Chapter 9: My Son's Terrifying Confession
Jared reached for the photograph again.
I pulled it against my chest.
“Tell me what it proves.””
He looked toward Margaret.
“You shouldn't have brought her here.””
Margaret stood between us.
“Jared, this is your mother's property. You have no authority to tell her where she can go.””
He laughed bitterly.
“You think I don't know that?””
“Then why are you here?””
He rubbed his face.
“Because Richard is going to destroy all of us if she finds those documents.””
I stared at him.
“Your father kept evidence against Richard?””
Jared nodded.
“Dad should have left it alone.””
“Why?””
“Because it wasn't his problem.””
I felt my chest tighten.
“A man was seriously injured. Your father tried to expose what happened.””
Jared looked away.
“Richard took care of it.””
“Took care of it?””
“He paid the medical expenses. He settled with the worker. He handled everything.””
Margaret's voice became sharp.
“Samuel Reed never received the compensation he was promised.””
Jared turned toward her.
“You don't know what you're talking about.””
“I have the records.””
“Then you should have destroyed them!””
The words echoed through the small building.
I stared at my son.
“Why would you say that?””
He looked at me.
For a moment, his face seemed younger.
Then he spoke.
“Because Richard owns half the lenders my company depends on. If he goes down, my business goes down with him.””
I slowly lowered the photograph.
“So this is about your business.””
“It's bigger than that.””
“Then explain.””
Jared paced across the room.
“My company owes money. A lot of money. Richard helped me secure financing when nobody else would.””
“Using your father's land?””
He stopped.
“I thought Dad would agree.””
“But he didn't.””
“He was dying, Mom! He didn't understand how much pressure I was under.””
I stared at him.
“Your father understood perfectly.””
Jared slammed his palm against the desk.
“Dad had forty-seven million dollars! He could have helped me without blinking!””
I felt my stomach twist.
“He already helped you.””
“Not enough!””
The words came out so quickly that even Jared seemed surprised.
I looked at him.
“Four million dollars wasn't enough?””
He stared at me.
I continued.
“He invested in your company. He protected your business. He helped you get contracts. And you still wanted more?””
Jared lowered his voice.
“Mom, you don't understand how business works.””
“Stop saying that.””
He looked up.
“You're right. I don't understand how someone can watch his father die and still think about taking his property.””
His face hardened.
“Dad was impossible. He controlled everything. He made me feel like a child.””
I shook my head.
“He was trying to protect you.””
“No. He was trying to control me.””
Margaret opened the filing cabinet.
“Jared, we know about the loan agreement. We also know about the attempted transfer submitted through your emergency access card.””
His face went pale.
“You can't prove that was me.””
“Your access token was used.””
“Anyone could have taken the card.””
I stepped closer.
“Did you take it?””
He looked at me.
Then he looked away.
That was answer enough.
I felt tears burning behind my eyes.
“Jared, why?””
He swallowed.
“Because I needed the property.””
“For what?””
“To secure the financing.””
“Your father was dead.””
“I know!””
“Then why couldn't you leave me alone?””
He suddenly sat on the edge of the desk.
For a moment, he looked exhausted.
“Because Richard said he would erase the debt if I helped him acquire the estate.””
I stared at him.
There it was.
The truth.
Richard wasn't merely interested in buying the property.
He had made a deal with my son.
“What did you promise him?””
Jared looked at the floor.
“Control of the land.””
“And what did he promise you?””
“To clear the loans. Invest in my company. Give me a position in the resort development.””
I slowly nodded.
“So you were willing to give him my inheritance.””
“It was supposed to stay in the family!””
“Whose family?””
He didn't answer.
I walked toward the window.
Outside, snow was beginning to fall.
I thought about Thomas sitting at this same desk, perhaps writing the letters he had left behind.
I wondered how many nights he had spent worrying about our son.
Then I turned.
“Did Vanessa know?””
Jared hesitated.
“Know what?””
“That you were planning to take the property.””
He rubbed his forehead.
“She knew about the business arrangement.””
“Did she know about the forged transfer?””
“I didn't forge anything.””
“Jared.””
He looked at me.
“I didn't sign Dad's name.””
“Then who did?””
He remained silent.
Margaret stepped forward.
“Jared, we have the digital record. Someone accessed the system using your emergency card.””
He suddenly stood.
“Richard said it would be handled!””
The room went completely still.
I felt my heart pounding.
“What did Richard say?””
Jared looked as though he wished he could swallow his words.
Then he whispered:
“He said he had someone who could make the documents look authentic.””
Margaret's face hardened.
“Who?””
“I don't know.””
“Who was it, Jared?””
He shook his head.
“I never met the person.””
I took a step toward him.
“Did Richard tell you to use your father's signature?””
Jared looked at me.
“Yes.””
The single word seemed to drain all the air from the room.
I sat down.
My own son had helped someone forge his dead father's signature.
I didn't know what to say.
Then Jared reached into his jacket.
He pulled out a folded document and placed it on the desk.
“There's something else you need to know.””
I looked at it.
It was a bank statement.
The account belonged to Jared's company.
A payment of $750,000 had been transferred to a company called Northstar Legal Services.
The date was three days before Thomas died.
“What is this?””
Jared swallowed.
“Richard said it was a consulting payment.””
“To whom?””
“I don't know.””
Margaret examined the statement.
Her eyes narrowed.
“Northstar Legal Services isn't a law firm.””
“Then what is it?”” I asked.
She turned the paper over.
The company registration details were printed at the bottom.
The registered director was a woman named Elaine Porter.
Margaret stared at the name.
“That's impossible.””
I looked at her.
“Who is Elaine Porter?””
Margaret slowly lowered the document.
“She was Thomas's private estate attorney before I became involved.””
I felt a chill.
“Was she working for Richard?””
Margaret shook her head.
“I thought she had retired.””
Jared took a step toward the door.
“I'm leaving.””
“Wait,” I said.
He stopped.
“Where is Vanessa?””
“At home.””
“Does she know you're here?””
He hesitated.
“Yes.””
I stared at him.
“Then why hasn't she called me?””
He didn't answer.
His phone vibrated.
He glanced at the screen.
A message appeared.
I couldn't read the entire thing, but I saw the first line.
*Did you get the original file?*
Jared quickly turned the phone over.
Margaret noticed.
“Who sent that?””
“Nobody.””
“Show us.””
“Stay out of it.””
He moved toward the door.
I stepped in front of him.
“Jared, I need you to answer one question.””
He looked at me.
“Did your father know that Richard had someone inside his legal team?””
Jared's expression changed.
Then he whispered something that made my blood run cold.
“Mom, Dad knew.””
“What?””
“He knew Elaine had been working with Richard. That's why he changed his will.””
I stared at him.
“Why didn't he tell me?””
Jared looked toward the filing cabinet.
“Because Elaine wasn't just stealing documents.””
He swallowed.
“She was changing them.””
Margaret went completely still.
Jared continued.
“And the last document she changed wasn't about the land.””
He looked directly at me.
“It was your father's medical authorization.””
For several seconds, nobody moved.
I heard my own breathing.
Then Margaret grabbed the desk.
“Jared, what exactly are you saying?””
He looked at me.
“Dad discovered that someone had tried to alter his medical records before he died.””
I felt the floor shift beneath me.
My husband had been sick.
He had been in pain.
But I had trusted every doctor, every nurse, every document placed in front of me.
Jared opened his mouth again.
“Mom, there's something about the night Dad died that you were never told.””
And before he could finish, Margaret's phone rang.
The caller ID displayed a name.
*ELAINE PORTER.*
Margaret answered.
A woman's voice came through the speaker.
“Margaret, I assume Leah has started asking questions.””
Margaret said nothing.
The woman continued.
“Tell her to stop looking into Thomas's medical records.””
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Then she added one final sentence.
“Because if she discovers what happened in that hospital, she'll wish she had never inherited the estate.””
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