Chapter 8: The Agreement That Could Destroy Everything
Victoria descended the staircase slowly.
She had changed out of her beige pantsuit and was now wearing a cream silk blouse and dark trousers.
Her hair was perfectly arranged.
She looked nothing like the woman who had dropped her handbag in the auditorium.
"Raymond," she said.
He didn't respond.
Michael Collins lifted the document.
"Mrs. Hayes, are you familiar with this agreement?""
Victoria glanced at it.
"Of course.""
"Did you submit it to Northstar Development?""
"Robert handled the negotiations.""
Robert smiled.
"Victoria simply assisted with the administrative process.""
Michael looked between them.
"Then why was her company listed as the recipient of the consulting fee?""
Victoria stiffened.
"That payment was for professional services.""
"What services?""
"Financial analysis.""
"Who requested it?""
Robert interrupted.
"I did.""
Michael turned toward him.
"Then why was the invoice issued by a company owned by your wife?""
Robert shrugged.
"Because we have separate business arrangements.""
Raymond stepped forward.
"Enough.""
He pointed at the document.
"Tell me what Elena signed.""
Robert pulled out a chair.
"Sit down.""
"I'm not sitting down.""
Robert sighed.
"Twenty years ago, Elena and I discussed the possibility of restructuring the school's ownership. She believed the foundation could protect the property if the original owners agreed to a conditional transfer.""
Raymond shook his head.
"She told me nothing about that.""
"Perhaps because she knew you would refuse.""
"Why?""
"Because you were emotionally attached to the place.""
Raymond looked at him.
"That was the point.""
Robert leaned forward.
"Listen to me. Elena was intelligent, but she was idealistic. She believed you could preserve the school forever with donations and good intentions.""
"And you believed you could sell it.""
"I believed the property needed a commercial exit strategy.""
Michael examined the document.
"There's something missing.""
Robert looked at him.
"What?""
"The original agreement refers to an attached schedule.""
Robert's expression barely changed.
"Yes.""
"Where is it?""
"Not here.""
"Where?""
"Stored with the original ownership records.""
Michael turned toward Raymond.
"Do you have those records?""
Raymond shook his head.
"They're in the trust archive.""
Michael looked back at Robert.
"Then this document is incomplete.""
Robert smiled.
"The missing schedule doesn't change the agreement.""
"That's not your determination to make.""
Victoria moved closer.
"Michael, perhaps you should stop treating this like a criminal investigation. The agreement was signed voluntarily.""
Raymond looked at her.
"Why did you submit a different document with my signature?""
Victoria's expression tightened.
"I didn't.""
"Your company received money from Northstar.""
"That's a business matter.""
"Did you know the signature was false?""
She looked toward Robert.
Only for a fraction of a second.
But Raymond saw it.
So did Michael.
Robert noticed.
"Victoria, don't look at me. You signed the submission.""
She turned sharply.
"You told me everything was authorized.""
"It was.""
"You said Raymond had already approved the transfer.""
Robert laughed.
"Don't pretend you didn't know what we were doing.""
Victoria's voice rose.
"You told me the original agreement gave us the right to negotiate!""
Raymond stepped forward.
"Us?""
Silence.
Victoria looked at him.
Robert closed the binder.
Michael quietly took out his phone.
"I think we've heard enough.""
Robert noticed.
"Are you recording this?""
"No. I'm notifying our investigator that we have located a document relevant to the property case.""
Robert's face hardened.
"Put that phone away.""
Michael didn't move.
"Mr. Hayes, I strongly advise you not to interfere.""
Robert walked toward the door.
"Get out of my house.""
Raymond looked at him.
"Not until you tell me why Elena's signature is on that document.""
Robert stopped.
For a long moment, he looked at Raymond with something resembling pity.
Then he spoke.
"Because she wanted the school protected.""
"She wrote that she didn't trust you.""
"She wrote many things.""
Raymond's fists tightened.
"She was frightened of you.""
Robert's expression turned cold.
"Your wife was frightened of a lot of things.""
The words landed like a slap.
Raymond took a step forward.
Michael moved between them.
"That's enough.""
Robert walked toward the stairs.
"Victoria, we're finished here.""
But Victoria didn't follow him.
She stood in the middle of the living room, staring at the agreement.
Raymond looked at her.
"Did you know about Elena's letter?""
Victoria shook her head.
"No.""
"Did you know she had left documents at the bank?""
"No.""
"Then why did you try to access the trust records six months ago?""
Victoria's face changed.
"I never accessed anything.""
Michael held up the access report.
"Someone used an administrative authorization connected to your consulting company.""
Victoria looked at the paper.
Then she looked at Robert.
And suddenly, her confidence seemed to disappear.
"Robert?""
He didn't turn.
She took another step toward him.
"You told me the original records had been destroyed.""
Robert continued walking.
"Victoria, don't start.""
"You told me there was nothing left from Elena.""
He stopped.
Slowly, he turned.
"What did you just say?""
Victoria looked frightened.
"I said you told me the original records were gone.""
Robert's expression became dangerous.
"Then perhaps you should stop talking.""
Michael stepped forward.
"That's enough. We're leaving with copies of this document.""
Robert grabbed the binder.
"No, you're not.""
The two men held opposite ends.
For a moment, the room became completely still.
Then Robert released it.
He smiled.
"Take it.""
Michael looked suspicious.
Robert continued.
"It's a copy. The original is somewhere else.""
Raymond stared at him.
"Where?""
Robert looked directly at him.
"At the school.""
Twenty minutes later, Raymond and Michael returned to Westbridge Academy.
Jada was waiting in the principal's office.
When she saw her father, she immediately stood.
"What happened?""
Raymond placed a hand on her shoulder.
"We found an agreement your mother signed twenty years ago.""
Jada looked at Michael.
"Is it real?""
Michael nodded.
"The signature appears genuine. But the document is incomplete.""
Arthur Whitmore opened the office door.
"Then we need to find the original.""
He led them downstairs to the school's old archive room.
The room contained filing cabinets dating back to the academy's founding.
Michael checked the inventory.
"The original property agreements should be in cabinet twelve.""
Arthur unlocked it.
Inside were several folders.
Raymond began searching.
After ten minutes, he found a thick envelope marked:
*BENNETT PROPERTY — ORIGINAL AGREEMENTS.*
He opened it.
The first document was the purchase agreement.
The second was the trust establishment certificate.
The third was a handwritten letter from Elena.
But the attached schedule Robert had mentioned was missing.
Michael examined the envelope.
"Someone removed it.""
Arthur looked alarmed.
"When?""
"Recently. The adhesive is still fresh.""
Raymond searched the remaining files.
Then he found a small receipt tucked inside the back cover.
It was dated six months earlier.
The signature belonged to Charles Whitmore.
Arthur went pale.
"My brother.""
Michael studied the receipt.
"Charles checked out this file under a temporary archive authorization.""
Raymond frowned.
"Why would he remove the schedule?""
Arthur shook his head.
"I don't know.""
Jada picked up the receipt.
"There's another name.""
At the bottom of the page was a handwritten note.
Return to Robert Hayes after review.
Raymond stared.
Then Michael's phone rang.
He answered.
"Collins.""
A pause.
"Yes.""
Another pause.
His expression changed.
"Are you certain?""
He looked toward Raymond.
"Send it to me immediately.""
He ended the call.
"What is it?"" Raymond asked.
Michael turned his phone around.
It showed a photograph from a security camera.
A man entering the archive room six months earlier.
The image was grainy, but the face was unmistakable.
Charles Whitmore.
And beside him stood a woman.
Victoria Hayes.
Jada looked at her father.
"She was here?""
Michael nodded.
"Apparently.""
Arthur sat down.
"Why would Victoria come here with my brother?""
Raymond stared at the photograph.
"Because they were looking for something.""
Michael enlarged the image.
The woman was holding a small package.
Charles was carrying a document box.
Then Michael noticed the timestamp.
The photograph had been taken at 8:42 p.m.
Six months earlier.
The same night Raymond had been admitted to the hospital after his construction accident.
Jada felt her blood run cold.
"They were here while Dad was in the hospital.""
Raymond didn't answer.
He was looking at the package in Victoria's hands.
It had a blue ribbon around it.
The same faded blue ribbon that had been attached to Elena's deposit box key.
But the key was still in Raymond's possession.
Which meant there had been another box.
Another set of documents.
And someone had taken them.
At 10:30 p.m., Michael received a second message.
It contained a scanned page from the bank's archived correspondence.
The document was an old account authorization.
It had been signed by Elena Bennett.
Beneath her signature was a handwritten instruction.
If Raymond ever discovers what happened to the original agreement, give him the second letter.
Michael stared at the screen.
"There's a second letter.""
Raymond looked up.
"Where?""
Michael read the final line.
Keep it with the person who knows why Elena was really afraid.
Arthur Whitmore slowly stood.
His face had become almost gray.
Jada noticed.
"Dr. Whitmore?""
He didn't answer.
Raymond stepped toward him.
"Arthur, what is it?""
The principal swallowed.
Then he whispered a name.
"Charles.""
Raymond frowned.
"Your brother?""
Arthur nodded.
"He wasn't the person Elena was afraid of.""
May you like
He looked toward the photograph.
"He was the person who was supposed to protect her.""
