Chapter 2: The Missing Papers
"What car?""
Naomi asked the question again.
Melissa stared at Chloe with a look Naomi had never seen before.
Not anger.
Fear.
"Chloe misunderstood me.""
"No, I didn't," Chloe said.
"Enough.""
"You said—"
"Chloe.""
Daniel stepped between them.
"What exactly did you promise her?""
Melissa forced a laugh.
"This is ridiculous. We discussed possibly helping Chloe replace her car eventually.""
"With Naomi's ten thousand dollars?""
"Not specifically.""
Chloe looked confused.
"But you said—"
Melissa grabbed her daughter's arm.
"I said enough.""
Chloe pulled away.
"Why are you acting like I did something wrong?""
Daniel's voice became dangerously calm.
"Because apparently there is something she doesn't want you to tell me.""
Melissa looked at him.
"Don't interrogate my daughter.""
"Then answer me yourself.""
He pointed toward the envelope.
"Did you intend to use Naomi's prize money to buy Chloe a car?""
"No.""
Chloe frowned.
"But Mom, you said we wouldn't need her prize money once the other account was transferred.""
Silence.
Naomi saw Melissa's face lose its color.
Daniel didn't blink.
"What other account?""
Chloe's mouth opened.
Melissa stepped toward her.
"Chloe, stop talking.""
Naomi looked from one to the other.
"What account?""
"Nothing," Melissa said.
Daniel was already moving.
He walked toward the hallway.
"Daniel.""
He ignored her.
"Daniel, don't do this.""
He entered his home office.
Naomi followed.
So did Melissa and Chloe.
Daniel went directly to the framed painting behind his desk and lifted it from the wall.
A small safe was built into the wall behind it.
Naomi had seen the safe before.
She assumed it contained passports, insurance documents, maybe some emergency cash.
Daniel entered the code.
The lock clicked.
He opened it.
Then stopped.
Naomi watched his shoulders stiffen.
"What?"" she whispered.
Daniel began pulling out folders.
Tax documents.
Property records.
Insurance policies.
He searched faster.
"Where is it?""
Melissa remained in the doorway.
"Where is what?""
Daniel turned.
"The blue folder.""
"I don't know.""
"Yes, you do.""
"No, Daniel, I don't.""
"The trust documents.""
Naomi frowned.
"Trust?""
Daniel looked at her.
Something passed across his face.
Regret.
Naomi took a step closer.
"What trust?""
He didn't answer immediately.
"Dad.""
Melissa spoke quickly.
"This isn't the time.""
Daniel's head snapped toward her.
"You don't get to decide that anymore.""
Naomi's stomach twisted.
"Dad, what are you talking about?""
Daniel sat slowly behind his desk.
For a moment, he looked much older than forty-seven.
"When your mother died, she left something for you.""
Naomi stared at him.
"What?""
"Rachel had life insurance, savings, and money she'd inherited from your grandfather. Some of it went toward medical bills and the house. But she protected a portion specifically for you.""
Naomi's voice became quiet.
"How much?""
Daniel hesitated.
"Originally, a little over two hundred thousand.""
Naomi's eyes widened.
Daniel continued.
"It's been invested for years.""
"How much is it now?""
"Last statement I saw, just over three hundred thousand.""
Naomi stopped breathing for a second.
Three hundred thousand dollars.
The number didn't seem real.
She thought about the laptop she had refused to ask Daniel to replace because she knew Chloe had needed braces.
She thought about working weekends at a bookstore the previous summer because she wanted money for a science camp.
She thought about worrying over college tuition.
"You never told me.""
"I was going to.""
"When?""
"Before your eighteenth birthday.""
"Why wait?""
"Because you couldn't control it yet, and I didn't want you growing up thinking there was a pile of money waiting for you. Your mother didn't want that either.""
Naomi absorbed this.
"When do I get it?""
"At eighteen, control begins transferring to you under the terms Rachel established.""
Naomi looked toward Melissa.
"You knew?""
Melissa folded her arms.
"Of course I knew. I'm Daniel's wife.""
Naomi turned toward Chloe.
"You knew too?""
Chloe looked away.
That hurt differently.
For months Chloe had mocked Naomi for studying too much.
She had laughed when Naomi worked weekends.
She had called her obsessed with scholarships.
All while knowing Naomi had inherited hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Daniel stood.
"The original trust documents were in this safe.""
He looked at Melissa.
"Where are they?""
"I told you. I don't know.""
"You reorganized this office last month.""
"So?""
"You asked me for the safe combination.""
"Because I needed our insurance documents.""
Daniel stared at her.
Melissa stared back.
Then Naomi remembered the box.
Something she'd seen beneath the certificates.
Paper.
Not one of her awards.
"I saw something.""
Everyone turned toward her.
Naomi ran back to the living room.
She dropped to her knees beside the cardboard box and began removing everything.
Medals.
Frames.
Certificates.
Broken pieces.
Then she reached the bottom.
There.
Two torn sheets of paper.
She pulled them free.
"Dad.""
Daniel took them.
His expression changed before Naomi could even ask what they were.
He carefully placed the torn edges together on the coffee table.
The heading referred to the Parker-Rachel Educational and Family Trust.
Naomi couldn't understand most of the legal language.
But she understood one section.
CHANGE OF SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE.
Beneath it was a name.
Melissa Parker.
Naomi looked at her stepmother.
Melissa said nothing.
Daniel kept reading.
His face became harder with every line.
"What does it mean?"" Naomi asked.
Daniel didn't answer.
"Dad?""
"It appears to request a change in who would manage portions of your trust before you turn eighteen.""
"To Melissa?""
"Yes.""
Naomi felt cold.
"Why?""
Melissa stepped forward.
"Because Daniel travels constantly. Somebody needs to manage family finances.""
Daniel looked up.
"I never agreed to this.""
"We discussed it.""
"No. We didn't.""
"We absolutely did.""
Daniel tapped the page.
"Not this.""
Melissa's confidence flickered.
Daniel turned the second torn sheet over.
Then he froze.
Naomi saw a signature at the bottom.
Daniel Parker.
Daniel stared at it for a long time.
Melissa began talking.
"Daniel, before you start making accusations—"
"I never signed this.""
Nobody moved.
Naomi looked at the signature.
Then her father.
"Are you sure?""
Daniel gave her a stunned look.
"I know my own signature.""
Melissa shook her head.
"You sign paperwork constantly. Maybe you forgot.""
"No.""
"You don't remember every document—"
"I remember documents involving my daughter's inheritance.""
Daniel lifted the page.
"And I would remember naming you trustee.""
Melissa's voice sharpened.
"Why? Because you don't trust your own wife?""
"Right now?""
Daniel looked around the room.
At Naomi's broken awards.
At the stolen envelope.
At the documents.
"No. I don't.""
Melissa's eyes filled with anger.
"So that's it? Naomi cries and suddenly I'm some criminal?""
"No one called you a criminal.""
"You're treating me like one.""
Daniel pointed at his signature.
"Then explain this.""
"I can't explain something I didn't do.""
Naomi turned toward Chloe.
Chloe was crying now.
Not loudly.
She stood beside the sofa with tears sliding down her cheeks.
Naomi noticed something strange.
Chloe wasn't looking at the forged signature.
She was looking at Melissa.
Terrified.
Naomi's heart started pounding.
"Chloe.""
Chloe wiped her face.
"What?""
"Do you know who signed it?""
Melissa immediately stepped between them.
"Don't involve her.""
Naomi stared at her.
"I asked Chloe.""
"She's seventeen.""
"So am I almost.""
"Sixteen," Melissa snapped.
Daniel moved in front of Naomi.
It was a simple movement.
But it changed the room.
For the first time that afternoon, Naomi wasn't standing alone against Melissa and Chloe.
Her father was physically between them.
He looked directly at Chloe.
"Do you know anything about this document?""
Chloe sobbed.
Melissa pointed toward the stairs.
"Go to your room.""
Daniel didn't raise his voice.
"Stay here.""
Chloe froze.
Melissa glared at him.
"You don't order my daughter around.""
"And you don't remove financial documents from my safe.""
"I said I didn't.""
Daniel looked back at Chloe.
"Did your mother take these papers?""
Chloe shook her head quickly.
"I don't know.""
"Did you see her with them?""
"No.""
Melissa exhaled.
"There. Are you satisfied?""
But Naomi was watching Chloe's hands.
They were shaking.
"Chloe," Naomi said quietly, "you knew about the trust.""
Chloe said nothing.
"You knew Mom promised you a car.""
Silence.
"You knew she expected money from another account.""
"Stop," Melissa said.
Naomi continued.
"What did she tell you?""
"Nothing.""
"Chloe.""
"I said nothing!""
Daniel picked up the torn document.
"Someone signed my name.""
Chloe's crying intensified.
Melissa stepped toward her.
"She doesn't know anything.""
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
"How can you be so sure?""
Melissa stopped.
Naomi felt the room change.
That one question landed harder than shouting would have.
Melissa had answered too quickly.
Chloe looked at her mother.
Melissa looked back.
Something silent passed between them.
Naomi saw it.
Daniel saw it too.
"Chloe," he said, "look at me.""
Slowly, Chloe did.
"Did your mother ask you to keep something from me?""
Melissa's face tightened.
"Daniel—"
"Did she?""
Chloe's mouth trembled.
Naomi almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
Then she remembered the broken trophy.
The laughter.
"It was cheap.""
Daniel stepped closer.
"Chloe, if someone forged my signature on documents involving Naomi's trust, this is serious.""
Chloe began breathing faster.
Melissa grabbed her shoulder.
"Don't scare her.""
"I'm telling her the truth.""
"You don't know what happened.""
"Then tell me.""
Melissa's mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
Daniel looked at Chloe again.
"How long has this been going on?""
Chloe shook her head.
"I don't know.""
"How long has your mother been talking about Naomi's trust?""
Chloe squeezed her eyes shut.
"Chloe," Melissa warned.
Daniel's voice sharpened.
"Do not threaten her.""
"I'm her mother!""
"And Naomi is my daughter.""
Melissa recoiled as if he'd slapped the table.
Daniel continued.
"And somebody has been making plans involving money Rachel left specifically for Naomi.""
Chloe suddenly whispered something.
Naomi didn't hear it.
"What?"" Daniel asked.
Chloe opened her eyes.
"You weren't supposed to find it.""
Daniel stared at her.
"Find what?""
"The papers.""
Melissa stepped forward.
"Chloe, that's enough.""
But Chloe was unraveling now.
"You told me Dad would never notice.""
The room went completely silent.
Melissa's face went white.
Naomi looked at her father.
Daniel didn't move.
For several seconds, the only sound was Chloe crying.
Then Daniel placed the document carefully on the coffee table.
His voice was low.
"Melissa.""
She shook her head.
"She's confused.""
"Don't.""
"She's upset.""
"Don't insult me.""
Daniel stood in front of Naomi.
May you like
Then he looked at the woman he had been married to for eight years.
"How long have you two been planning to take my daughter's inheritance?""
