Rebecca Shaw spent the next forty-eight hours examining the trust agreement and the files from the USB drive.
Her preliminary findings were troubling.
Several documents appeared to have been created years after the dates printed on them. Others contained inconsistent signatures and references to companies that had ceased to exist.
“The evidence isn’t enough to establish who committed fraud,” Rebecca explained during a secure video call. “But it does suggest that someone altered the historical record.”
“Can you identify the beneficiary of the trust?” Alexander asked.
“Not yet. The original trust document names the beneficiary through a sealed schedule that isn’t included in the files.”
Emily joined the call.
“Could Eleanor have created the trust?”
“Possibly,” Rebecca replied. “But we need the original document and an authenticated record of the signatures.”
Alexander remembered the brass key his father had given him.
“There may be another archive.”
Richard reluctantly agreed to meet them at an old country property that had belonged to Thomas Whitmore.
The estate stood outside Santa Barbara, surrounded by vineyards and tall eucalyptus trees. Thomas had purchased it shortly before his death, claiming he wanted a quiet place to work.
After his death, the property had remained unused for years.
Richard unlocked the front door.
“Thomas kept his personal papers in the library,” he said. “I haven’t been inside since the funeral.”
Dust covered the furniture. Books remained stacked on the shelves, and a grand piano stood beneath a window overlooking the garden.
Emily noticed a framed photograph on the mantelpiece.
It showed Thomas, Richard, Daniel, and Eleanor together at a company celebration.
All four appeared happy.
“They trusted each other,” she said.
Richard nodded.
“Once.”
Alexander examined the photograph closely.
Behind the group, a wall clock displayed the time.
