Chapter 4: The Attorney
The name Marcus Bell meant nothing to me.
That frightened me more than if I had recognized it.
I looked at Victoria.
“Who is Marcus Bell?””
She said nothing.
“Victoria.””
Still nothing.
Kendra stepped closer.
“Mom, who is he?””
Victoria rubbed her forehead.
“He's a lawyer.””
“What lawyer?””
“Someone who helped with paperwork.””
“What paperwork?””
Victoria looked at me.
“Daniel, please.””
I slammed the phone onto the desk.
“Stop saying please as though you are the victim.””
She flinched.
Zoria sat down in the corner, her hands wrapped around her knees.
Mercer approached the desk.
“Do you know the account number?””
I showed him the photograph.
He studied it.
“This appears to be a trust administration account.””
“For what?””
He pointed at my name.
“Your father's estate.””
I stared at him.
“My father died twelve years ago.””
“Yes.””
“And his estate was closed.””
“I believe it was.””
“Then why is money moving now?””
Mercer looked toward Victoria.
“That's something you need to ask Mrs. Davis.””
Victoria whispered, “I didn't want this.””
I looked at her.
“Didn't want what?””
She sat in the chair opposite me.
For the first time since I had known her, she looked exhausted.
“I knew Kendra would never compete with Zoria.””
Kendra stared at her.
“I never asked to compete.””
Victoria's voice trembled.
“You don't understand what it was like watching everyone compare you.””
“No one compared us.””
“They did.””
“Mom.””
“They praised Zoria for everything.””
Kendra shook her head.
“And you thought I needed her life taken away?””
Victoria looked at her daughter.
“I thought you needed a chance.””
Zoria whispered from the corner.
“I gave you one.””
Victoria turned.
“What?””
Zoria stood.
“I helped you.””
Everyone looked at her.
“You don't remember,” Zoria said.
“When I was fifteen, I started tutoring Kendra in algebra every night.””
Kendra nodded slowly.
“You did.””
“I stayed up until midnight.””
Victoria looked down.
Zoria's voice became steadier.
“I drove her to school when you were working.””
“You didn't have to.””
“I know.””
She took a breath.
“I never needed to beat Kendra.””
Victoria's face crumpled.
“I know.””
“No,” Zoria said.
“You don't.””
The room was silent.
Then Mercer opened his folder.
“There is another issue.””
I looked at him.
“What now?””
He removed a photocopy of an email.
“This was sent to Eastbridge University.””
Kendra frowned.
“Eastbridge?””
“Yes.””
Mercer handed it to me.
The email accused Kendra of academic dishonesty.
I read it twice.
It claimed she had cheated on an entrance examination.
Kendra went pale.
“That's a lie.””
I looked at the sender address.
It was an anonymous account.
Mercer continued.
“Eastbridge investigated and found no evidence.””
Kendra whispered, “Then why was I rejected?””
No one answered.
She looked at Victoria.
“Mom?””
Victoria began to cry.
“I was trying to get them to reconsider your application.””
“By accusing me of cheating?””
“I didn't think they would believe it.””
“They did.””
“I know.””
“You ruined my application.””
“I know.””
Kendra stepped backward.
“So you ruined both of us.””
Victoria covered her face.
I stood very still.
That sentence hit harder than anything else.
Because it was true.
She hadn't protected one daughter.
She had poisoned both.
I picked up the phone again.
The message from the unknown number had a second photograph underneath the bank statement.
This one showed an office.
A private law office.
On the glass door were gold letters:
BELL ESTATE SERVICES.
Mercer looked at it.
“I know that firm.””
“Who are they?””
“They handle probate disputes.””
I stared at Victoria.
“You reopened my father's estate?””
She whispered, “Not exactly.””
“What does that mean?””
“I needed access to a small reserve.””
“What reserve?””
She looked at me.
“Your father's contingency trust.””
My blood turned cold.
“You told me it didn't exist.””
“I couldn't tell you.””
“Why?””
“Because I used part of it.””
“For Kendra?””
Victoria nodded.
“How much?””
She didn't answer.
“How much?””
“Enough.””
“That isn't an amount.””
She started crying harder.
“Daniel, I was going to put it back.””
I stepped toward her.
“How much?””
“Two hundred and eighty thousand.””
Kendra gasped.
Zoria stood frozen.
I felt the room tilt.
“Two hundred and eighty thousand dollars?””
Victoria nodded.
“And when that wasn't enough, I used Zoria's trust.””
I closed my eyes.
Every holiday.
Every family vacation.
Every expensive dinner.
Every time Victoria had told me we were doing fine.
None of it felt real anymore.
Mercer spoke quietly.
“Mr. Davis, there is one important distinction.””
I opened my eyes.
“What?””
“The transfer records I reviewed show money moving from your father's trust into accounts connected to Mrs. Davis.””
I stared at him.
“So she did it.””
“Yes.””
Victoria said nothing.
“But,” Mercer continued, “there's a much bigger problem.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“What?””
He reached into the folder.
“This isn't just about your wife taking money.””
He placed a document on the desk.
It was an old estate amendment.
The signature looked like mine.
But I had never signed it.
I picked it up.
“What is this?””
Mercer answered.
“A change to the beneficiary structure of your father's remaining trust.””
I looked at the signature.
“That isn't mine.””
“I know.””
“Who signed it?””
Mercer looked at Victoria.
She began shaking.
“I didn't sign it.””
“Then who did?””
“I don't know.””
Mercer pointed to the witness line.
There were two names.
One I recognized.
One I didn't.
The name I recognized belonged to my father's former attorney.
The second belonged to Marcus Bell.
I looked at Victoria.
“You hired him.””
She nodded.
“To do what?””
She took a shaky breath.
“To make sure Kendra was taken care of.””
“And what did you do to Zoria?””
Victoria looked at my daughter.
“I thought there would be enough left.””
Zoria stared at her.
“You thought?””
Mercer quietly closed the folder.
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
“Hello?””
His face changed.
He listened for several seconds.
Then he looked at me.
“Mr. Davis, I need you to hear this.””
“What?””
“The university has found the original withdrawal request.””
“Where?””
Mercer swallowed.
“In your home.””
I froze.
“Where in my home?””
He looked toward the hallway.
“In the locked cabinet inside your bedroom.””
Victoria's head snapped up.
May you like
She knew exactly where that cabinet was.
And suddenly she ran.