Chapter 12 - the last document
The original codicil was not in Grace's room.
It was not in the blue box.
It was not at the lake house.
It was not in any safe Vincent knew existed.
For four days after Vanessa's arrest, investigators searched.
Meanwhile, the case against Julian expanded.
The mechanic who inspected Grace's car had not vanished.
He had been paid to leave the state.
Detectives found him living under his own name in Arizona.
He had kept photographs.
The images showed a manipulated brake-pressure valve.
His written notes indicated the interference had been deliberate.
He also remembered a man visiting his shop two days after Grace died.
Julian Cole.
The mechanic had been offered fifty thousand dollars to forget the inspection.
He accepted.
Then spent three years fearing the decision.
Martin Shea, the missing insurance broker, was found at a rented house in Connecticut.
Julian had not imprisoned him.
He had paid him to disappear after the forged policy applications became risky.
Shea agreed to cooperate.
The financial evidence became overwhelming.
But the murder investigation remained more complicated.
Julian never explicitly confessed.
He claimed the warehouse conversation had been misunderstood.
He admitted knowing about Grace's brake concern.
He denied touching the vehicle.
Vanessa claimed she had only supplied Grace's schedule so Julian could confront her.
Neither admitted planning a death.
Then police recovered security footage from a gas station near the lake.
Old.
Poor quality.
But archived because the station had been part of another investigation.
Julian's car appeared on the road to the Moretti lake house the night before Grace's brakes began failing.
Vincent watched the footage once.
He did not need to see it again.
Still, Vanessa's final words haunted him.
Ask Grace why she changed Lily's guardianship.
Edward searched his records.
He found drafts.
Grace had indeed asked questions about guardianship.
But not because she feared Vincent.
She had asked what would happen if both parents died.
She wanted Martha to have a formal temporary role until Lily's permanent guardian could be determined.
Nothing about removing Vincent.
Vanessa had lied.
Mostly.
Then Edward found an email.
Grace had written it three days before her death.
I need to revise the codicil again. There is one person I specifically do not want having any authority over Lily if something happens to me.
Edward had replied asking for the name.
Grace never answered.
Vincent knew the name was probably Vanessa.
But probably was not enough.
One evening, he sat in Lily's room while she colored.
She had begun sleeping better.
The wall with the threatening message had been repainted.
Vincent had offered to replace the entire room.
Lily said no.
"I like my stars."
Tiny gold stars covered the ceiling.
Grace had painted them.
Vincent sat beside her.
"Can I ask you something?"
Lily nodded.
"Do you remember Mommy giving you anything else besides the key?"
She thought.
"No."
"A paper?"
"No."
"A book?"
"No."
"A box?"
"The treasure."
"Anything after that?"
Lily drew a yellow circle.
Then stopped.
"She gave me a song."
Vincent smiled sadly.
"A song?"
Lily nodded.
"The moon song."
"I don't know the moon song."
"You do."
"I do?"
"Mommy sang it."
Lily hummed.
Vincent recognized the melody.
Grace used to sing it while putting Lily to sleep.
No words.
Just notes.
He had always assumed Grace invented it.
"Did Mommy say anything about it?"
Lily nodded.
"She said if I forget where treasure sleeps, sing to the moon."
Vincent went still.
"Say that again."
"If I forget where treasure sleeps, sing to the moon."
The grandfather clock.
Moon dial.
They had found the blue box behind the mural beside the clock.
But perhaps there was more.
Vincent carried Lily downstairs.
Martha met them in the east library.
"What is happening?"
Vincent pointed to the clock.
"The moon."
They examined it.
The dial displayed phases of the moon.
Vincent opened the clock case.
Pendulum.
Weights.
Gears.
Nothing else.
Lily hummed the melody.
Martha listened.
Then looked at the clock face.
The notes repeated in groups.
Three.
One.
Four.
Two.
Martha frowned.
"Numbers."
Vincent looked at her.
"The song."
They counted the note pattern again.
Three.
One.
Four.
Two.
Vincent moved the clock hands.
3:14.
Nothing.
Then 2:31.
Nothing.
Lily said, "Moon."
Vincent touched the four moon-phase symbols.
Third.
First.
Fourth.
Second.
A click sounded.
Martha stepped back.
A hidden panel opened at the base of the clock.
Inside was a sealed envelope.
Original Codicil.
Vincent stared.
Grace had hidden it in the same library as the blue box but in a separate compartment.
If one was discovered, the other might survive.
He opened it with Edward present an hour later.
The document contained three major changes.
First, Lily's inheritance could never be controlled by a future spouse of Vincent.
Second, control of the Moretti Foundation would transfer to an independent board if Vincent died or became incapacitated.
Third, Grace included a personal declaration.
I have become aware of credible evidence that Julian Cole and Vanessa Cole have participated in fraud involving foundation assets. Neither person is ever to hold authority over Lily Moretti, her trusts, her property, or any Moretti charitable entity.
Vincent continued reading.
Then stopped.
There was one more paragraph.
If my death occurs before I can report the information I have collected, I ask that authorities examine any involvement by Julian Cole. Vanessa Cole has repeatedly attempted to persuade me to remain silent and has demonstrated knowledge of matters she should not know unless Julian shared them with her.
Martha closed her eyes.
Edward whispered, "This is what they were looking for."
Vincent nodded.
The codicil did not prove murder.
But it destroyed Vanessa's claim that Grace feared Vincent.
More importantly, it proved Grace had identified both Coles before her death.
Vincent looked at Lily.
The child was sitting on the carpet playing with the brass key.
Grace had trusted a two-year-old with the beginning of the trail.
Not because she expected Lily to solve anything.
Because nobody searching for financial evidence would think to examine a child's dollhouse.
Vincent crouched.
"Your mommy was very smart."
Lily nodded.
"Smarter than you."
Edward coughed to hide a laugh.
Vincent smiled for the first time in days.
"Much smarter than me."
Lily seemed satisfied.
Then she asked, "Is Vanessa coming home?"
The smile disappeared.
"No."
"Ever?"
"No."
Lily looked at the key.
"Good."
Vincent's chest tightened.
That one word told him more about his daughter's fear than any testimony.
He sat on the carpet beside her.
"Lily."
She looked up.
"I need you to hear me."
"Okay."
"If somebody scares you, you tell me."
She nodded.
"Even if they say I'll be angry."
Another nod.
"Even if they say I'll get hurt."
Lily's eyes filled.
"Even if it's someone I love."
She whispered, "You loved Vanessa."
Vincent swallowed.
"I thought I did."
"Does that make me bad?"
He stared.
"Why would it make you bad?"
"Because I didn't."
Vincent pulled her into his arms.
"No."
He held her carefully.
"You never have to love someone because I do."
Lily rested her head against him.
After a moment she whispered, "Mommy didn't like her either."
Vincent closed his eyes.
"No."
May you like
He looked at the codicil on the table.
"Mommy definitely didn't."
