Chapter 11 - The Second Will
August had signed one will five years earlier.
The blue notebook said there was another.
Nora closed the garage door.
"Your father created a sealed estate instrument before he died."
"My father died twenty-three years ago."
"Yes. And he believed someone inside the Caldwell companies was stealing money."
Henry Caldwell had created a contingency trust.
"If a descendant proved internal fraud," Nora explained, "a major voting block would move outside the normal estate."
"To whom?"
"That descendant's bloodline."
August looked at Elsie.
Now the forged guardianship petition made sense.
"If Caroline died and someone controlled Elsie..."
"They could control those shares once the trust activated."
Victoria looked away.
Nora opened the blue notebook.
"Caroline traced the theft back to the year before Henry died."
One account appeared repeatedly.
Beneficiary initials: V.C.
Victoria snapped, "I wasn't even married to August then."
"No," Nora said. "You were married to his business partner."
Richard Cole.
August had not spoken the name in years.
Richard died in a boating accident. Victoria became a widow. Two years later, she married August.
"Henry believed Richard was helping someone siphon money," Nora said. "After Richard died, the transfers continued."
August looked at Victoria.
"You married me to stay inside the company."
"I married you because you needed someone."
"After my first wife died."
Victoria said nothing.
Mason brought in a sealed folder from the wooden box.
Inside was a copy of Henry Caldwell's second will and a handwritten note.
May you like
August, if you ever read this, ask Victoria where she was the night Richard died.
Victoria stopped breathing.
