Chapter 11 - The First Attempt
Eight years before the porch fight, Harlan Beck had tried to persuade my dying mother to sign away her house.
June found an old letter from Beck's firm offering to "simplify" Nina's estate by placing the property under Thomas's sole control. Mom had refused. Two months later she created the trust and named June's father as the original independent trustee.
"The trust wasn't revenge against your father," June explained. "It was protection against pressure."
Leona accompanied me to the bank named in Mom's letter. Inside the safe-deposit box were photos, a packet of original estate papers, and an inventory of her jewelry. One photograph showed the ruby pendant resting in its green case beside a note: FOR EMILY WHEN SHE'S READY.
There was also a canceled check. Mom had paid Harlan Beck a consultation fee, then written DISMISSED across his invoice in thick black pen.
"She knew what he was," I said.
"Or she knew what he was being asked to do."
As we left, I saw Clara's car across the street. She sat behind the wheel with a pair of binoculars in her lap. When our eyes met, she started her engine.
We reached the parking lot just as she pulled out. I stepped back. She drove close enough that wind from the car lifted the papers in my hands.
"That wasn't an accident," Leona said.
My knees were shaking, but I photographed the license plate and called Deputy Cole. He documented the encounter and advised me not to approach her.
At the office, June took a call from the closing company's compliance officer. Her expression grew still.
"They found an earlier version of the forged authorization," she said when she hung up. "It was sent before the buyer made an offer."
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"So Clara planned this in advance."
"Months in advance. And the email carrying it came from your father's business account."
