Chapter 4 - OWEN'S ENVELOPE
Natalie could not open the envelope.
Her hands shook too badly.
Dominic did it for her.
Inside were copies of wire transfers, trust drafts, and photographs of Catherine's handwritten notes.
Owen had been investigating Preston Hale for months before his death.
The transfers showed money leaving the Catherine Mercer Legacy Trust and moving through charitable shell accounts into Harrington Development Group.
Brooke's father's company.
"Eight point four million."
"From Mom's trust?"
"From accounts that should have funded your cottage, Noah's education, and the family foundation."
Dominic thought of every quarterly report Preston had summarized in five neat pages.
He had signed them.
That realization landed badly.
"I approved some of these distributions."
Sarah did not soften it.
"Then you have exposure too."
"Good. Put my name in the audit."
Owen's notes described a pattern.
Preston altered trust schedules.
Brooke's father, Malcolm Harrington, received consulting payments.
Brooke began dating Dominic three months later.
Then Owen found the forged marriage amendment.
He scheduled a meeting with Catherine's old accountant.
The next day, he died.
"He told me he was going to Boston for work."
A final photograph showed Owen's burned car at the impound yard.
Someone had circled the rear brake assembly.
Under it:
LINE WAS CUT AFTER SERVICE.
"Get Owen's accident file. Everything."
Sarah kept reading.
There was one more sheet.
A list of dates and initials.
P.H.
M.H.
B.H.
And D.M.
Natalie whispered, "Owen thought you were part of it?"
Then forced it down.
"Maybe he did."
Emma, who had followed to bring coffee, noticed a note at the bottom.
"That isn't a D."
The first letter was curved differently.
G.M.
"Who is G. Mercer?"
"Our uncle Gregory."
Dominic went still.
May you like
Gregory Mercer had been dead for six years.
At least, that was what everyone believed.
