Chapter 8: Victoria's Confession
Nick put the phone on speaker.
"Victoria, tell us exactly what happened.""
Her breathing was uneven.
"I don't know where to start.""
"Start with the key.""
Victoria explained that Martha had contacted her three weeks earlier.
At first, the conversations had seemed harmless.
Martha complained that Helen was becoming confused and that the family trust was being handled unfairly.
She claimed Nick was being manipulated by me.
Then she offered Victoria money.
Not a small amount.
Enough to purchase an apartment and establish her own business.
"She said I deserved something after all these years," Victoria explained.
"She said I had always been the person Nick should have married.""
Nick rubbed his forehead.
"Victoria, I never promised to marry you.""
"I know that now.""
"You knew I was with Emily.""
"Yes. I did.""
Her voice broke.
"I was jealous, Nick. I won't pretend otherwise. I let Martha convince me that if you and Emily separated, you'd eventually realize we belonged together.""
I felt uncomfortable listening to her confession.
But I also recognized that she was finally taking responsibility.
Nick remained quiet.
Victoria continued.
"Last month, Martha showed me a document. She said your grandfather had promised part of the property to her if she could prove that Helen was no longer capable of managing it.""
Helen shook her head.
"That isn't true.""
"I know that now," Victoria replied.
"Why did you believe her?"" Richard asked.
"Because she showed me a medical report.""
Helen's face changed.
"What medical report?""
Victoria explained that Martha had given her a copy of a document claiming Helen had been diagnosed with a serious cognitive condition.
According to the report, Helen was supposedly unable to make financial decisions.
Helen looked genuinely shocked.
"I have never been diagnosed with anything like that.""
Richard leaned forward.
"Do you have a copy?""
"Yes," Victoria answered.
"I photographed it.""
Nick immediately asked her to send it.
A few seconds later, the image appeared on his phone.
We gathered around the screen.
The document carried the name of a private medical clinic.
There was a doctor's signature.
But something was wrong.
Helen pointed toward the bottom.
"That doctor retired twelve years ago.""
Richard enlarged the image.
"And this date is from last month.""
Nick looked at Victoria.
"Did you know it was fake?""
"No. I didn't.""
Helen shook her head.
"That could have been used to justify taking control of my finances.""
Victoria began crying again.
"I didn't know she would go that far.""
Nick's voice softened slightly.
"Why are you telling us now?""
"Because after your wedding, I saw what she did to Emily.""
I looked down.
Victoria continued.
"I watched her cut your wife's hair, Nick. I heard her laugh. And I realized she wasn't just trying to get an inheritance. She wanted to punish anyone who refused to obey her.""
There was a pause.
"Then she called me last night.""
"What did she say?""
"She told me she had the original agreement. She said she was going to destroy it.""
Helen stood.
"She doesn't have the right.""
Victoria's voice dropped.
"She said she had something else too. Something that could make the entire inheritance disappear.""
Nick stared at the phone.
"What?""
"She said your grandfather recorded a confession before he died.""
Helen looked at Richard.
The two exchanged a glance.
"Was there another recording?"" Richard asked.
Helen nodded slowly.
"James made several recordings. I only knew about the one we found.""
Victoria continued.
"Martha said the last recording contains something about a secret account and a payment made shortly before your grandfather died.""
Nick looked confused.
"Who made the payment?""
"I don't know.""
"Victoria, did she tell you where the documents were?""
"She said she was taking them to the old Whitmore estate.""
Eleanor's family estate.
Richard immediately stood.
"We need to contact Eleanor.""
Nick ended the call and dialed her number.
She answered almost immediately.
"Nick?""
"Is Martha at your family's old estate?""
Eleanor was quiet.
"How do you know about that?""
"Victoria told us.""
Eleanor sighed.
"I received a message from Martha this morning. She said she wanted to return some documents that belonged to my late husband.""
"Are you there now?""
"No. I'm in the city.""
"Can you get there?""
"Why?""
Nick explained everything.
Eleanor didn't hesitate.
"I'll meet you there. But there's something you should know.""
"What?""
"My husband kept a private office in the estate. Martha was never allowed inside.""
"Why?""
"Because he discovered she had been trying to use his company to conceal money from the family trust.""
Richard looked at Helen.
"That explains the Whitmore connection.""
Eleanor continued.
"I have the original security access records. If Martha entered that office, there should be footage.""
Nick ended the call.
We drove to the Whitmore estate together.
The building was enormous, with a long driveway, tall iron gates, and perfectly maintained gardens.
Eleanor was waiting outside.
She looked pale.
"I've been thinking about what Martha might be hiding," she said.
She unlocked the front door and led us through the entrance hall.
The house was silent.
A large portrait of Eleanor's late husband hung above the staircase.
She stopped beneath it.
"He trusted Martha once. That's what makes this so difficult.""
Nick asked, "What exactly did he discover?""
Eleanor looked at him.
"He discovered that your mother had been receiving payments from a company connected to your grandfather's property.""
Richard frowned.
"Payments for what?""
"That's what I never understood.""
Eleanor led us into a private office.
She opened a locked cabinet and removed a thick ledger.
"These are my husband's old financial records.""
Nick began turning the pages.
Then he stopped.
There was a payment listed under Martha's name.
The amount was enormous.
Beside it was a handwritten note:
Final payment upon successful transfer of original trust deed.
Richard looked up.
"She was paid to steal the house?""
Eleanor nodded.
"That's what it appears to say.""
Helen covered her mouth.
"Who paid her?""
Eleanor pointed toward the company name.
Whitmore Holdings.
Nick stared.
"But your husband owned that company.""
"He did. But the payments were authorized by someone else.""
Eleanor turned to another page.
A second signature appeared.
Richard leaned closer.
Then he stepped backward.
"That's impossible.""
Nick looked at him.
"What?""
Richard's voice trembled.
"That's my signature.""
Nobody spoke.
Eleanor shook her head.
"No, Richard. Look carefully.""
He leaned toward the ledger.
The signature was nearly identical to his.
But it wasn't his.
Someone had copied it.
Nick turned another page.
There was a photograph attached to the ledger.
It showed Martha standing outside the Whitmore estate with a man whose face was partially hidden.
On the back was a date.
Three days before James died.
Helen stared at the photograph.
Then she whispered:
"That's the man who visited James the night he died.""
Richard looked horrified.
"Who is he?""
Helen slowly shook her head.
"I don't know his name.""
Eleanor opened another drawer.
"I might.""
She removed an old visitor log.
There was an entry beside the date.
The name was written clearly.
*Daniel Reeves.*
May you like
Nick stared at the page.
The same attorney who had appeared outside our apartment at two in the morning.
