Chapter 14 - THE SECOND PROPERTY
The second transfer did not involve the Manhattan apartment.
It involved a penthouse in Boston owned by a Miller Urban Development subsidiary.
Howard had never given Austin access to the property.
Naomi opened the files on Austin’s flash drive.
The penthouse transfer was only one part of a larger package.
Six properties in three states had been listed for transfer into newly created companies.
Each company carried a variation of the initials L.M.
Legacy Meridian.
Laura Management.
Landmark Mercer.
The combined value exceeded $48 million.
Howard read the list twice.
“How did they get the property information?”
Austin looked toward Brittany.
“She gave it to me.”
Brittany turned on him.
“You copied private files?”
“You told me we were protecting ourselves.”
“We were.”
“You were using me to reach my father’s company.”
Franklin interrupted.
“Your father’s company was built from assets that belonged to us.”
“To you?” Alexander asked. “Or to Laura Mercer?”
Franklin looked at him coldly.
“You do not understand the history.”
“I understand that you blamed my father for your theft.”
“You have no proof.”
Alexander took the cassette from his coat.
“I have his testimony.”
“A frightened man blaming others.”
“And Rebecca’s letters.”
“A confused girl manipulated by Daniel.”
Brittany stared at her father.
“You told me Daniel forced Aunt Rebecca to disappear.”
Franklin ignored her.
“You said he killed her.”
Everyone became silent.
Alexander took one step forward.
“What?”
Brittany realized what she had revealed.
Franklin’s voice sharpened.
“Stop talking.”
Alexander’s hands trembled.
“You told her my father killed my mother?”
Franklin stood.
“Your mother made dangerous choices.”
“Where is Daniel?”
“I don’t know.”
“You have spent six months telling me you had evidence.”
“I said I could help you find the truth.”
“No. You said you knew where he was buried.”
Loretta watched Franklin carefully.
For the first time, he appeared unsettled.
Alexander moved closer.
“Was that a lie?”
Franklin glanced toward the investigators.
“I will not answer without counsel.”
Naomi copied the property files and sent emergency notices to every relevant recording office.
Five transfers were stopped before submission.
The sixth had already been processed.
The Boston penthouse now belonged to Landmark Mercer LLC.
The authorized signer was not Austin.
It was not Brittany.
It was not Franklin or Alexander.
The signer was Loretta Miller.
This time, the signature was genuine.
Loretta stared at the digital document.
“I never signed that.”
Naomi enlarged the signature certificate.
“It was notarized eleven years ago.”
Howard looked at Loretta.
“Eleven years?”
“That was before we purchased the penthouse,” Loretta said.
Naomi scrolled through the document history.
The signature had been taken from an old authorization form and attached to a new transfer package.
“The source document came from the Miller Family Trust archive.”
Howard turned toward Naomi.
“Who has archive access?”
“Only three senior attorneys.”
“And?”
Naomi did not answer immediately.
“And the trust founders.”
Howard and Loretta looked at each other.
Austin had never been named a founder.
There were only two founders.
Howard Miller.
Loretta Miller.
But the access record did not show either of their current credentials.
It showed an account marked Founder Three.
Howard stared at the screen.
“There is no third founder.”
Naomi searched the oldest trust documents.
The current version listed only Howard and Loretta.
An earlier version had been amended.
The original trust charter was created thirty-one years ago, before Howard and Loretta married.
It named three founders.
Howard Miller.
Daniel Miller.
Eleanor Price.
Loretta’s mother.
Howard sat down heavily.
“This trust did not exist before my marriage.”
Naomi turned the screen toward him.
“The state records say it did.”
“That is impossible.”
“Unless someone replaced the founding documents.”
Austin moved closer.
“Who could do that?”
Naomi opened the digital history.
The amendment had been filed eleven years earlier.
Three days before Laura Mercer died.
The filing had removed Eleanor Price and Daniel Miller from the public trust record.
It had also added Loretta as a founder.
Beneath the filing was an encrypted attachment.
Naomi attempted to open it.
A password request appeared.
Loretta looked at the screen.
Below the empty password field was a hint.
The day Howard chose the wrong family.
Howard’s face lost all color.
Loretta turned toward him.
“What day was that?”
He did not answer.
May you like
Franklin smiled from across the room.
“He knows.”
