Chapter 7 - The Recording Lily Was Never Supposed to Make
Rebecca read Robert's letter aloud.
Sarah cried before she reached the final paragraph.
Not from remorse.
From panic.
"Dad hated Greg."
Greg looked at her sharply.
"Sarah."
"It's true."
Rebecca continued reading.
"If Carolyn is ever pressured, threatened, isolated, or declared incompetent by a doctor connected to a beneficiary, the beneficiary responsible loses all inheritance rights from my trust."
Sarah stared at the table.
Greg stepped forward.
"This proves nothing."
David turned toward him.
"You forged a power of attorney."
"No."
"We have the document."
"Carolyn signed it."
Carolyn stood.
"I did not."
Greg looked at her.
For the first time that night, his confidence slipped.
"It was explained to you."
"No."
"You forget things."
David moved before he realized it.
He stopped inches from Greg.
"Say that again."
Carolyn touched David's arm.
"Don't."
David looked at his mother.
Her expression was calm.
"Let him speak," she said.
Greg took advantage of the opening.
"Carolyn has been showing cognitive decline for months."
Rebecca removed another document.
"Dr. Patrick Voss?"
Greg blinked.
"Yes."
Rebecca placed the bank statement beside it.
"Paid seven thousand dollars from money taken from Carolyn's account."
Sarah looked at Greg.
"You told me Patrick was helping us."
"He was."
"Seven thousand?"
"Sarah."
She stepped away from him.
"You said two."
David noticed the shift immediately.
Greg did too.
"Don't start."
Sarah stared at him.
"How much money did you take?"
Greg said nothing.
"Greg."
Carolyn looked at her daughter.
"One hundred forty-three thousand that we can prove."
Sarah's mouth opened.
"What?"
Greg turned.
"You knew about the transfers."
"Not that much."
"Don't lie."
"I knew about thirty-eight thousand."
"You signed the credit applications."
"I signed what you put in front of me."
Greg laughed without humor.
"Now you're innocent?"
Lily began crying.
Everyone stopped.
The child had been standing near the kitchen entrance the entire time.
Sarah rushed toward her.
"Sweetheart."
Lily backed away.
"You said Grandma was giving us the house."
Sarah froze.
"You said she didn't need her money because she was going away."
"Lily, stop."
"You said Uncle David didn't care."
David looked at Sarah.
Carolyn closed her eyes.
Sarah whispered, "She doesn't understand."
Lily shouted, "Yes I do."
She ran toward the stairs.
Sarah moved after her.
David stepped into her path.
"Let her go."
"She's my daughter."
"Then start acting like her mother."
Sarah stared at him.
Ten minutes later Lily returned.
She held an old cell phone.
Carolyn recognized it.
Robert's emergency phone.
Lily placed it on the dining table.
Greg's eyes widened.
"Where did you get that?"
"You broke it."
"I asked where you got it."
Lily stepped behind Carolyn.
"I fixed the battery."
Greg moved toward the table.
David blocked him.
Lily looked at her grandmother.
"I recorded things."
Sarah stared at her.
"What things?"
"When you and Dad fight."
"Why?"
"Because I didn't know who was lying."
The room became silent.
Lily unlocked the phone.
She played the first recording.
Greg's voice filled the dining room.
Once Carolyn signs, we move the house into the company and refinance it.
Sarah's voice answered.
What if she tells David?
Greg replied.
Then we make sure David believes she's losing her mind.
Nobody moved.
Lily played another recording.
Sarah's voice this time.
Mom's doctor won't sign anything.
Greg answered.
That's why we aren't using her doctor.
Sarah whispered.
This feels wrong.
Greg said something that changed the expression on her face even now.
Wrong doesn't matter if it works.
Carolyn covered her mouth.
Lily started crying harder.
"I heard you."
Sarah looked devastated.
"Lily."
The girl shook her head.
"I heard all of it."
Sarah reached toward her.
Lily stepped behind David.
That hurt Sarah more than any accusation.
Greg lunged toward the phone.
David caught his wrist.
"Don't."
Greg tried to pull away.
"That's stolen property."
Carolyn looked at him.
"It belonged to my husband."
Greg glared at Lily.
"Delete it."
Lily shrank backward.
David released Greg and stepped between them.
"You raise your voice at her again and you're leaving this room."
Greg laughed.
"You don't control me."
A knock sounded at the front door.
David looked toward it.
Officer Hannah Cole stood outside with two uniformed county deputies.
Greg's expression collapsed.
Sarah whispered, "David, what did you do?"
May you like
David looked at his sister.
"I came home."
