Chapter 7: The Account Nobody Was Supposed to Find
For several seconds, nobody moved.
The words Chloe had just spoken seemed to hang in the dining room.
Almost half a million dollars.
Another account in my name.
I looked at Dad.
"How much money did Mom leave me?""
He rubbed his forehead.
"We thought the trust contained approximately $320,000.""
"But Chloe said there was another account.""
Eleanor slowly picked up the letter she had dropped.
"Your mother had several investments, Naomi. Some were held separately from the primary trust.""
"How much?""
"I don't know the exact amount.""
Dad turned toward Melissa.
"Do you?""
Melissa shook her head.
"Chloe is confused. She's repeating things she overheard.""
Chloe stepped away from her mother.
"I'm not confused!""
"Chloe, stop talking.""
"No! You told me everything was going to be ours!""
Melissa's face hardened.
"Go upstairs.""
"You said we would never have to worry about money again!""
Dad slammed his hand against the table.
"ENOUGH!""
The room fell silent.
He looked at Chloe.
"Sit down.""
Chloe slowly lowered herself into a chair.
Dad pulled another chair toward her.
"Start from the beginning. What did Martin tell you?""
Chloe wiped her cheeks.
"Mom started talking about the money last year. She said Naomi had a secret account that nobody knew about.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"How did you know about it?""
"Mom showed me some papers.""
"What papers?""
"Bank statements. There were numbers on them.""
Melissa shook her head.
"She saw one document. That's all.""
Chloe ignored her.
"Mom said the money was supposed to become available when Naomi turned eighteen. But if they changed the account manager before then, they could move some of it.""
Dad stared at Melissa.
"Who told you that?""
"Martin.""
"And you believed him?""
Melissa raised her voice.
"He knows how these things work!""
Eleanor opened her document case again.
"Martin Hale is not a licensed trustee. He cannot simply change the ownership of a protected account.""
Melissa looked toward the door.
Dad noticed.
"Sit down, Melissa.""
She remained standing.
"You're not my husband anymore if you think you can order me around like this.""
Dad's expression changed.
"Then perhaps we should stop pretending this marriage is what it used to be.""
Melissa went silent.
I looked at Chloe.
"Did you know they were trying to take my money?""
She shook her head.
"I thought it was just a family account.""
"You knew about the car.""
"Mom said she was buying it for me.""
"With my money.""
Chloe looked down.
"I didn't ask where it came from.""
I let out a bitter laugh.
"You didn't ask because you didn't care.""
She started crying harder.
Dad opened his laptop.
"Naomi, I need you to understand something. We're going to find every account connected to your mother's estate.""
He looked at Eleanor.
"Can you contact the original attorney?""
"I already have.""
She pulled out her phone.
"I left a message with Harold. He said there was another person involved in managing your wife's investments.""
"Who?""
"Her accountant. A woman named Patricia Wells.""
Dad nodded.
"Call her.""
Eleanor dialed.
After a few minutes, someone answered.
"Patricia? This is Eleanor Brooks. I'm calling about Claire Carter's estate.""
A woman's voice came through the speaker.
"Is everything all right?""
"No. We need information about the separate investment account Claire established for Naomi.""
There was a pause.
Then Patricia asked, "Has Martin Hale contacted you?""
Dad leaned forward.
"Yes. Why?""
Patricia exhaled.
"Because he contacted me six months ago asking for copies of Claire's original investment records. I refused.""
Melissa closed her eyes.
Patricia continued.
"He claimed Daniel had authorized him to consolidate the accounts. But the request didn't match the estate instructions.""
Dad's voice became sharp.
"Did you give him anything?""
"No. I sent the request to Harold Bennett.""
Eleanor looked at Dad.
"Was that the last contact?""
"No. Two weeks ago, someone accessed an old online investment profile.""
Dad leaned closer.
"Who?""
"I can't identify the person from the information I have, but the access came from an IP address associated with a property management company.""
"Which company?""
Patricia read the name.
Dad froze.
"That's Melissa's company.""
Melissa immediately shook her head.
"I have employees. Anyone could have used the office computer.""
Patricia continued.
"The account itself is still active. The balance was approximately $487,000 at the last quarterly review.""
My legs nearly gave out.
Nearly half a million dollars.
Money my mother had saved for me.
Money that had apparently been sitting there while Melissa replaced my trophies with Chloe's.
Dad asked the question I was afraid to ask.
"Has anything been withdrawn?""
Patricia hesitated.
"I can't confirm that without the full account audit. But I can tell you that a liquidation request was submitted last month.""
"By whom?""
"The request bears the name of Melissa Carter.""
Dad slowly turned toward his wife.
Melissa looked genuinely terrified now.
"That was just an inquiry.""
Patricia interrupted.
"It was not an inquiry. It was a formal liquidation request.""
Dad ended the call.
He stood very still.
Then he walked toward the window.
Outside, the neighborhood was quiet. A dog barked somewhere down the street.
Everything looked normal.
But our family was falling apart inside that house.
I approached Dad.
"Did Mom know?""
He turned.
"Know what, sweetheart?""
"That Melissa was doing this?""
He looked at the photograph of my mother.
"I don't know.""
I lowered my eyes.
"I wish she had told me.""
Dad pulled me into his arms.
"She tried to protect you. She thought the arrangements she made would be enough.""
I held him tightly.
Then Melissa spoke.
"Daniel, we need to discuss this privately.""
Dad released me.
"There's nothing private about half a million dollars being targeted.""
"You don't understand my situation.""
"Then explain it.""
Melissa began crying.
"Martin said the investment would be temporary. He said we could return everything before Naomi ever needed it.""
Eleanor stood.
"Why would you need to borrow half a million dollars from a seventeen-year-old?""
Melissa looked at the floor.
"Our business was struggling.""
Dad stared at her.
"What business?""
"My property management company.""
"You told me it was profitable.""
"It was.""
"When?""
Melissa didn't answer.
Dad approached her.
"How much debt do you have?""
She whispered, "About four hundred thousand.""
Dad closed his eyes.
The number was almost identical to the money in my mother's second account.
I suddenly understood.
Melissa wasn't trying to improve our household.
She was trying to rescue her failing business.
And she had decided my inheritance was the easiest way to do it.
Then Dad's phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
Unknown number.
He answered.
"Daniel Carter.""
A man's voice came through.
"Daniel, this is Martin Hale. I think we need to talk.""
Dad put the call on speaker.
"About what?""
"About the misunderstanding involving Naomi's accounts.""
Dad looked directly at Melissa.
"What misunderstanding?""
Martin chuckled.
"Look, I know you're upset. But if you start involving lawyers, you'll create problems that nobody needs.""
Dad's voice turned icy.
"Did you submit documents using my forged signature?""
There was a pause.
Then Martin replied:
"I think your wife can explain that better than I can.""
Dad's face hardened.
"Stay away from my daughter.""
Martin laughed softly.
"Your daughter? Daniel, you have no idea what your late wife actually signed.""
The call ended.
I looked at Dad.
He looked at Eleanor.
Then he opened the document folder and pulled out the original trust agreement.
At the bottom of the final page was a clause none of us had noticed.
A clause concerning an emergency beneficiary.
May you like
And beside it was a name.
Martin Hale.
