Chapter 8 - The Second Ledger)
By dawn, Claire had learned how frightening one word could become.
Active.
Bell refused to speculate without more evidence.
Claire insisted on knowing every possible interpretation.
Financial account.
Identity file.
Property authority.
Insurance claim.
Trust designation.
Or something worse.
"We need the red ledger," Bell said.
Claire remembered Sophie's account of Robert moving it the night before.
"What if Robert took it?"
"He may have."
"Then we're stuck."
"No."
Bell turned toward the screen.
"Daniel duplicated some records. The ledger probably explains the codes."
Sophie woke shortly after seven.
Claire did not tell her about the photograph.
Not yet.
There had already been too many shocks.
Bell asked Sophie if she remembered anything else about Robert's office.
She stared at a packet of crackers.
"The red book had a ribbon."
"What color?"
"Black."
"Anything written on the cover?"
"No."
"Did Grandpa ever carry it somewhere?"
Sophie nodded.
"Basement."
Claire looked at Bell.
"The basement was searched."
"Was there anything unusual downstairs?"
Claire thought.
Laundry room.
Utility closet.
Robert's workshop.
Old furniture.
Then Sophie spoke.
"Grandpa doesn't let anyone touch the freezer."
Bell frowned.
Claire almost dismissed it.
Then remembered Robert had bought a commercial chest freezer despite Margaret keeping almost no frozen food.
"Why?"
Sophie shrugged.
"He gets mad."
Bell called the search team.
Thirty minutes later, an agent found that the freezer was bolted to the concrete floor.
It contained almost nothing.
Removing the interior baskets revealed a steel plate beneath the false bottom.
Under the plate was a narrow cavity.
The red ledger was inside.
Robert had not taken it.
He had hidden it before leaving.
Margaret closed her eyes when Bell placed the ledger in an evidence bag.
Her attorney whispered something.
She shook her head.
Bell opened the book only after it had been photographed.
Daniel's copied files were detailed.
The ledger was worse.
Names were paired with numbers and symbols.
Properties.
Insurance policies.
Trust balances.
Birthdates.
Death dates.
Guardianship status.
Claire found Sophie's name.
Benson, Sophie.
Beside it:
2.41M
PRIMARY GUARDIAN: CB
CONTINGENT: MH
OBSTRUCTION: CB
Claire pointed.
"What does obstruction mean?"
Bell did not answer immediately.
Margaret did.
"You."
Everyone turned.
Her attorney put a hand on her arm.
Margaret ignored him.
"You were the obstruction."
Claire stared.
"To what?"
Margaret looked tired now.
Older.
Nothing remained of the woman who had shoved a bowl toward Sophie the night before.
"Robert needed control of Sophie's trust."
"You mean you needed my daughter."
"The money was already committed."
Claire stepped forward.
"Committed to what?"
Margaret's attorney interrupted.
"My client is not answering additional questions without an agreement."
Bell looked at him.
"Then advise her to stop volunteering."
Margaret stared at Claire.
"Daniel ruined everything."
Claire felt the old rage return.
"He found out you were stealing."
"You think this was about stealing?"
Margaret laughed bitterly.
"You still don't understand your husband."
"Then explain him."
Margaret's expression changed.
For one second, grief appeared.
Real grief.
"Daniel thought he could take records and walk away."
"Did Robert kill him?"
Margaret's eyes moved toward Bell.
The attorney stood.
"We're done."
Claire stepped closer.
"Did you know he was alive?"
Margaret froze.
Bell's face sharpened.
The attorney looked at Claire.
"What are you talking about?"
Claire realized Bell had not told Margaret about the photograph.
Margaret's reaction mattered.
Claire watched carefully.
Margaret whispered.
"Alive?"
There was genuine shock.
Whatever else Margaret knew, she did not appear to know Daniel had survived the crash.
Bell saw it too.
Before anyone could continue, the front door opened.
Two agents entered.
Robert walked between them.
He was not handcuffed.
But he was pale.
His dark sweater was damp.
He looked exhausted.
Margaret stood.
"Robert."
He ignored her.
His eyes went to the red ledger.
Then to Claire.
"You found it."
Claire stared.
"You ran."
"I left."
"Why?"
"Because once Bell found the box, staying here became dangerous."
"For you?"
Robert looked toward Sophie.
"For all of you."
Bell stepped forward.
"Where were you going?"
"To meet someone."
"Who?"
Robert smiled faintly.
"You wouldn't believe me."
"Try."
Robert looked at Claire.
May you like
Then he said the one name nobody expected.
"Daniel."
