Chapter 16 - The Worst Thing

Dominic's face did not move.

"What does that mean?"

Brooke looked at the detective. "Am I required to answer?"

"No."

"Then I won't."

She let them lead her toward the front doors.

Natalie stepped forward. "Brooke."

Brooke stopped.

"If you're trying to scare us, congratulations," Natalie said. "But if there is something that could hurt Noah, you say it now."

For the first time, Brooke looked almost ashamed.

Almost.

"Ask Dominic about Catherine's second will."

Then she was gone.

Dominic turned to his estate attorney. "There was no second will."

The attorney hesitated.

That was enough.

"There was?"

"A draft," the attorney said. "Never executed, as far as I knew. Catherine considered changing several charitable bequests shortly before she died."

"Why wasn't I told?"

"Because she abandoned it."

Natalie asked, "What did it change?"

The attorney looked uncomfortable. "It increased your share of the voting trust and reduced Julian's. It also created a protected education fund for any children Natalie might have."

Noah.

Dominic's jaw tightened.

"Where is the draft?"

"Catherine kept it in a blue archive box."

Emma looked up sharply. "There was a blue box in the old house."

Natalie nodded. "In the attic. I moved it into the study after Evan died."

They drove to Catherine's house with police permission and an investigator accompanying them.

The study smelled faintly of smoke from the document Brooke had burned Tuesday.

The blue archive box was gone.

But the old desk had one locked drawer Noah had seen Brooke struggle with.

Dominic found Catherine's tiny brass key taped beneath the desk, exactly where she used to hide it when he was a teenager.

Inside the drawer was no will.

There was a digital voice recorder.

Natalie pressed play.

Catherine's voice filled the room, thin with age but unmistakable.

"If Dominic is hearing this, then someone has started lying about my estate."

Everyone froze.

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Catherine continued:

"The person I am most worried about is Brooke."