Chapter 5 - Sarah’s Name
Police reached the tree house eleven minutes later.
The blue folder was gone.
They found one torn page under a loose floorboard.
Lena enlarged the photo on her tablet.
Across the top, in block letters, were the words: COLE FAMILY TRUST - AMENDMENT DRAFT.
Below that was my name.
Then Henry’s.
Then Sarah’s.
“What is this?” Lena asked.
“I’ve never seen it.”
My family trust had been established after Henry was born. Sarah and I had designed it to protect him if anything happened to either of us.
After Sarah died, I changed almost nothing.
I did not need to.
Henry remained the primary beneficiary.
My brother, Nathan, was backup trustee.
Caleb had no authority.
Rebecca had no authority.
At least that was what I believed.
“Call Martin Vale,” I said.
My attorney answered from bed, irritated until I sent him the page.
Then he went silent.
“Where did you get this?”
“Henry found it in Caleb’s office.”
“Ethan, this is not one of ours.”
“I figured that out.”
“But it uses language from your actual trust.”
My skin prickled.
“How would Caleb have that?”
“I don’t know.”
“Could someone use this to take control of Henry’s money?”
“Not legally. Not without signatures, witnesses, notarization, and a triggering event.”
“What triggering event?”
Martin hesitated.
“If you became incapacitated or died, control shifts.”
“To Nathan.”
“Yes.”
“So why is Rebecca’s name handwritten in the margin?”
Another long silence.
“I need to see the entire document.”
“So do I.”
The jet crossed into U.S. airspace.
My phone lit up with an unknown number.
I answered.
No one spoke.
Then I heard a woman breathing.
“Rebecca?”
A whisper came through.
“You should have stayed in Paris.”
My jaw tightened.
“Where are you?”
“You think this is about me hurting Henry?”
“You put your hands on my son.”
“You have no idea what Caleb was planning.”
“Then tell me.”
“He said you were never supposed to see the video.”
My eyes went to Lena.
“What does that mean?”
Rebecca started crying.
For the first time, she sounded genuinely afraid.
“It means the medicine wasn’t for Henry.”
May you like
The line crackled.
“It was supposed to be for you.”
