Chapter 16 - The Letter I Never Got
Evelyn wrote the letter underground.
Claire had promised to mail it.
She never did.
Daniel,
If this reaches you, I am alive.
The handwriting became shaky halfway down.
Your father is keeping me somewhere inside the estate. I found records about the foundation. Claire knows. Please do not trust the security team. Please do not believe I left you.
I had to put the letter down.
Evelyn stood across the table.
“I thought you got it.”
“No.”
“Claire told me she mailed it.”
I looked at my sister’s attorney.
Claire had already admitted she gave it to Gordon Price instead.
Victor told her every outgoing message would be intercepted.
Claire believed giving the letter to Price would create a legal record without provoking Graham.
Price delivered it directly to Victor.
Another coward hiding inside procedure.
I’m scared you’ll think I chose not to marry you. I didn’t. If I get out, I’m coming back for the truth first. Then I’ll decide what is left of us.
Three years later, that was still fair.
“What is left of us?”
“I don’t know yet.”
Then she said:
“But I want to find out.”
Gordon Price was charged with obstruction-related offenses and conspiracy tied to the fraudulent documents.
The foundation audit widened.
Recovered assets reached twenty-seven million dollars within two months.
More remained tied up in litigation.
Graham Pike agreed to plead guilty and cooperate.
Claire entered negotiations too.
Her lawyer asked me for a character letter.
Not because I hated her.
Because I was not qualified to convert being her brother into a recommendation about accountability.
Then one evening she sent me a message through counsel.
One sentence:
ASK EVELYN WHAT SHE FOUND IN DAD’S WATCH.
“What watch?” I asked.
“The one he wore on our wedding day.”
Victor’s gold watch had been given to me after his death.
It was sitting in my desk at home.
May you like
Inside the back plate, a jeweler found a microfilm strip.
And on it was the one document Victor had protected more carefully than money.
