Chapter 7: The Aunt Who Helped Him Hide Everything
Dad didn't hang up.
He held the phone against his ear, staring at the application on his laptop.
"Patricia," he said slowly, "why is your name on a document claiming you witnessed Jasmine sign something she says she never signed?""
There was silence.
Then Aunt Patricia laughed nervously.
"James, you're misunderstanding the paperwork.""
"Then explain it.""
"Marcus told me everything was arranged. He said Jasmine understood what she was signing.""
Jasmine stepped forward.
"I never met you to sign anything!""
Patricia went quiet.
Dad put the call on speaker.
"Patricia, you're on speaker. Jasmine is standing right here.""
Another pause.
"Jasmine, sweetheart, I think there's been a misunderstanding.""
Jasmine shook her head.
"Don't call me sweetheart. Did you witness me sign that document?""
Patricia sighed.
"I saw you sign some papers at the wedding.""
"Which papers?""
"I don't remember exactly.""
"Was it the inheritance application?""
"I don't know.""
Jasmine's voice trembled.
"Then why did you put your name on it?""
Patricia didn't answer.
Dad walked toward the window.
"Patricia, listen carefully. My mother's estate account was accessed three times after her death. Forty-seven thousand dollars is missing. Your name is connected to a document that helped Marcus request an early inheritance payment.""
"James, I had nothing to do with the money.""
"Then why did you witness the application?""
"Because Marcus asked me to help him.""
Dad turned around.
"Help him do what?""
"Get his life together!""
Mom let out a disbelieving laugh.
"By helping him use our family's money?""
Patricia's tone became defensive.
"Rebecca, you don't understand. Marcus was struggling. He came to me because nobody in this family would support him.""
Dad looked at Mom.
"Nobody supported him?""
Patricia continued.
"You and James have always treated him like a child. You control everything. Even now, you're throwing him out because he got married.""
Mom stepped closer to the phone.
"We paid for his wedding. We paid his tuition. We paid his bills. What exactly did you expect us to do?""
"Let him live his life!""
"He was using our information to borrow money!""
Patricia raised her voice.
"He was trying to become somebody!""
Dad slammed his palm against the desk.
"By stealing from his grandmother's estate?""
The silence that followed was different.
It was no longer an argument.
It was an admission waiting to happen.
Finally, Patricia spoke.
"Marcus told me the money was his.""
Dad closed his eyes.
"Did you know my mother was dead when those transfers were made?""
"Of course I knew.""
"Then how could it have been his?""
Patricia didn't answer.
Dad ended the call.
For a few seconds, everyone remained frozen.
Then Jasmine whispered, "There was another person at the wedding.""
I looked at her.
"Who?""
"Your aunt's son. Kevin.""
Dad frowned.
"Kevin wasn't at the wedding.""
"He was. He arrived late and left before dinner.""
Mom looked confused.
"Why would he be involved?""
Jasmine opened her phone.
"I saw Marcus messaging him.""
She searched through her conversations and found a screenshot.
Marcus had sent a photograph of a document to someone saved as Kevin.
The message read:
Everything is ready. Just make sure Mom doesn't talk to James until the transfer clears.
Kevin had replied:
What about the other account?
Marcus:
I'll handle it after the wedding.
Dad took the phone.
"Other account?""
Jasmine nodded.
"I don't know what that means.""
Dad immediately called his sister again.
This time, she didn't answer.
He tried Kevin.
Voicemail.
Then he called the attorney.
"There's another person involved. Patricia's son, Kevin.""
The attorney asked him to forward the screenshot.
Dad did.
While we waited, Mom sat beside Jasmine.
"How are you holding up?""
Jasmine stared at her phone.
"I don't know.""
"Have you spoken to Marcus?""
"No.""
"Has he threatened you?""
Jasmine hesitated.
"Not exactly.""
Mom looked at her.
"What does that mean?""
Jasmine opened a message from Marcus.
It had arrived ten minutes earlier.
You need to stop talking to my family. You're making things worse. If you cooperate, we'll still get our inheritance and start over.
She showed Mom.
Mom's face hardened.
"He's still trying to convince you that this is about starting over.""
Jasmine nodded.
Then another message arrived.
You signed the paperwork. Don't pretend you didn't.
Jasmine immediately took a screenshot.
Dad saw it.
"Good. Keep every message.""
At that moment, the attorney called back.
His voice sounded urgent.
"Mr. Carter, I've reviewed the additional information.""
"What did you find?""
"The company account received three transfers from the estate account. The first was eighteen thousand dollars. The second was fourteen thousand. The third was fifteen thousand.""
Dad looked at the figures.
Forty-seven thousand.
"Where did the money go?""
"Some went to the company account. Some was transferred to an individual account.""
"Whose?""
The attorney paused.
"Kevin Mitchell.""
Dad looked at Mom.
"Patricia's son?""
"Yes.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
The attorney continued.
"There's another issue. The company account was used to pay a deposit on a property.""
"What property?""
"A commercial unit downtown.""
Dad frowned.
"Marcus doesn't own commercial property.""
"According to the documents, he was involved in the purchase.""
I opened my laptop and searched the address the attorney provided.
The property was a small commercial space in a newly developed business district.
Its listed owner was Carter Family Holdings.
The purchase price was nearly $ ninety thousand.
"How much was paid?"" Dad asked.
"Approximately forty-seven thousand dollars, matching the amount removed from the estate account.""
Dad leaned back.
"Then the money was used to purchase property.""
"Yes. But the ownership records are complicated.""
"How?""
"The registered beneficial owner is not Marcus Carter.""
Dad gripped the phone.
"Who is it?""
The attorney answered.
"Kevin Mitchell.""
Everything suddenly made sense.
Marcus hadn't simply been hiding money.
He had been moving it.
He had created a company with Robert Mitchell, used Victoria's investment, borrowed against Jasmine's financial information, and accessed money from our grandmother's estate.
But the property belonged to Kevin.
And Aunt Patricia had witnessed the documents.
Dad stood up.
"I'm coming to your office tomorrow.""
"Bring every original document you have. And don't contact anyone involved until we have secured the records.""
After the call, Mom walked into the kitchen.
She returned with a glass of water and placed it in front of Jasmine.
Then she looked at Dad.
"What are we going to do about Marcus?""
Dad stared at the photograph of the wedding.
"I don't know.""
It was the first time he had admitted that.
Later that evening, I received another message from an unknown number.
It contained a photograph of a handwritten note.
The note was dated three days before Grandma died.
It read:
James, if anything happens to me, make sure the children receive what I promised them. Patricia knows where the original papers are.
I read it twice.
Then I called Dad.
He came into the living room and examined the photograph.
"Where did you get this?""
"I don't know. Same number as before.""
Dad looked at the handwriting.
It belonged to Grandma.
Mom covered her mouth.
"She knew something was wrong?""
Dad shook his head.
"No. But she knew Patricia had the documents.""
I looked at the note again.
There was something written at the bottom.
A final sentence, almost hidden beneath the fold.
Do not let Robert handle the original trust papers.
Dad sat down.
Because Robert Mitchell had not simply appeared in Marcus's life.
He had been connected to Grandma's estate from the beginning.
And someone had deliberately kept the original trust documents away from our family.
Then my phone buzzed again.
This time, the unknown sender included a name.
*Evelyn's former attorney: Martin Shaw.*
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And one sentence:
Your grandmother left a second will. The first one was never supposed to be the final version.
