Chapter 5: What Her Father Left Behind
Margaret’s hand remained suspended between us.
“I assumed.”
“No,” Leanne said.
“You knew.”
“I helped James organize his papers.”
“Did you know about the file?”
Margaret looked at me.
“This is what she does.
She turns every question into an accusation.”
“I haven’t said anything,” I replied.
“You never have to.
You stand there looking wounded, and everyone rushes to protect you.”
Ben moved closer to Daniel.
“Grandma,” Leanne said, “answer me.”
Margaret lowered her hand.
“I knew James recorded something.
I did not know what it contained.”
“Then why don’t you want me to hear it?”
“Because your father was heavily medicated near the end.
He said many things he might have reconsidered.”
My voice came out quiet.
“He knew exactly what he was saying.”
“You weren’t there for every private conversation.”
“Neither were you.”
Margaret walked toward the parking lot.
Leanne followed, and the rest of us went after them.
“You don’t get to threaten me and leave,” Leanne said.
Margaret unlocked her car.
“I am trying to save you from another painful memory.”
“My memories belong to me.”
“Not when other people use them to turn you against your own grandmother.”
Daniel put his hand on the car door before she could open it.
“We’re meeting Elaine tomorrow.”
“You will do no such thing.”
“We already have an appointment.”
Margaret’s face went pale.
“You think one recording will change the trust?”
“I think you’re afraid it will change Leanne.”
Margaret pointed at him.
“Take your hand off my car.”
Daniel stepped away.
“You should know something,” she said to Leanne.
“If you challenge me as trustee, distributions will be frozen during the review.
The deposit on your house will be gone.”
Leanne stared at her.
“You promised that money to us.”
“I promised to release it if you showed sound judgment.”
“So if I listen to Dad, I lose my home?”
“If you let your mother turn you against me, yes.”
Ben looked at Leanne.
“You can have my room.”
Everyone went quiet.
Ben swallowed.
“If you lose your house, you and Daniel can stay with us.
I can sleep in the little room.”
Leanne pressed both hands to her face.
“I don’t deserve that.”
“I know,” Ben said.
“But you still shouldn’t have nowhere to go.”
I knelt beside him and held his shoulders.
“You are not giving up your room.”
“I just meant until she gets one.”
Daniel turned away and wiped his eyes.
Margaret opened her car door.
“This is touching, but kindness does not pay a mortgage.”
“No,” Leanne said.
“But it tells me who my family is.”
Margaret froze.
Leanne removed a key from her purse.
A small silver tag carried Margaret’s address.
“This is the key to your house.
You gave it to me when Dad was ill.”
She placed it in Margaret’s palm.
“I won’t exchange Ben’s dignity for my deposit.”
“You’ll regret this.”
“I already regret what I did at the wedding.”
Margaret got into her car.
“You have until tomorrow morning to change your mind.”
She pulled away without looking back.
The next day, Elaine Mercer met us in a small conference room.
A laptop sat in front of an empty chair reserved for Leanne.
Elaine folded her hands.
“Before we play James’s file, I need to disclose something.”
Margaret entered behind us.
“You need to disclose that no one listens to it without my consent.”
Elaine did not stand.
“You are not the only trustee, Margaret.”
Margaret placed a folder on the table.
“I am the controlling trustee.”
“Not if James’s safeguard clause is activated.”
Leanne sat down.
“What safeguard clause?”
Elaine looked directly at her.
“The one your grandmother removed from the copy she gave you.”
Margaret pushed the folder toward Elaine.
“That is a serious accusation.”
Elaine opened it, lifted one page, and held it beside the original.
“One copy has twenty-eight pages.
The certified copy has twenty-nine.”
Margaret reached for the papers.
Elaine closed the folder.
May you like
“Sit down, Margaret.
We have not yet discussed the missing page.”
