Chapter 10 - The Missing Trustee.
William called Rebecca six times in less than two minutes.
Each call went directly to voicemail.
With every failed call, another memory seemed to punish him.
Rebecca had texted him three days earlier asking whether he had spoken to Ethan that evening.
William had replied that Ethan was already asleep in Connecticut.
Rebecca had sent back a question mark.
William had been walking into a board dinner and never answered.
Now he opened the message and stared at it.
"She knew something was wrong."
Claire looked at the screen.
"Maybe she just thought the story didn't make sense."
"It didn't make sense."
William rubbed his forehead.
"My sister knows I never send Ethan away when he's sick."
"Why not?"
"Because Lauren hated being alone when she was ill."
He looked toward Ethan.
"We made that a rule."
Claire did not tell him what he already knew.
He had broken his own rule because Isabella wrapped the lie in enough reasonable details to keep him from examining it.
William scrolled farther back.
Rebecca had sent a photograph of a stuffed monkey in an airport shop.
FOR ETHAN? the message asked.
William had answered, HE'LL LOVE IT.
That was the last normal exchange between them.
Ethan leaned over.
"That's the monkey card aunt."
William smiled faintly.
"Yes."
"She buys bad presents."
"Terrible presents."
"I like them."
William put an arm around him.
"She knows."
The moment of warmth vanished when the phone returned to voicemail again.
Daniel stood near the window with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Rebecca never trusted Isabella."
William looked at him.
"You could have mentioned that."
"It was not my place."
"That sentence has caused enough damage tonight."
Daniel accepted the rebuke.
"Rebecca thought Isabella was too interested in Lauren's estate records."
"When did she tell you?"
"Last Christmas."
William stared.
"Ten months ago."
"Yes."
"And you did nothing."
"I asked Isabella one question about the trust."
"What did she say?"
"That she wanted to understand what would happen to Ethan if you died."
Claire watched William absorb the cruelty hidden inside a seemingly responsible question.
"And that sounded normal to you?"
Daniel looked ashamed.
"At the time, yes."
William looked at Ethan.
"Everyone found a reason not to ask the second question."
Each call went directly to voicemail.
On the seventh attempt, Detective Hayes took the phone gently from his hand.
"Let us trace it."
"She's my sister."
"Exactly why you should let us work."
William paced the central hall while officers contacted airports, car services, and cellular providers.
Ethan sat beneath a blanket beside Claire.
He looked too tired to follow every new revelation, but he followed his father's face.
Whenever William looked afraid, Ethan became afraid too.
Claire kept her voice low.
"Your dad has a lot to think about."
"Is Aunt Rebecca okay?"
"We don't know yet."
"She sends me weird birthday cards."
Claire smiled.
"That sounds like an aunt."
"One had a monkey wearing a tie."
"Definitely an aunt."
Ethan smiled for two seconds.
Then Isabella spoke from across the hall.
"Rebecca is fine."
William stopped pacing.
"How do you know?"
Isabella looked at Nora.
"Can you remove these cuffs?"
"No."
"Then at least let me speak without everyone treating every sentence like poison."
William laughed bitterly.
"Earn something else."
Isabella looked at him.
"Adrian told me Rebecca landed at Teterboro at six."
Nora stepped closer.
"How would he know?"
"He had her flight information."
"Why?"
"He tracks board members."
"She isn't on the board."
Isabella hesitated.
"Not officially."
William's eyes narrowed.
"What does that mean?"
"Adrian knew she was a trust protector."
Daniel corrected her from the stairs.
"Trustee."
Isabella looked at him with contempt.
"Fine."
William turned to Daniel.
"Who else knew?"
"Lauren."
"Lauren is dead."
"Me."
"Who else?"
Daniel swallowed.
"Rebecca."
"That's it?"
"That was supposed to be it."
William looked at Adrian's empty holding room.
"But Adrian knew."
Daniel nodded.
"Because I told him."
William stared at him for a long moment.
"You keep making tonight worse."
"I know."
Nora's phone rang.
She answered, listened, then looked at William.
"Rebecca's car service picked her up at Teterboro at 6:18."
"And?"
"Driver says she changed the destination during the ride."
"To where?"
"Not the mansion."
"Where?"
Nora turned toward Daniel.
"A law office in White Plains."
Daniel's face changed.
"Mine?"
"Mercer & Hale."
"I haven't used that office in two years."
"Someone has."
Nora continued.
"The driver dropped Rebecca there at 7:02."
"Did she leave?"
"Security camera shows her entering."
"And leaving?"
"No."
William's face went cold.
"Send police."
"Already happening."
Claire watched Isabella.
She looked genuinely surprised.
That did not absolve her.
But it suggested Adrian had moved beyond the plan she understood.
William saw it too.
"You didn't know."
"No."
"What was supposed to happen with Rebecca?"
Isabella shook her head.
"Adrian said she would be delayed."
"Delayed how?"
"He never said."
"And that was acceptable to you?"
"I thought he meant legal delay."
"You thought a lot of convenient things."
Isabella looked away.
Nora addressed her.
"Did Adrian ever mention Mercer & Hale?"
"Yes."
Daniel stiffened.
"When?"
"Two weeks ago."
"What did he say?"
"That an old client archive was stored there."
Daniel's face drained.
"No."
William turned.
"What?"
Daniel walked toward Nora.
"My old evidence vault is in that office."
"Evidence of what?"
"Estate disputes."
"Including Lauren's original trust documents?"
Daniel nodded slowly.
"Copies."
William swore.
"Could Adrian alter them?"
"Not the originals."
"Could he destroy the copies?"
"Yes."
"Why would he care if we have the flash drive?"
Daniel looked at the blue box.
"Because the drive proves financial misconduct, but the signed trust originals prove Ethan controls the shares."
Nora asked, "Where are the originals?"
Daniel hesitated.
"Safe deposit vault."
"Which bank?"
"Not a bank."
William's expression darkened.
"Daniel."
"Lauren did not trust banks after Adrian started asking questions."
"Then where?"
Daniel looked toward the east wing.
"In the house."
Claire almost laughed from disbelief.
Of course they were.
Everything was in the house.
Every secret.
Every key.
Every lie.
"Where?"
William demanded.
Daniel looked at Ethan.
"I don't know."
William's patience snapped.
"You just said they are in the house."
"Lauren told me only Rebecca and Ethan would be able to locate them together."
Ethan looked up.
"Me?"
Daniel nodded.
"She built a safeguard around memories only you and your aunt would share."
"I was three."
"That's why Rebecca matters."
William looked at Nora.
"Find her."
Nora's phone rang again.
This time she stepped away.
Her expression hardened while she listened.
Then she returned.
"Police reached Mercer & Hale."
William did not breathe.
"Rebecca?"
"She's alive."
Relief passed through the hall.
William grabbed the banister.
"Thank God."
"She's unconscious."
The relief vanished.
"What happened?"
"They found her in a conference room."
"Injured?"
"No visible trauma."
"Then what?"
"Paramedics suspect she was drugged."
William closed his eyes.
Ethan whispered, "Aunt Rebecca."
Claire squeezed his hand.
Nora continued.
"She's being transported to the hospital."
"I'm going."
"Not yet."
William's eyes flashed.
"Detective—"
"Someone inside this house still wants the trust documents, and Ethan is one of the people who can lead them there."
William looked at his son.
Nora lowered her voice.
"If you leave, you split your security."
He hated the logic because it was correct.
"Fine."
"I'll put an officer at Rebecca's hospital room."
William nodded.
"Thank you."
Marcus approached with a sealed plastic pouch.
"We found this behind the cellar surveillance rack."
Inside was a smartphone.
"Adrian's?"
"No."
Marcus turned it over.
A label read BURNER 3.
Nora put on gloves and powered it on.
The screen showed no passcode.
There were only seven messages.
All were from a contact saved as COUNSEL.
The newest message had arrived three minutes earlier.
Nora read it aloud.
REBECCA SECURED. VALE COMPROMISED. SWITCH TO FALLBACK. FIND THE BOY'S MEMORY CLUE BEFORE MIDNIGHT.
William stared at the phone.
"Before midnight."
Daniel's face went pale.
"The trust activates automatically at midnight."
"Why?"
"Lauren's amendment was tied to the anniversary of her death."
William looked at the clock.
Ten twenty-nine.
Nora scrolled to the previous message.
She read more slowly.
IF VALE FAILS, ISABELLA TAKES THE BLAME.
Everyone looked at Isabella.
Her face went white.
Then Nora read the final line.
COUNSEL WILL COMPLETE TRANSFER.
Daniel stared at the phone.
"Counsel isn't me."
Nora looked at him.
"Then who is it?"
Daniel's expression changed from confusion to horror.
"Hale."
William frowned.
"Your old partner?"
Daniel nodded.
"Martin Hale."
Nora asked the obvious question.
"Where is he tonight?"
Daniel looked toward the ballroom guest list.
"He was invited too."
Marcus searched the tablet.
His eyes widened.
"Martin Hale never checked in."
Nora stared at the burner phone.
"Then he didn't enter as a guest."
Claire looked toward the service hallway.
There were dozens of staff, contractors, musicians, drivers, florists, and caterers inside the estate.
Martin Hale could be anywhere.
A server rushed into the hall, breathing hard.
"Mr. Sterling?"
William turned.
"What?"
"There's a man in the kitchen asking for Ethan."
Claire stood so fast her chair tipped backward.
William moved in front of his son.
"What man?"
The server swallowed.
"He says he's Ethan's doctor."
Ethan's face went blank.
May you like
"I don't know him."
And the kitchen door quietly clicked shut.
