Chapter 5: The Money My Wife Couldn't Explain
I waited until Lily was asleep before opening the USB drive.
I didn't want her hearing whatever might be on it.
At 10:47 p.m., I sat alone in my home office with the door locked.
The computer recognized the drive immediately.
There were four folders.
*BANK RECORDS.*
*MESSAGES.*
*LEGAL DOCUMENTS.*
*AUDIO.*
I opened the first folder.
The documents were dated between eight months before Rachel's accident and three months before her death.
At first, the records looked ordinary.
Then I noticed repeated transfers.
Small amounts at first.
Five hundred dollars.
Eight hundred.
Then several thousand.
Every payment went to an account belonging to Tara.
I checked the dates.
Some of the transfers had occurred while Rachel was still alive.
I leaned back.
Why had my late wife been sending money to my current wife?
I opened the messages folder.
There were screenshots of text conversations.
Most were between Rachel and an unknown number.
But one contact was saved as Tara.
I clicked the first conversation.
Rachel: I need to know why you're contacting the school.
Tara: I'm only asking questions.
Rachel: You have no reason to discuss Lily's future with anyone.
Tara: Someone needs to think about what happens when you're no longer around.
I stopped.
The next message was worse.
Rachel: Marcus is her father. He will take care of her.
Tara: Marcus doesn't know everything. And neither do you.
I felt a chill travel down my spine.
I scrolled further.
Rachel: If you continue, I'll tell him about the money.
Tara: You wouldn't dare.
The conversation ended there.
I opened the next screenshot.
It was an email from Rachel to Evelyn Price, the attorney whose card I'd found.
I believe Tara is attempting to arrange something involving Lily's inheritance. I need to know whether she has any legal authority to do that.
My breathing became shallow.
Inheritance?
Rachel had left Lily something?
I opened the legal documents folder.
There was a copy of Rachel's original will.
I read it carefully.
Rachel had established a trust for Lily, funded by an insurance policy, savings, and proceeds from a small investment account.
The estimated value at the time of the document was approximately $420,000.
I stared at the number.
I'd known Rachel had life insurance, but I'd never been told the full amount.
According to the document, the money was to remain in trust until Lily turned twenty-five, with limited withdrawals allowed for education, medical care, and essential living expenses.
The trustee was not me.
It was a woman named Evelyn Price.
I continued reading.
Then I found an amendment.
It had been submitted five months after Rachel's death.
The amendment proposed replacing Evelyn with Tara as the primary administrator of Lily's trust.
My stomach dropped.
I checked the signature.
Rachel's name appeared at the bottom.
But something was wrong.
The signature didn't look like hers.
I knew Rachel's handwriting. I'd signed birthday cards with her for eleven years. I'd seen her sign mortgage documents, school forms, and Christmas packages.
This wasn't her signature.
I opened the audio folder.
There were several recordings.
The first was dated six months before Rachel died.
I clicked play.
Rachel's voice filled the office.
"Marcus, if you ever hear this, please don't be angry with me for keeping things from you.""
I froze.
It was unmistakably her.
"I found out that Tara had been asking questions about Lily's trust. At first, I thought she was simply curious. Then I discovered that someone had tried to change the trustee information.""
There was a pause.
"I don't know whether Marcus is aware of any of this. I don't want to accuse him of something he hasn't done. But I need to protect Lily.""
The recording ended.
I sat motionless.
Then another file appeared in the playback list.
This one was much shorter.
It contained a conversation between two people.
Rachel and Tara.
I pressed play.
Rachel: "You promised me you would leave the money alone.""
Tara: "I never promised anything like that.""
Rachel: "I have the bank records.""
Tara: "Then destroy them.""
Rachel: "You took money that belongs to Lily.""
Tara: "I borrowed it.""
Rachel: "You transferred almost thirty thousand dollars.""
Tara: "And I can pay it back.""
Rachel: "With what?""
A chair scraped against the floor.
Then Tara spoke again.
"Listen carefully. Marcus has no idea how much this family costs. If I don't protect myself, I'll end up paying for your daughter forever.""
Rachel's voice became sharper.
"She's a child.""
Tara laughed.
"Then maybe you should have made better arrangements.""
The recording stopped.
I removed my headphones.
My hands were shaking.
Almost thirty thousand dollars.
Tara had taken money from Lily's trust before Rachel died.
And according to the records, the transfers hadn't stopped afterward.
I checked the latest transaction.
It was dated just three weeks ago.
The amount was $6,500.
The recipient was Tara.
I heard a sound outside the office.
Someone was standing in the hallway.
"Marcus?""
It was Tara.
I closed the laptop.
"Yes?""
"Can I come in?""
"Not right now.""
She tried the handle.
It was locked.
"Why is the door locked?""
"Because I wanted privacy.""
A pause.
Then she asked, "Did you open the drive?""
I stared at the door.
"Why are you asking?""
"Because I need to explain something before you misunderstand.""
I didn't move.
"Then explain it.""
"Not through a locked door.""
I stood and unlocked it.
Tara entered.
She was wearing her night robe, and her hair was tied back.
She looked at the laptop.
Then at me.
"You listened to the recordings.""
It wasn't a question.
"Yes.""
She closed the door.
"Marcus, those conversations were taken out of context.""
"Did you take money from Lily's trust?""
Tara looked down.
"I borrowed it.""
"Thirty thousand dollars?""
"I needed help.""
"You took money belonging to a child.""
"Your child.""
I stared at her.
She lifted her chin.
"I was struggling financially before we married. You knew that.""
"Not with Lily's money.""
"It wasn't going to hurt her. The trust has more than enough.""
"That's not your decision.""
Tara's voice rose.
"Do you know how much I sacrificed when Lily moved in? I changed my entire life. I took on responsibilities I never asked for.""
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"You married me knowing I had a daughter.""
"I didn't know she would become the center of every decision!""
I looked at her.
"Why did you try to change the trustee?""
She hesitated.
"Because I thought I could manage the money better.""
"Did you forge Rachel's signature?""
Her face drained of color.
Then she whispered, "You don't understand what happened.""
"Then help me understand.""
She reached for my hand.
"Marcus, I love you. I wanted this family to work. But Rachel made everything difficult even after she died.""
I pulled my hand away.
"Leave my daughter out of your excuses.""
Tara stepped back.
"You're going to destroy this marriage over money?""
"No. I'm trying to understand why my wife took money from a twelve-year-old.""
She turned toward the door.
Before leaving, she said something I wouldn't forget.
"Ask Evelyn why she agreed to keep the trust under her control. Ask her what Rachel promised her.""
Then she walked away.
I sat down again.
There was one final file I hadn't opened.
It was a scanned document titled:
*GUARDIANSHIP CONTINGENCY AGREEMENT.*
I clicked it.
The first page contained my name.
The second contained Tara's.
The third contained a name I had never expected to see.
*Daniel Bennett.*
My older brother.
And beneath his name was a sentence that made my blood run cold.
If Marcus becomes unavailable or unwilling to provide care, Daniel Bennett shall assume responsibility for Lily.
I stared at the screen.
My brother hadn't spoken to me in nearly three years.
He had disappeared from our family after a bitter dispute involving our father's estate.
Why had Rachel included him?
And why had Tara been trying to change the arrangement?
I picked up my phone.
There was only one person who could explain it.
I called Evelyn Price.
She answered on the fourth ring.
"Hello?""
"My name is Marcus Bennett. Rachel was my wife.""
The woman went quiet.
May you like
Then she said something that made me sit upright.
"Mr. Bennett, I've been waiting two years for you to call.""
