Finally he said, “There’s one more file.”
I wiped my face.
“What?”
“A video.”
My parents were sitting at our kitchen table.
Dad looked furious.
Mom looked exhausted.
The date in the corner showed eighteen days before the fire.
Dad stared into the camera.
“Howard, if you’re watching this, then you ignored every chance we gave you.”
Mom touched his arm.
Dad continued.
“The ledger is copied. The bank records are copied. The trust has been changed.”
Then he said the sentence that explained everything.
“You will never control our children’s inheritance. Not one dollar.”
My heartbeat stopped.
Dad leaned closer to the camera.
“And if you threaten Michael or Victoria, everything goes to police.”
The video ended.
I stared at the black screen.
“He knew.”
Mercer nodded.
“He knew Howard might target you.”
“Then why didn’t he go to police immediately?”
“Because your father was preparing to confess his own involvement in that old accident.”
