Chapter 7 - GRANDMA'S LAST INSTRUCTION
Rebecca woke before dawn.
Evelyn sat beside the window.
“You're awake.”
Rebecca looked at the leather folder.
“The flash drive.”
Evelyn nodded.
“You're ready?”
“No.”
Evelyn gave a faint smile.
“Good. People who are too confident usually miss the important part.”
Rebecca took the drive.
Before she could connect it, Margaret entered.
Her eyes were red.
She handed Rebecca an envelope.
“This is from me.”
Rebecca opened it.
Inside was the small metal key.
Her mother's handwriting covered the back.
Your grandmother told me to give you this only when you were ready to stop protecting us.
Rebecca looked at her.
“Mom, what did you know?”
Margaret began crying.
“Too much.”
“What happened to Thomas?”
“I don't know.”
“You're lying.”
“I don't know where he went.”
Rebecca waited.
Margaret finally whispered.
“But I know why he left.”
Rebecca's heart pounded.
“Why?”
Margaret looked at Evelyn.
Evelyn nodded.
Margaret said:
“Thomas discovered that someone had been using Grandma's property records to hide money.”
Rebecca froze.
“Whose money?”
Margaret shook her head.
“That is what he was trying to prove.”
Evelyn interrupted.
“Rebecca, there is more.”
She opened the leather folder.
Inside was another letter from Grandma.
Rebecca read it.
If they ever tell you the house is worth more than your life, walk away.
If they tell you your family is more important than the truth, remember that family without truth becomes a prison.
And if they ask you to sign anything, do not.
Rebecca looked at Evelyn.
“Why didn't Grandma tell me directly?”
“Because she knew you would come looking for answers.”
Rebecca held the letter tightly.
Then she connected the flash drive.
A single audio file appeared.
Rebecca clicked it.
Static.
Then Grandma's voice.
“If you're hearing this, Rebecca, someone has already tried to force you to surrender the property.”
Rebecca's eyes widened.
Grandma continued.
“But I need you to understand something.”
The recording paused.
“There is one person in your family who knows exactly what happened to Thomas.”
Rebecca looked toward Margaret.
Margaret shook her head.
“No.”
The recording continued.
“And that person is not your father.”
May you like
Rebecca stared at the screen.
Then the audio stopped.
