too.”
Nora looked around at the relatives.
Some avoided her eyes.
Others appeared to believe Brenda simply because they had heard her version first.
“Grandma prepared a will,” Nora said. “The signed original may be in the safe-deposit box.”
“May be,” Brenda repeated. “No one knows what is inside.”
“That is why the court will authorize an inventory.”
Brenda’s expression shifted.
“Court?”
Jonathan placed a copy of the emergency petition on the coffee table.
“A hearing is scheduled tomorrow morning.”
Brenda looked at the document but did not touch it.
Uncle Raymond stood.
“Tell them about the bank transfers.”
Brenda turned toward him.
“There were no improper transfers.”
“Then provide the records.”
“I managed Mother’s finances because no one else helped.”
Nora rose from her chair.
“I visited Grandma every day during her final month.”
“You brought soup and sat beside her bed. I handled the difficult decisions.”
“Did those decisions include moving her money into your company?”
Brenda’s face hardened.
“You ungrateful little girl.”
“I am thirty-two years old.”
“You will always be the orphan my mother took in.”
A stunned silence followed.
Raymond looked away in disgust.
Nora felt the old pain of losing her parents, but Brenda’s words no longer had the power they once carried.
“Grandma never made me feel like a burden,” Nora said. “Only you did.”
Brenda grabbed her handbag.
“This family will regret letting her destroy us.”
As she approached the front door, a young cousin named Melissa spoke from the staircase.
“Aunt Brenda, I saw you here last night.”
Brenda stopped.
Melissa’s hands shook.
“I drove past around eleven. Your car was parked behind the house.”
Brenda turned slowly.
“You are mistaken.”
“I recognized the license plate.”
Officer Brooks had left Nora his card.
Nora reached for her phone.
Brenda left before anyone could stop her.
Jonathan watched through the window as her car disappeared.
“She knows the court may open that box tomorrow,” he said.
May you like
Nora touched the key in her pocket.
“Then she knows she is running out of time.”
