Chapter 13 - The Executor
Rachel knew the answer immediately.
"My father's executor."
Thomas Morgan had named his longtime attorney, Harold Keene, to handle his estate.
Harold was retired now, seventy-two, and lived less than twenty miles away.
Rachel had not spoken to him in years.
Officer Bell called first.
No answer.
They drove to his house just after sunrise.
The front door was unlocked.
Inside, the television was on with the sound muted.
A cup of coffee sat cold on the table.
Harold was gone.
In his study, police found a wall safe standing open.
Rachel recognized several folders from her father's estate.
One shelf was empty.
A label remained.
WESTBRIDGE / SHAW.
Daniel whispered, "Marcus got here first."
"Maybe," Bell said.
Rachel noticed a legal pad on the desk.
The top page had been torn away, but pressure marks remained. Bell shaded the page carefully with graphite.
Words appeared.
RACHEL - IF THEY COME, THE COPY IS WITH M.G.
Rachel frowned.
"M.G.?"
Daniel looked at Melissa.
Melissa Grant went pale.
"No."
Everyone turned toward her.
"What?" Rachel asked.
Melissa sat down.
"Thomas Morgan contacted my firm six years ago. I was a junior associate. He asked us to hold a sealed package under attorney privilege."
Daniel stared at her. "You never told me?"
"I didn't know it was connected to you. The client name was Thomas Morgan. The package was stored off-site."
Rachel felt another piece of her old life crack.
"Do you still have it?"
Melissa reached for her phone.
"If nobody destroyed it under retention rules."
Two hours later, the firm confirmed the box still existed.
Melissa retrieved it personally.
Inside was a handwritten ledger, a sealed letter, and an external hard drive.
The letter was addressed to Rachel.
She opened it with shaking fingers.
Rachel, I hoped you would never need this. Peter and I discovered that Marcus Vale was not acting alone. Vanessa participated, but she was reckless, not the architect. Someone inside my own company gave them access to customer identities and payment systems. I trusted this person for twenty years.
Rachel stopped reading.
A name was written on the next line.
She whispered it aloud.
"Uncle David."
Daniel frowned. "Your father's brother?"
Rachel nodded.
May you like
Her phone rang.
Caller ID: David Morgan.
