Chapter 15 - The Mother Behind the Curtain
Patricia Avery had spent the wedding telling guests that her daughter had married beneath herself. Now her face appeared in a bank security photo with a stolen key in her hand.
"She was in on it," Rachel said.
"Maybe," Vega replied. "A photograph tells us where she was, not everything she intended. We need her account and the records."
With the bank, the family opened the deposit box. It held property maps, the housing covenant, old board letters, and a warning from Nate's mother dated six months before her death.
Nate opened it with unsteady fingers.
If someone tries to sell Willow Court, check who profits from the inspection reports. The people who say repairs are complete are not always the people who did the work.
Below the note was a list of questioned payments and a name: Graham Pike.
Rachel sank into a chair. "She suspected him. Why didn't she tell us?"
The answer lay in the next page. Their mother had planned an independent audit but became ill before it began. She had asked Graham for documents. He provided excuses until she was too weak to fight.
"He must have known she left evidence," Nate said.
Owen closed the envelope. "This isn't proof of every crime, but it gives investigators a timeline and leads they can check."
Patricia finally agreed to speak through her attorney. She admitted Sloane had introduced her to Graham and that she had tried to retrieve the box because Graham claimed it held papers that would ruin her daughter. She denied knowing about the false lien.
Nate didn't know whether to believe her. For once, he didn't need to decide that day.
As they left the bank, Detective Vega received an urgent call. She listened, then moved away from the group.
"We have to get people away from Willow Court," she said when she returned.
May you like
"Why?" Rachel asked.
"The fire department just found electrical damage behind the west stairwell. That building may not be safe to occupy tonight."
